Blue Mountains History

Blue Mountains as a Sanatorium

From a c1900 tourist guide: how the Mountains can benefit your health. Makes some interesting claims based on medical opinions of the day.

Crossing the Blue Mountains

Were Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth really the first?

Learn about John Wilson, Francis Barrallier, George Caley

George Evans reaches Bathurst area.

William Cox builds the first road.

Engineer's Track - Grose River Gorge

A proposed rail route, army engineers, & neglectful superiors!

Exploration & Development of the Blue Mountains

A chronological index with links.

Fairfax Residence

Built in 1876 in Mt Victoria, became Coopers Hotel in 1888. Photo.

Giant Stairway, Katoomba

Descend 300m into the Jamison Valley.

Map of Katoomba Bushwalks

Dated 1894. Also shows cable tramway and coal mine.

Mitchell's Bridge

Victoria Pass, Mt Victoria. Opened 1832. Historic photo.

Mt Wilson

Brief background and historic photo of old Post Office.

Museums & Galleries

Come & see how our ancestors lived.

Railway Pages

A guide to historic railway sites in the Blue Mountains region, including:

Glow Worm Tunnel on the abandoned Wolgan Valley Railway.

Hartley Vale shale mining works. Map, historic photos.
Katoomba Cable Tramlines Map, historic photo.

Kerosene shale mining. Photo.
Lapstone Hill railway routes. Photos, recent & historic.
Lithgow Zig Zag. Photos, recent & historic; historic documents.

Wolgan Valley Railway Historic document.

Schools in the Blue Mountains

Public & independent schools in the Blue Mountains.

Six Foot Track

Constructed as a bridle track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves.  

Western Wall

History of road & railway routes down the western escarpment. Map.

Woodford Academy

Oldest building in the Blue Mountains. Illustration.

 

External Blue Mountains History Sites

Burragorang Tales

Life in Burragorang Valley, now flooded by Warragamba Dam.

Everglades Gardens

Gardens of Mount Wilson

Includes brief histories of several properties.

Glen Alice Public School - History

Glen Alice and Glen Davis were shale mining towns.

Lithgow & District Family History Society

Includes Hartley. Good range of information.

Lithgow - Living History

Lithgow Tourism.

William Charles Wentworth

One of the Three Explorers.

Other Regions

Other Australian History & Genealogy Sites

Can You Help?

Can you help to build the Blue Mountains History Plaza? Additions and corrections are welcome, as are the URL's of other non-commercial Blue Mountains historical information sites. See Add Your Site.

Owners of commercial Web sites should click here to find out about getting a link to your site. We can also build a Web site for your business.

E_mail David at: d_martin@mountains.net.au