DOWNLOADING “THE SCENIC RAILWAY” SOUVENIR BOOKLET (1937?) KATOOMBA

DOWNLOADING “THE SCENIC RAILWAY” SOUVENIR BOOKLET (1937?) KATOOMBA

The Scenic Railway at Katoomba was often called “The Mountain Devil” when I was young. 

This was before the Skyway and more recently the Cableway were added to the present Scenic World complex. The connection is that visitors to the Blue Mountains often bought (or made) little horned figures out of the hard fruits of the honey flower (Lambertia) which is plentiful in the upper mountains. You will notice the “devil” images in the book and the name on the side of the carriage in photographs.

It’s not my intention to write a history of the place – others have already done a great job of that. I’ll let this little book tell the story itself, which is why you need to download a copy. According to “Trove” (the National Library of Australia’s online search facility), this publication is out of copyright so you are free to download a copy for your own use. The link with Trove is here. Go to the bottom of the page which loads up and click on the download link there. It begins with “View at …”.

At the time of publication the operation of the Scenic Railway was still under the control of the Katoomba Colliery Limited; subsequently the whole site was bought by the Hammon family and developed into the world class tourist attraction it is today. For more information on the origins of the present day Scenic World, see “The Burning Mists of Time” written by Philip J Pells and Philip J Hammon (2009). The book has its own website which I can't locate.

My video which accompanies this blog is here. It contains more photographs from the Scenic Railway booklet.

Here is a list of some of my videos and blogs (with links) which make reference to Scenic World:

Videos

To the Bottom of the Scenic Railway Via Furber Steps 21st November 2015

Katoomba Falls Walking Tracks 25^th June 2015

Katoomba Holiday Part 1 15^th May 2015

Cascade St to Katoomba Falls Reserve 17^th January 2015

The Cableway Scenic World 16^th December 2014

The Rainforest Walkway Scenic World 10^th December 2014

The Scenic Railway Scenic World 29^th November 2014

The Skyway Scenic World 13^th November 2014

Katoomba Falls to Scenic World 12^th September 2014

The Round Walk Katoomba Falls to Scenic World (2) 4^th July 2014

Furber Steps 23^rd January 2014

The Round Walk Katoomba Falls to Scenic World (1) 24^th August 2013

Blogs

Katoomba Falls Walking Tracks 25^th June 2015

Furber Steps Katoomba Falls 22^nd January 2014

The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 15^th September 2013

The Katoomba Falls Reserve 26^th August 2013

The Orphan Rock Katoomba 21^st August 2013

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

Lambertia formosa - the Honey Flower or Mountain Devil

CASTLE HEAD WALK, NARROW NECK KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

CASTLE HEAD WALK, NARROW NECK KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

If you stand at Echo Point and look across to the Ruined Castle, Castle Head is the point of land immediately behind it. What appears to be a solid tableland is in reality a narrow projection of land into the valley. Near its end it’s only a few metres across, making it an exciting place to stand. Like most such places it is only dangerous if you do silly things.

To get to this spot looks difficult. It’s not. Take the road to Narrow Neck from Cliff Drive, Katoomba. You’ll find the turnoff (Glenraphael Drive, an unsealed road) on the left as you drive around past Scenic World. It’s the only left hand turn along here.

The road descends to the first Narrow Neck before rising again onto the higher ground beyond. There is a car park at the track turnoff to the Golden Stairs, and another at the locked gate across the road shortly after. (There is a steep concrete section of road between the two, constructed to overcome severe erosion problems on the steep hill.)

From the locked gate on, you walk. The track to Castle Head turns off on the left about 15 minutes after you start walking. It’s marked by two round posts, the left one has “Castle Head” written on it in pencil or charcoal. (The track is not shown on the map opposite.) From here you are on a narrow foot pad through the bush, which soon comes to the cliff edge and then follows it to a Trig station (surveyors mark) and finally to the end of the headland.

Hikers on the Ruined Castle

The views along here are amazing in all directions. You can see the 1931 landslide, Katoomba Falls, Echo Point, the Three Sisters, Sublime Point and across to Kings Tableland. Below, looking east, is the Ruined Castle itself (which is the origin of the name Castle Head), behind which is Mt Solitary with the track to the summit easily visible. To the right of this is the gorge of Cedar Creek with Lake Burragorang beyond. (This is the water backed up by Warragamba Dam). A continuous vista of cliffs and valleys leads around to the continuation of the Narrow Neck peninsula. If it’s been raining, you will see a waterfall coming over the cliffs opposite.                                                              

The distant view of Katoomba Falls

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos

This is a popular abseiling spot and there are quite a few YouTube videos about this. The link to one of these is here. My video of the walk is here and a Bushwalking NSW link is here.

It is about a 2 hour return walk from the locked gate, one that you will always remember. Happy hiking! 

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

PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK: KATOOMBA CASCADES TO ECHO POINT

PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK: 

KATOOMBA CASCADES TO ECHO POINT

Cliff View Lookout

The Prince Henry Cliff Walk was named for Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King George V. He neither saw the track nor opened it, but was “in the right place at the right time” (so to speak). He was visiting Australia in 1934 when the first stage of the track was opened. It was a popular thing in those days to name places after royalty and the Duke happened to be the chosen one this time. You can see a photograph of the Duke at Katoomba Station by clicking here.

When he returned to Australia in 1945 to serve as Governor-General he was well received; by this time he was the brother of the king, George VI. The royal family had become very popular during  the war because of their support for the people of England who suffered so much, particularly during the Blitz.

Sphinx Rock

Sydney Morning Herald

The section of the Walk from Katoomba Falls to Leura Cascades was opened at Echo Point by the Minister for Local Government, Mr ES Spooner. It is one of a number of enterprising tourist paths opened around the same time – the Orphan Rock ascent, the Giant Stairway and the Projecting Platform at Echo Point being the others. Coupled with the new floodlighting, the Cliff Drive and the development of the Scenic Railway, this must have been a boom time for Katoomba!

Before the track was developed there were already a number of popular spots along the route: the Katoomba Cascades, Cliff View Lookout, The Sphinx rock, Lady Darley Lookout and Echo Point. Now it was possible to get a bus to either end and walk between the two in less than hour. Lots of people do this every day, just as they have been doing for the past 80 years. You have lots of options when it comes to returning to your starting point. I decided to follow the road and rejoin the walk at the Skyway terminal near Cliff View Lookout. 

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

Callicoma (black wattle)

The area before the Cliff Walk was constructed

My video of the walk is here. 

The area in 1952 (much the same today)

FURBER STEPS, KATOOMBA FALLS BLUE MOUNTAINS AUSTRALIA

FURBER STEPS, KATOOMBA FALLS 

BLUE MOUNTAINS AUSTRALIA

Original ladder: State Library of Victoria

When the Federal Pass was completed in 1900, linking Leura Falls to Katoomba Falls, it was hailed as a great achievement, which indeed it was. Tourists no longer had to visit the two sights separately – they could now descend into the valley at either end and walk between the two.

However, the descent of the lower cliffs at Katoomba was made in part by wooden ladders which many visitors would have found rather daunting in such an exposed position, especially when you look at old photos and see the clothing visitors wore in those days. The answer was to carve a set of steps into the cliff to replace the most dangerous ladders. Similar steps had already been carved into the cliffs at Blackheath and Wentworth Falls. The government surveyor who arranged funding for their construction in 1908 (at a cost of 140 pounds) was Thomas Frederick Furber. This sum might seem tiny to us, but to the volunteer Trust controlling the area it must have seemed enormous and no doubt they were profuse in their thanks to Mr Furber and the NSW government.

Even so, many visitors sought a free ride on the coal trucks ascending the cliff nearby and this ultimately led to the establishment of the Scenic Railway and Scenic World as we know them today. There are still lots of people who descend into the valley via the steps but you don’t see many going the other way!                                                                                                                                                   

View from Lyne's Point 1957

The official opening of the Federal Pass took place on 3^rd November 1900, just a few weeks before the Federation of the six Australian States took place on 1^st January 1901, hence the name. The Premier of NSW, Sir William Lyne, officiated. Lyne drew the line after climbing down to the bottom of Leura Falls. He then returned to Katoomba but many others went on the complete the entire walk. All assembled at Katoomba Falls Reserve for afternoon tea and speeches and an official banquet was held at the Carrington in the evening.

There are many newspaper reports of this event; you will enjoy the one in the Evening News (Sydney, NSW) of Monday 5th November 1900, page 8. Here is an extract referring to the ascent to Katoomba Falls, which was obviously the hardest part.

From Evening News 5/11/1900

Back to Furber and the steps. There is a lot of information about TF Furber in an article compiled by The Institute of Surveyors NSW Inc. beginning on page 139. You will find this reference here. This is the origin of the photograph. He was clearly a man of vision dedicated to his work and the good 

Furber Steps, newly built

                                                 of the community. However the construction of the steps came about, this is a place which remains exciting to visit and, if anything, the visitor comes to the bottom all too soon. With the views, the element of danger and the knowledge that you don’t have to climb up again, it is yet another place “not to be missed”.

Furber Steps today from Cliff View Lookout

You will find my video of this walk 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

KATOOMBA FALLS – TO THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER FALL

KATOOMBA FALLS – TO THE BOTTOM 

OF THE UPPER FALL

The Katoomba Falls area has always been popular with walkers and I guess it always will be. I’ve met many other walkers along the tracks and it’s great to see them enjoying the beauties of the place. Its proximity to the rides at Scenic World is partly the reason, of course, which provides opportunities for a number of round trips.

The track down to the Federal Pass level (where the Scenic Railway terminates) goes through two stages, coinciding with the descent through the two cliff-forming sandstone layers. Between the two is a prominent claystone bed which nearly always causes the top cliff line to be set back a little from the lower. This means that all the waterfalls from Katoomba to King’s Tableland at Wentworth Falls are split into upper and lower sections. This division is very obvious at Katoomba Falls.

The track into the valley descends on the right shortly after you leave Cliff Drive at the old Katoomba Falls Kiosk. It goes down into a rain forest world through a gap in the cliffs which may have once been the course of Kedumba Creek. A minor waterfall (also in two stages) called Witch’s (or Witches) Leap is soon seen on the right. The main Katoomba Falls may be seen from Rainforest Lookout soon after; just below this is the turnoff to “Under the Falls”, as it has often been called. It isn’t really under the falls, rather the spot is between the upper and lower falls.                                                                                                            

The brink of the lower Witch's Leap fall

Along this track you will cross the Witch’s Leap stream again, right at the brink of its second drop. Shortly after, you will arrive at the cascades between the two Katoomba Falls. You get an altogether different view of the falls here. Unfortunately its has proven to be a dangerous place for those who want to look at the bottom fall, which is why there is a solid safety rail well back from the edge. Not everyone takes notice of that, of course, and in summer people like to paddle around and take a shower. They are no doubt unaware of some of the grim events that happened here.

In July 1907 there was a cold snap which caused much of the waterfall to freeze over. This has happened a number of times, but on this occasion 

SMH July 9, 1907

the attraction of the frozen fall was too much for some visitors and two people died as a result of the slippery conditions. You may read about the tragedy in many newspapers of the day, but the Sydney Morning Herald of Tuesday 9 July 1907, page 7, is as good as any (See Trove). A similar freeze occurred in July 1922. A   few years ago we encountered a sizable icicle near Wollumai Lookout, between Katoomba Falls and Echo Point, so I guess this is a phenomenon that can still happen, even if it rarely does!

The 1907 event attracted a photographer who took pictures for and of tourists amongst the ice. A few of these survive and may be seen at the Blue Mountains Local Studies site here .

Several Wild Walks files are relevant to this walk. Katoomba Cascades here and Katoomba Falls Circuit here .

Finally, my video of the walk to “Under the Falls” may be seen here . My  Blue Mountains You Tube playlist may be found here. You will find videos of the Round Walk, Katoomba Cascades etc in the Blue Mountains playlist. In  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

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

Icicle near Wollumai Lookout 2007

THE KATOOMBA FALLS RESERVE, BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

THE KATOOMBA FALLS RESERVE

BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

The Katoomba Falls Reserve has been a central part of the “Katoomba experience” for 130 years. Its proximity to Scenic World guarantees that the flow of visitors will continue unabated. So far as I can tell, the falls and surrounding bushland are part of the Blue Mountains National Park while the reserve itself (ie the adjacent picnic and park lands etc) is administered by the Blue Mountains City Council. Both have a continuing battle to keep these areas attractive to visitors and yet maintain their conservation and scenic value.

It appears from the Sydney Morning Herald of July 7^th 1880 that the reserve was established on June 4^th that year. It would have included the area around the falls themselves, no doubt, as well as the more level ground which we now think of the as the Katoomba Falls Reserve. From then on, sundry improvements began to be made and the area developed as a picnic ground. For example, we read in the Nepean Times of Saturday 29^th October 1887 that the local Congregational Church was to hold a Sunday School picnic there the following Saturday.

Railway picnics were great events in those days, bringing NSW Government Railway employees from far and wide for a day’s fun and games. The SMH reports of the picnics of 1912 and 1913 make it clear that crowds of 2000 people attended. The town council was criticised for not making better provision for such numbers. It is a subject worth reading about in Trove, and it's apparent that both Blackheath and Mt Victoria benefited from similar large assemblies.

The camping ground in 1958

At some point the town’s showground was established on the reserve, before moving to its present site around 1926. From that time the NRMA came onto the scene wanting to convert the showground site into a camping area. This was done and the site became a very popular venue in the 1930’s. I can only remember the place from the early 50’s but I am sure those early campers would be amazed at the facilities that are provided for visitors today. It is now known as the Blue Mountains Tourist Park and the website may be found here . 

Cricket has been played at the reserve for a long time too. We read in the “Blue Mountain Echo” of Friday 2nd December 1910 of plans to set up a proper cricket ground there. Today there are two and the second one also serves as an off-leash dog area every morning.

I have copied the comment below from the Orphan Rock blog, as it is also relevant here.

"If you consult the map on page 251 of The Burning Mists of Time, you will see that by 8th June 1880, North had already given the land for Katoomba Park, basically all that land on the ledge from Katoomba Falls around to and including the Orphan Rock.

Access to the Rock was stopped in 1974 when a mudslide obliterated the access track, and BMCC never repaired it. I think they took it as an excuse to remove some more track maintenance from their books.

In 1998 I took the Mayor and the Head of NPWS up to the top of the Rock to see if it could be re-instated. At the time there was an issue as to whether Council or NPWS "owned" the Rock. Nothing ever came of it.         Philip Hammon June 2014"

 There are three main picnic areas at Katoomba Falls Reserve and on any day, sunny or not, there are always people there making use of this excellent park.

View my Blue Mountains videos here. The one dealing with Katoomba Falls Reserve 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.

The writer at Katoomba Falls camping area June 1958