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Showing posts with label Scenic World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scenic World. Show all posts

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

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
Katoomba Holiday Part 1 15th May 2015
Cascade St to Katoomba Falls Reserve 17th January 2015
The Cableway Scenic World 16th December 2014
The Rainforest Walkway Scenic World 10th December 2014
The Scenic Railway Scenic World 29th November 2014
The Skyway Scenic World 13th November 2014
Katoomba Falls to Scenic World 12th September 2014
The Round Walk Katoomba Falls to Scenic World (2) 4th July 2014
Furber Steps 23rd January 2014
The Round Walk Katoomba Falls to Scenic World (1) 24th August 2013
Blogs
Katoomba Falls Walking Tracks 25th June 2015
Furber Steps Katoomba Falls 22nd January 2014
The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 15th September 2013
The Katoomba Falls Reserve 26th August 2013
The Orphan Rock Katoomba 21st August 2013



Lambertia formosa - the Honey Flower or Mountain Devil

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Thursday, 25 June 2015

KATOOMBA FALLS WALKING TRACKS BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

KATOOMBA FALLS WALKING TRACKS BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

The Katoomba Falls area was one of the first in the Blue Mountains opened up for tourists to enjoy. Local residents probably made the first rough tracks from the vicinity of today’s railway station down to the number one attraction – Katoomba Falls. The opening of the nearby coal mine around the same time made access easier to this area and the basic network of tracks we know today was in existence well before 1900.

Quite a lot of my videos and blogs have been about this area. In fact, we seem to have lunch or afternoon tea in the reserve nearly every week. Here is a list of these – with links – which will help you to explore the area from the comfort of your own home (or from along the track, if you are so inclined).
The illustrations come various old guide books I’ve downloaded through Trove.
Videos
Katoomba Falls Walking Tracks 25th June 2015 
Katoomba Holiday Part 2 21st May 2015 
Katoomba Holiday Part 1 8th May 2015 
Cascade St to Katoomba Falls Reserve 17th January 2015 
AShort Round Walk at Katoomba Falls 21st November 2014   
Katoomba Falls to Scenic World 12th September 2014 
The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 4th July 2014 
Katoomba Cascades to Echo Point 25th January 2014 
Furber Steps Katoomba Falls 23rd January 2014 
The Round Walk Scenic World to Katoomba Falls and Return 24th August 2013 
Katoomba Cascades and Reid’s Plateau  3rd August 2013
Blog Entries
Furber’s Step Katoomba Falls 22nd January 2014 
Katoomba Falls to the Bottom of the Upper Falls 5th December 2013 
The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 15th September 2013 
Katoomba Falls Reserve 26th August 2013 
The Orphan Rock 21st August 2013 
The Katoomba Cascades and Reid’s Plateau 3rd August 2013
Please let me know via the comments section below or on individual blogs or videos if you find something that should be corrected (or added).



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Friday, 21 November 2014

THE KATOOMBA LANDSLIDES OF 1931

THE KATOOMBA LANDSLIDES OF 1931

Photo taken June 1960
What was once a place of high drama is now practically forgotten. The site of these great landslides cannot be seen from any of the well-known lookouts, nor does a sign point to any place from which it can be seen (with the exception of the track from the Scenic Railway). In fact, with the continued discoloration of the once-clean rock face as oxidation takes effect and plants make it their home, the site is beginning to look much the same as the rest of the cliff line. The site is usually referred to as at “the Dog Face Rock”. Presumably this landmark was lost when the cliff collapsed.
Even the jumble of debris at the base of the cliff and down into the valley is becoming overgrown in spite of gravity pulling it further down the slope.
So, what is the story of this place and where can you go to see what remains? We only know that cracks behind the top of the cliffs were first reported in 1929, apparently by a miner returning from work at the coal mine in the valley below.
It became apparent that a major rock fall was imminent, though what that might mean in geological terms wasn’t at all clear, since no-one had witnessed anything like this in the Blue Mountains previously (nor has it been observed since, to my knowledge). As 1930 advanced, the cracks widened noticeably and pieces of rock regularly detached themselves and hurtled into the valley below. Crowds came to watch, hoping to be there for the climax when hundreds of thousands of tons of rock would fall in one great mass.
2014
January 1931 arrived. By this time anybody and everybody was practically holding their breath, waiting for the GREAT EVENT. See the Sydney Morning Herald article (Tuesday 27th January 1931) here. It happened (unfortunately, as these things tend to happen) around 4am on the morning of 29th January. There were no witnesses and no photographs, though there are plenty of the lead-up and the aftermath. This was not the end, as things turned out, because it soon became obvious that there would be a further fall before long. This took place on Saturday 2nd May, at around 2pm, according to the Herald report in the edition of Monday 4 th May, page 9 (here). The report mentions witnesses, but evidently they weren’t carrying cameras and I can’t even find a mention of their names. It’s a bit late in 2014 to be asking for eyewitness reports, though. The Sydney Mail of Wednesday 6th May has a good report, including some photographs taken at around the time of the fall (here). There must have been many smaller falls after this, but people’s interests moved on. This all happened during the Great Depression and there more pressing issues to worry about than yet another landslide at Katoomba.
2014
So where can you go to see the site today? If you take the walk from the bottom of the Scenic Railway towards the Ruined Castle, you will soon find yourself crossing the debris field of the Landslide. See my video on this walk here. 
Landslide Lookout is perched at the highest point of the actual break in the sandstone cliff, but you can’t see the landslide itself from here. You can, however get a good view from Narrow Neck Lookout by heading off through the scrub to the left (ie, away from the Narrow Neck below you). See my video Cliff Drive Lookouts here. There are many places along Glenraphael Drive (which goes along the Narrow Neck peninsula) where you can see the landslide, but naturally they are further away. See my video Narrow Neck Lookouts here.

Landslide Lookout 2014

An assortment of photographs may be found in Trove here. 


From below June 1960




June 1963
 

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Saturday, 26 April 2014

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! 

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Friday, 4 April 2014

CLIFF DRIVE LOOKOUTS, KATOOMBA NSW AUSTRALIA

CLIFF DRIVE LOOKOUTS, KATOOMBA NSW AUSTRALIA

Eagle Hawk Lookout
In September 1937 a section of Cliff Drive, Katoomba was declared open by the Hon Eric Spooner, Minister for Works and Local Government in NSW. Mr Spooner was involved in a number of other official openings around Katoomba around this time, so we can assume that he liked the place.
The Cliff Drive, constructed by the then Katoomba Municipal Council, opened up a number of lookouts in places which must have been reasonably difficult to get to before then.
Approaching from the Scenic World end, the first is Eagle Hawk Lookout, which offers one of the best views of the Three Sisters and the cliffs between Echo Point and Katoomba Falls. There is limited parking (only two or three car spaces, which might all be taken up by a tourist coach). The lookout is down a short flight of steps, but even from the top the view is quite remarkable.                                           
Orphan Rock from Malaita Point Lookout

Malaita Point Lookout follows soon after, also on the left. There is presently no sign, only a gap in the safety railing to indicate the beginning of the track. There is parking on the opposite side of the road; however, as it is on fairly sharp bend, drivers need to take special care when making the necessary U turns on what has become a busy road.
The island of Malaita is one of the Solomon Islands and gave its name to a well know steamship serving the Pacific islands in the first half of the 20th century. Malaita Point might have taken its name from the ship. Others have suggested that the name was given because of the presence of a group of Malaita islanders who were undergoing training with a mission society in premises nearby, early in the century.
The view from the lookout is spectacular and includes a rare view of the back of Orphan Rock. The cliffs are popular with rock climbers and were the scene of a recent fatal accident. See this Sydney Morning Herald article for more information.
Landslide Lookout from Narrow Neck Lookout
Next comes Landslide Lookout, with parking on both sides of the road. The track to the lookout descends to a point looking towards the Narrow Neck. Standing there you will be quite unaware of the fact that you are standing on the brink of the great 1931 landslide, a fact which is brought home only when you look back from Narrow Neck Lookout.
The Cyclorama Point track is immediately opposite that to Landslide Lookout. When you read accounts of the views from this spot (eg this one from the Herald, 18th September 1937) you ascend the steps with great anticipation. Alas, the bush has grown to such an extent that the view is almost totally obscured today. The whole article makes good reading and may be read in Trove by clicking here.
Narrow Neck Lookout is several minutes further on. It has the best parking of all these lookouts and also a picnic table (not the shelter that used to be here). Tree growth is rapidly obscuring the otherwise fantastic view of the Narrow Neck. Don’t miss the view on the left of the cliff face remaining after the 1931 landslide. 
Note April 2024. You now have to pay to park here.

Hilda’s Lookout (source of name unknown – perhaps she lived nearby) is relatively recent and is also suffering from obscuring vegetation.
My video of these places may be found here. 

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Friday, 24 January 2014

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. 

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)


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Monday, 26 August 2013

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 7th 1880 that the reserve was established on June 4th 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 29th 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 
Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs
Shoalhaven District Geology.
The writer at Katoomba Falls camping area June 1958

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Wednesday, 21 August 2013

THE ORPHAN ROCK, KATOOMBA BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

THE ORPHAN ROCK KATOOMBA 

BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

 From the earliest days of tourism in the Blue Mountains, the Orphan Rock  has been one of the features people have most admired. Just when the name was first used is unclear; the title on a photo from 1879 calls it the “Orphan Tower” and in a letter to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald dated April 27th 1880, the writer refers to it as the “orphan” rock.
This same letter also raises the question of the ownership of the Orphan Rock. Clearly it was then part of the coal mine lands owned by John Britty North. When (if ever) did it pass back into public ownership or does it still belong to the Hammon family, owners of Scenic World today? I believe the person who possessed "the only point where this gorgeous scenery can be looked upon with advantage" was James Henry Neale MLA. The point referred to is presumably Reid's Plateau, which would have been included in the Reserve when it was proclaimed soon after. Not all landowners in the Blue Mountains have been so public-minded.

The walking track to the summit was built as part of the tourism attraction expansion of the 1930’s (which also saw the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and the Giant Stairway completed, among others). 
The Orphan Rock in June 1958
This track had a short life, however, due to concerns about the stability of the rock itself and it was closed in the 1950’s. I have been up there long ago, but whether this was a legal ascent or not I don’t remember. The 1958 photograph with the Skyway seems to show two figures standing at the lookout on the left hand side. 

"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"
This quote from “The Land”, Friday 22nd 1937, tells the story well. It’s a shame we can’t enjoy the experience today.
“Time was when the rock was regarded as quite inaccessible, but by means of rope and hook and stout heart, one of the Council's rangers reached the top; as a result of that perilous climb, safely guarded steps 
The Orphan Rock steps from an old photograph
have been hewn from the rock, and built of hardwood in places, whereby the top may be reached in safety. Once at the apex the climb will be found more than worth while; lookouts have been constructed, giving a clear view of the Falls on one side, while on the south the undulating valleys run away for illimitable miles in shades now blue, now mauve, now pink.”


Paragon Cafe tin from the 1930's showing the Orphan Rock



It has often been pointed out that the Katoomba Falls area (which includes the Orphan Rock) was the centre of Katoomba tourism in the early days and that the Three Sisters and Echo Point only took over that position in the early twentieth century. One institution which still maintains the Rock as its logo is the Paragon Café in Katoomba St. As one writer put it, “Like this famous rock, the café stands alone”.

Here is a link to a description of a recent climb of the rock. I DO NOT recommend readers to do the same! 
Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs
Shoalhaven District Geology.

The Orphan Rock summit in July 2013


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