EVANS LOOKOUT, BLACKHEATH NSW AUSTRALIA

EVANS LOOKOUT, BLACKHEATH NSW AUSTRALIA

View from Evans Lookout October 1960

Every Blue Mountains lookout has a story attached to it. This lookout has one of the finest views of them all, but it’s not simply the view we are interested in here.

The first questions which come to mind are these: who was George Evans and how does his name come to be attached to this lookout? Because we have recently celebrated the bicentenary of the first Blue Mountains crossing by the British settlers in NSW, many will be aware that Governor Macquarie sent out an expedition late in 1813 to follow up on the discoveries of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. This was led by George Evans, assistant surveyor to John Oxley, who went on to the site of Bathurst and beyond.  Be assured that this is a different George Evans from the one whose name is attached to the lookout.

The monument at the lookout has this inscription: “This memorial was erected in memory of George Evans Esq. Solicitor of Sydney & London who was a pioneer of this district. He discovered this lookout and entrance to Grose Valley in the year 1882. Erected by his daughter Mrs E.E. MacLaurin 1932.” This information appears to be accurate, except that it is unlikely that Evans was the first to discover the nearby access into the valley.

There are several valuable books you might like to locate. “Blackheath – Today from Yesterday” (produced by the Blackheath Rotary Club, 2005) is a great source of information on early Blackheath, including material on George Evans. “Back from the Brink” (Andy Macqueen, second edition 2007) is the story of the Grose Valley and is a great read.

Note: "Mr Evans" lower centre of map

 A useful download from a blog called Dossier 48 (here) will also save me repeating a lot of material.

That Evans’ country home had already been built in Blackheath by 1882 is beyond doubt. It’s also clear from a report in the Nepean Times (Saturday 15^th June 1889, page 4) that a track ran from there to what is now known as Evans’ Lookout. You can download this from Trove here. Also of interest is a map (probably dating from 1882) in the “Pictorial Guide to the Blue Mountains” by JEM Russell, which you can download from Trove here.

There is good reason to believe that, although Evans came across the site of the lookout in 1882, he was preceded by others who found the access into the Grose Valley, probably by way of the present Horse Track.

Hayward Gully Falls from Pulpit Rock Lookout

Evidence for this comes from two letters by one William Hayward, the first in The Sydney Morning Herald for Thursday 26^th January 1860, page 8 (downloadable here). Hayward claims to have shown the route for the proposed railway line through the Grose Valley to the surveyors in 1857 or 1858. The second letter tells us that a route he used to get into the valley was near today’s Evans Lookout. (Australian Town and Country Journal for Saturday 16^th October 1875, page 33.) This letter is downloadable here. He states that he was last in the valley in 1849, a fact which is not inconsistent with the 1860 letter. Obviously, the way into the Grose Valley near Evans Lookout was known before George Evans came there in 1882.

Presumably Myles Dunphy named the nearby gully “Hayward Gully” in recognition of this man’s feat.

Apparently it is only a happy coincidence that my uncle Philip Hayward and his family were living in the vicinity around the time that Dunphy was investigating the area (1950’s).

Here are the links to several of my videos on the Evans Lookout area. Evans Lookout Tracks here. The Grand Canyon here. The Cliff Top Track here.

There has been considerable redevelopment of the lookout area in recent years. (Note February 2024)

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology

CLIFF TOP TRACK EVANS LOOKOUT TO BARROW LOOKOUT, BLACKHEATH NSW AUSTRALIA

CLIFF TOP TRACK EVANS LOOKOUT TO 

BARROW LOOKOUT, BLACKHEATH NSW AUSTRALIA

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!

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!

Horseshoe Falls from near Barrow Lookout

There is no denying the influence of Grif Taylor on generations of students (and the general public) and, despite new discoveries and interpretations, we can still learn from him. His maps and sketches are a delight and I have extracted one from Sydneyside Scenery which shows just how much information can be crammed into a small space. 

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.

My video of the walk is here. 

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology

Track to the bottom of Govett's Leap taken from Barrow Lookout