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

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)

THE KATOOMBA CASCADES AND REID’S PLATEAU, BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

THE KATOOMBA CASCADES AND REID’S PLATEAU

BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

This part of the Blue Mountains was Katoomba’s first great tourist attraction and this 1894 map shows that the network of paths was well established by then. You can download your own copy of the map here .

The area is well serviced by public transport; for those driving, the normal route is via Katoomba Street turning right into Katoomba Falls Road. Our video on this area approaches the walk from the old Katoomba Falls Kiosk, opposite the entrance to the playing fields and caravan park.

Snow scene, Katoomba Cascades June 1958

Despite the large number of visitors to the area, the bushland is coping well, except when vandals light fires, which has happened several times in the past few years. Stay on the tracks, don’t light fires and certainly don’t pick wildflowers! I know, the Sunshine Wattle is very tempting in winter but please leave it alone.

"Cave" shelter, Reid's Plateau. July 2007

Reid’s Plateau has several excellent lookouts and an opportunity to observe the Skyway which goes back and forth across the view all day. There is an interesting old shelter shed, probably dating from the 

Reid’s Plateau has several excellent lookouts and an opportunity to observe 1930’s

cave shelter when this style of construction was popular. Some people refer to them as “Uglies”, which is a bit unfair as they blend into the bush background better than a modern straight-sided shed could ever do. You can also visit this area at night when it is floodlit, though you’ll need a torch to follow the track alongside Kedumba Creek which is outside the floodlit zone.

This page from the “Mountaineer” tourist guide book lists a number of named features which no longer appear on modern maps. Where are Strangman’s Vista, Stawell’s Reach and The Princess Walk? And who were Strangman, Stawell and Reid anyhow? To me, this is an important part of mountain lore and we ought to at least have on record historic information like this. Please comment if you know where to find the answer to these questions.

·    After reading Brian Fox’s excellent book “Upper Blue Mountains Geographical Encyclopaedia” (2001), I can now state that Stawell’s Reach was named for Sir William and Lady Stawell, who visited Katoomba in 1888, and Reid’s Plateau takes its name from George Houstoun Reid, Premier of NSW 1894-99 and Prime Minister of Australia 1904-5. No word yet about Strangman or the Princess Walk. (Edited 27^th August 2013)

In these days of easy internet access, every Blue Mountains visitor can easily download copies of some of the old guide books and photograph collections and I’ll make how to do this the subject of another blog.

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 top of Katoomba Falls. January 1963