MINNEHAHA FALLS KATOOMBA
BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA
There are quite a few variations in the spelling of this
attractive waterfall in North Katoomba. The one in the title is the correct
one.
The article below is from the "Blue Mountain Echo" of Tuesday 15th May 1928, page 2 (courtesy of Trove).
The line from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha”, first published
in 1845, reads as follows: “And he named
her from the river, from the waterfall he named her, ‘Minnehaha, Laughing Water.’”
If you would like to read the poem, which has a beautiful rhythm, you can
download a copy here. Now most of us would understand from that that the
word Minnehaha means “laughing water”. Not so – in the Dakota language
Minnehaha actually
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| Early twentieth century photograph |
means “water waterfall”. No, I’m not repeating myself, there
are two “waters” (the haha part I suppose).
Now why our Katoomba waterfall has this name I don’t know.
It has been called that since at least 1895. The original waterfall and river
are in the US state of Minnesota and are somewhat grander than ours, though for
sheer beauty of surroundings the Blue Mountains version scores pretty well.
One last complication is the fact that the creek which goes
over Minnehaha Falls (our version) is Yosemite Creek. Yosemite Valley is in the
state of California, a long way from Minnesota.
A major attraction of these falls is the plunge pool at the
bottom. (A plunge pool is the term used for a pool gouged out in solid rock by
a waterfall.) All the early guide books say it is “bottomless”, which simply
means that no-one had succeeded in diving in and touching bottom. Whether they
ever did or not I don’t know, but as the twentieth century rolled on and urban
development increased in North Katoomba, the pool filled up with sand, which
must have been a great disappointment for the people who liked to swim and dive
in it. This state of affairs continued into the twenty first century and even
the information board at the beginning of the track deplores this fact, though
it holds out hope for a return to the former condition of the pool.
Well, it has happened! Just when I don’t know though I
suspect it was a gradual process, greatly encouraged by the construction of sediment
traps by the Blue Mountains City Council but particularly by violent
thunderstorms during the summer of 2012/13. You can once more enjoy the best
swimming hole in the Blue Mountains and appreciate the grandeur of the scenery
at Minnehaha Falls.
My
video of the walk is here. Another is here.
All New England and other Geology blogs and videos
Limestone Caves of NSW
Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs
Shoalhaven District Geology
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| Sundews seen along the Minnehaha Falls track |
