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| Lockley Pylon across the Grose Valley |
Just when this track was first constructed I can't say, but
I believe its present route dates from after World War 11. One thing is certain, however: the National Parks and Wildlife Service
has done a great job in reconstructing the track in recent years and it is a
pleasure to walk on.
At Evans Lookout, the track leaves from the left of the
parking area just as you enter it. If you’re a first time visitor to the
lookout, make sure you include the short walk down to Valley View Lookout as
well as to the main one. You will get a better view of Hayward Gully Falls (Gossamer Falls) from here than you will along
the Cliff Top track. They are on the left as you stand at the lookout.
The first landmark you will reach as you head towards
Govett’s Leap is the shallow indentation of Hayward Gully. All the references I
have been able to find say that this is named after William Hayward, said to be the first European to descend into the
Grose Valley, in 1847. Just where he achieved this is not stated. It certainly
wasn’t by going over the cliffs at this point! Just what connection there is
between Hayward and the gully I don't know. Since my uncle and aunt (Phil and Bess Hayward) and their
family lived along Evans Lookout Road in the 1950’s near the head of Hayward
Gully, I prefer to believe the gully was named after them!
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| Grif Taylor |
The cliff line along here has been known as Griffith Taylor Wall since Myles Dunphy
named lots of Blue Mountains features in the 1960’s. Thomas Griffith Taylor
(Grif to his friends) was a pioneer Australian geographer, whose ideas on the
origins of the scenery we see today culminated in his well-known book "Sydneyside
Scenery” in 1958. I still
have a badly typed letter he sent me in 1963 after I had written an account of
the geology of the Nowra district in my first year of teaching at Nowra High
School (1963). It was probably typed on the very machine in the photograph!
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| Horseshoe Falls from near Barrow Lookout |
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| Tony Luchetti |
The name “Luchetti
Lookout” still appears in current publications, though there is no sign of
it along the track. It was approached by a side track (now lost) and is at the
point of land where the Cliff Top track diverges from its cliff edge route for a few
hundred metres or so. The lookout, presumably named after long serving local
member Tony Luchetti, was never a developed one and had no guard rails etc.
Barrow Lookout is
the subject of another blog, to be found here, and video here. It
is just above the top of Govett’s Leap (the waterfall, that is) and provides
great views of the Grose Valley, Horseshoe Falls, Govett’s Leap Lookout, the track into the valley and the
cliffs opposite. It’s one of those place you won’t want to leave.
The Wild Walks information may be found here. My
video of the walk is here. My Blue Mountains You Tube playlist may be found here. I have three other playlists - on gem hunting/mining, Glen Innes and New Zealand. Please comment and subscribe.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html
All Blue Mountains blogs and videos
All New England and other Geology blogs and videos
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| Track to the bottom of Govett's Leap taken from Barrow Lookout |
Luchetti Lookout.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin Kath Luchetti, Tony Luchetti's daughter says:
"The lookout was named after Anthony Luchetti (1869-1942) our great uncle who lived at Blackheath and was involved in the Blackheath Group of the Blue Mountains Sight Trust for the whole 22 years of its existance."
Thanks for the additional information, Marilyn. It is greatly appreciated.
Deleteaccording to the Coronoer's Inquest into Vere Gordon Childe's death, possibly by suicide, in October 1957, Luchetti Lookout did have guard rails. More information in The Artificial Horizon by Martin Thomas.
ReplyDelete