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62-647: Hartley Vale is a small village in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales , Australia . It is approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney and 12 kilometres south-east of Lithgow . It is in the local government area of the City of Lithgow . Hartley Vale is centred on Hartley Vale Road, which stretches from Darling Causeway to the Great Western Highway . The area is largely open countryside with many substantial private properties, bounded by

124-471: A dissected plateau carved in sandstone bedrock . They are now a series of ridge lines separated by gorges up to 760 metres (2,490 ft) deep. The highest point in the Blue Mountains, as it is now defined, is an unnamed point with an elevation of 1,189 m (3,901 ft) AHD , located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-east of Lithgow . However, the highest point in the broader region that

186-678: A range of mountains , plateau escarpments extending off the Great Dividing Range about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) northwest of Wolgan Gap in a generally southeasterly direction for about 96 kilometres (60 mi), terminating at Emu Plains . For about two-thirds of its length it is traversed by the Great Western Highway , the Main Western railway line and the proposed Blue Mountains tunnel. Several established towns are situated on its heights, including Katoomba , Blackheath , Mount Victoria , and Springwood . The range forms

248-542: A mountainous region and a mountain range located in New South Wales , Australia . The region is considered to be part of the western outskirts of the Greater Sydney area. The region borders on Sydney 's main metropolitan area, its foothills starting about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of centre of the state capital , close to Penrith . The public's understanding of the extent of the Blue Mountains

310-557: A refinery. Hartley Vale was the longest lived of the oil shale mining and refining sites in New South Wales, with operations occurring between 1865 and 1910. Originally worked by two separate companies, the operation progressed significantly once these companies merged, in 1872, to form the New South Wales Shale & Oil Company . The new company set up new retorts and a refinery at Harley Vale. In April 1906,

372-683: A shale mine in the Jamison Valley in the 19th century, and other operations were set up in several places. Locations for mining activities included the Jamison Valley , the upper Grose Valley , Newnes , Glen Davis and the Asgard Swamp area outside Mount Victoria . Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not profitable. In 2000, the Greater Blue Mountains Area , a vast area of wilderness in

434-678: A small number of non-geographic specialty networks cover paediatric health, justice and forensic health, and the St' Vincent's Health network. The New South Wales Police Force is organised into approximately 81 local area commands, which are aggregated into six regions: The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service uses the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregions based on ecological factors. These bioregions extend into neighbouring States. Yet another subdivision of New South Wales into regions

496-586: A wide and balanced representation of eucalypt habitats from wet and dry sclerophyll, mallee heathlands, as well as localised swamps, wetlands, and grassland. 90 eucalypti tax (13% of the global total) and representation of all four groups of eucalypts occur. There is also a high level of endemism with 114 endemic taxa found in the area as well as 120 nationally rare and threatened plant taxa. The site hosts several evolutionary relic species ( Wollemia , Microstrobos , Acrophyllum ) which have persisted in highly restricted micro sites." The Greater Blue Mountains Area

558-525: Is a land area made up of a group of interacting ecosystems that are repeated in similar form across the landscape. Regions and subregion cross state and territory boundaries. The bioregions that are located within all or part of New South Wales include: New South Wales is also informally divided into a smaller number of regions. These regions have no general administrative function or status. Many of them are only vaguely defined, or are defined in different ways for different purposes. For example, departments of

620-495: Is a non-capital, urban region of one or more adjoining areas, with a population of 25,000 or more. The SDist is defined with consideration of a 20-year growth forecast. The SDist does not need to conform to LGA boundaries or to state territory boundaries. The thirteen Statistical Districts in New South Wales are: The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia; divided into 89 bioregions and 419 subregions. Each region

682-806: Is a popular sport in the Blue Mountains, with the Blue Mountains Cattle Dogs representing the district in the Western Zone Premier League, Country Plate and Presidents Cup competitions. At 4 am on 28 January 1931 a cliff face known as "the Dog Face Rock" collapsed into the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains. A second collapse from the same cliff face occurred on 2 May 1931. It was reported that "More than 450 incidents resulting in greater than 200 deaths between 1875 and 2021..." have occurred. Every year there are up to 200 people who are lost or injured in

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744-814: Is found in remote and isolated valleys of the Wollemi National Park . The Blue Mountains Range contains smaller mountain ranges: the Bell Range near The Bells Line of Road and north of the Grose River; the Explorer Range, south of the Grose River extending west towards Mount Victoria; the Caley Range, Erskine Range, Mount Hay Range, Paterson Range, and the Woodford Range. The major recorded peaks are: The Blue Mountains are

806-550: Is in turn a part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division. The main natural disasters to afflict the area are bushfires and severe storms. In recent years the lower mountains have been subjected to a series of bushfires which have caused great loss of property but relatively little loss of life. The upper mountains had not had a major fire for some decades until December 2002 (the Blackheath Glen Fire) and November 2006 when an extensive blaze in

868-772: Is inhabited by over 400 different forms of animals. Among them are rare mammal species like spotted-tailed quoll , the koala , the yellow-bellied glider , and long-nosed potoroo . There are also some rare reptiles, like the Blue Mountain water skink . There are also some dingoes in the area, which form the top predators and hunt for grey kangaroos . The Blue Mountains are a popular destination for rock climbers , mountain bikers and hikers as well as canyoning and other adventure sports. These sports are well catered for by guiding companies and equipment stores located mainly in Katoomba. Popular climbing destinations include

930-471: Is known as Kings Tableland Aboriginal Place and dates back 22,000 years. Arthur Phillip , the first governor of New South Wales, first glimpsed the extent of the Blue Mountains from a ridge at the site of today's Oakhill College, Castle Hill. He named them the Carmarthen Hills, "some forty to sixty miles distant..." and he reckoned that the ground was "most suitable for government stock". This

992-582: Is now the location of Bells Line of Road between Richmond and Bell , and the Coxs River , a tributary of the Nepean River . It could be followed upstream to the open plains of the Kanimbla Valley, the type of country that farmers prize. British settlers initially considered that fertile lands lay beyond the mountains; while in the belief of many convicts China lay beyond. However, there

1054-649: Is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the southern aspect at the Coxs River corridor, guided by the Aborigines. Governor Hunter was impressed by Wilson's skills and sent him on an expedition with John Price and others in January 1798. The party crossed the Nepean River and moved southwest towards the present site of Mittagong . There they turned west and found a route along the ridge where today

1116-551: Is the location where Gidley King in 1799 established a prison town for political prisoners from Ireland and Scotland. The first documented use of the name Blue Mountains appears in Captain John Hunter 's account of Phillip's 1789 expedition up the Hawkesbury River. Describing the events of about 5 July, Hunter wrote: "We frequently, in some of the reaches which we passed through this day, saw very near us

1178-681: Is varied, as it forms only part of an extensive mountainous area associated with the Great Dividing Range . As defined in 1970, the Blue Mountains region is bounded by the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers in the east, the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang to the west and south, and the Wolgan and Colo rivers to the north. Geologically, it is situated in the central parts of the Sydney Basin . The Blue Mountains Range comprises

1240-582: The Government of New South Wales . The Australian Bureau of Statistics has moved towards a new Geographical Classification called the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. Geography is now divided into Statistical Area Level 1, 2, 3, and 4. Statistical Area Level 4 is the highest (regions of a State) and Statistical Area Level 1 being the lower (Mesh blocks are more refined but not readily available apart from

1302-591: The Mesozoic period, rivers dumped vast amounts of sand , burying the other sedimentary rocks . By about 1 million years ago during the Pliocene era, the Blue Mountains began to form, carving out deep valleys and steep cliffs , with an elevation of 3,900 feet. Its main distinctive natural feature are the Three Sisters , a formation of triple sandstone peaks scoured by erosion , whose rocks are lit by

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1364-611: The Wombeyan Caves Road is located. In the process they found a way to go west of the mountains, by going around them instead of across them. In March of the same year, Wilson and Price ventured to the Camden area, and then continued further south until they encountered Thirlmere Lakes , finally almost reaching the present site of Goulburn . It is possible that the accomplishments of this expedition were suppressed by Hunter, who may not have wanted convicts to know that there

1426-565: The Blue Mountains and surrounding areas. Examples of Aboriginal habitation can be found in many places. In the Red Hands Cave, a rock shelter near Glenbrook , the walls contain hand stencils from adults and children. On the southern side of Queen Elizabeth Drive, at Wentworth Falls , a rocky knoll has a large number of grinding grooves created by rubbing stone implements on the rock to shape and sharpen them. There are also carved images of animal tracks and an occupation cave. The site

1488-499: The Blue Mountains for its exceptional biodiversity, was enlisted by UNESCO and categorized itself as a natural World Heritage Site . On 18 July 2023, a proposal for a naming board in a dual Aboriginal name was discussed by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales whether the Blue Mountains would be officially named Gulumada. The climate varies with elevation. At Katoomba, (1,010 m or 3,314 ft)

1550-606: The Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd, Wollemi, Gardens of Stone, Yengo, Nattai and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks, plus the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve. This site was chosen to be included on the World Heritage list because: "Criteria (ii) and (iv): Australia's eucalypt vegetation is worthy of recognition as of outstanding universal value, because of its adaptability and evolution in post-Gondwana isolation. The site contains

1612-748: The Blue mountains. In 2022, two people died and two were injured when they were on a walking track in Wentworth Falls , and were hit by debris from a landslide. Regions of New South Wales In New South Wales on the third tier of elected government after the federal and state governments are the local government authorities, which are responsible for the local government areas . The types of LGAs in New South Wales are cities , municipalities , shires and regions . New South Wales has more than 150 local government areas which have an elected council and carry out various functions delegated to them by

1674-744: The Census of Population and Housing). For older statistics, such as the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has multiple regional structures for which it analyses and reports data. These regional structures derive from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (AGSC). The AGSC defines at the very smallest level, the Census Collection District (CCD). These CCD's aggregate to form

1736-594: The Centennial Glen cliffs near Blackheath and Mount Piddington near the town of Mount Victoria . Climbing is currently banned on The Three Sisters. Mountain biking takes place mainly on the many fire trails that branch away from the main spine of the Great Western Highway, such as Narrow Neck, Anderson's Fire Trail and others. Likewise many of the fire trails are popular with day hikers, though many dedicated walking trails exist away from

1798-559: The Department of Lands, New South Wales. They all lead to the Hartley Vale area, culminating at a picnic area just west of the village. Hartley Vale was on the original route of the westernmost part of Bell's Line of Road , prior to construction of the connection between that road at Bell and Lithgow. Hartley Vale Road, where it descends into the valley, follows a part of the original Bell's Line route. Other notable landmarks in

1860-598: The Grose Valley threatened several communities including Bell and Blackheath (the Lawsons Long Alley Fire). This latest fire burned for almost a month but was extinguished, mainly due to a change in the weather, without loss of human life or property. A program of winter burning seemed to have been successful in reducing fires in the upper mountains. In recent years, the bushfires have become far more destructive and expansive than before. The region

1922-411: The Hartley Vale village. Another kilometre east is Lawsons Long Alley, which was started as an alternative road by William Lawson , with the aim of avoiding the steep grades of Coxs Road at Mount York. While building the road, Lawson discovered what he thought was coal, but which was in fact oil shale . The deposit was examined by Rev. W. B.Clarke in 1841, and he wrote a paper on it in 1861. A sample of

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1984-814: The New South Wales government, such as the New South Wales Police Force , or the Ministry of Health , define regions of the State for their own internal administrative purposes. These regions may be defined in completely different ways, as shown by the maps in the references. The original basis for descriptive regional names in New South Wales is based on the geography of the State. The State can be divided into four components: These four components are then typically divided into north, central and southern components based upon their location relative to Sydney . This two-way subdivision gives rise to

2046-542: The River Lett to the north and Mount York to the south. The village is approximately five kilometres west of the Main Western Railway — which runs from Sydney to Lithgow and beyond—and ten kilometres from the nearest railway station at Bell . The valley is an historic area where the early roads over the Blue Mountains came down into the plains found to the west of the mountains. The first road through

2108-729: The Statistical Local Area (SLA), which is the common base unit for each of the larger regional structures. The boundaries of the SLA are designed to be typically coterminous with Local Government Areas unless the LGA does not fit entirely into a Statistical Subdivision (SSD), or is not of a comparative nature to other LGA's. Bureau of Statistics provides statistics for Local Government Areas, as well as three other statistical structures: Statistical Divisions , Statistical Regions , and Statistical Districts . Statistical Divisions (SD) form

2170-500: The Upper Blue Mountains with many misty days. The predominant natural vegetation of the higher ridges is eucalyptus forest. Heath-like vegetation is present on plateau edges above cliffs. The sheltered gorges often contain temperate rainforests . There are also many hanging swamps with button grass reeds and thick, deep black soil. Wollemia nobilis , the "Wollemi pine", a relict of earlier vegetation of Gondwana ,

2232-476: The abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause Mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named. A sandstone plateau dominated by a landscape of eucalyptus forests, the Blue Mountains are located at the top of a 470-million-year-old quartzite . In the Permian period, a shallow sea covered the region, when rivers brought shales , siltstones and mudstones . Then during

2294-546: The area are the Comet Inn, which dates back to 1879 and is located in the centre of the village, and Collits Inn, which dates back to 1823 and is approximately one and a half kilometres west of the village. The Hartley Vale Cemetery is just a small distance south-west of Collits Inn. The Hartley Vale area also includes a range of other tourist facilities. Hartley Vale has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Blue Mountains (Australia) The Blue Mountains are

2356-411: The blazes may severely reduce the biodiversity of the area and even wipe out some of the threatened species in the area, such as the regent honeyeater . The Greater Blue Mountains Area was unanimously listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO on 29 November 2000, becoming the fourth area in New South Wales to be listed. The area totals roughly 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi), including

2418-504: The coldest air drains into the valleys during calm, clear nights. However, the passing of cold fronts can significantly lower the average temperature during the night and the day. The Blue Mountains is not known for particularly cold mornings compared to other areas on the Central Tablelands, such as Oberon, Bathurst and Orange. There are two to three snowfalls per year. Annual rainfall is about 1,050 millimetres (41 in) in

2480-616: The colony was in the grips of a drought. Evans and his party reached the Fish and Macquarie rivers, and the site of Bathurst . On 7 July 1814, construction of a road across the mountains was begun by William Cox . The work was at the behest of Governor Macquarie. 30 convict labourers and 8 guards completed the road on 14 January 1815 after 27 weeks of hard work. Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale, mining for these resources began in Hartley Vale in 1865. J.B. North ran

2542-501: The company and its operations at Hartley Vale and Torbane were acquired by the Commonwealth Oil Corporation . Mining and retorting operations at Hartley Vale ceased in 1910, while the refinery was expanded in the same year, to process crude oil from the oil shale mining and retorting operations at Torbane . The refinery at Hartley Vale first closed, around August 1913. but it lingered on, until around May 1914,

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2604-593: The early 2010s, the region's biodiversity and infrastructure has been severely affected by massive bushfires of unprecedented size and impact. In 2018 8.4 million people visited the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands Basalt Forests is a prominent forest community within the ecoregion. Following European settlement of the Sydney area, the area was named the Carmarthen and Lansdowne Hills by Arthur Phillip in 1788. The Carmarthen Hills were in

2666-442: The final end of oil industry at Hartley Vale. There are still some remnants of the shale oil operations there. The village had a school, from 1872 until 1956, with the exception of 1946-1947. Lawsons Long Alley goes through the valley of Kerosene Creek and joins Waltons Road, which goes to Hartley Vale Road on the east side of the village. Lawsons Long Alley and Lockyers Road, along with Coxs Road, were developed as walking tracks by

2728-511: The fire roads. Canyoning in the Blue Mountains is a popular sport and caters for various skill levels. It carries inherent dangers, yet for those with the appropriate skills or those looking to take a guided trip there are many great opportunities to experience a different view of the Blue Mountains. There are numerous abseiling options available in the Blue Mountains including single and multipitch routes. There are some restrictions though with certain areas being closed for abseiling. Cricket

2790-505: The first successful European crossing. Blaxland set out with Lawson and Wentworth on 11 May 1813 and succeeded in crossing the mountains by 31 May. They ventured as far as to what is now Mount Blaxland , just west of Coxs River . In November 1813, Macquarie sent the surveyor George Evans on an expedition to confirm the apparent discoveries made by Blaxland and his party. He was also told to see if there existed enough arable land to justify settlement. The issue had become more urgent because

2852-522: The generic pattern of regions, and in some cases, subregions: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology divides New South Wales into sixteen districts. The Department of State and Regional Development lists fourteen regions in New South Wales. The Office of Local Government listed twelve regions: Local governments in New South Wales have created regional groupings. The NSW Regional Organisations of Councils , typically with names like " Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils " (WSROC) have

2914-825: The glimpse of light at the time of day . The Blue Mountains have been inhabited for millennia by the Gundungurra people , now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation based in Katoomba, and, in the lower Blue Mountains, by the Darug people , now represented by the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation. The Gundungurra creation story of the Blue Mountains tells that Dreaming creatures Mirigan and Garangatch, half fish and half reptile, fought an epic battle which scarred

2976-536: The hills, which we suppose as seen from Port Jackson, and called by the governor the Blue Mountains." During the nineteenth century the name was commonly applied to the portion of the Great Dividing Range from about Goulburn in the south to the Hunter Valley in the north, but in time it came to be associated with a more limited area. The native Aborigines knew two routes across the mountains: Bilpin Ridge, which

3038-463: The landscape into the Jamison Valley . The Gundungurra Tribal Council is a nonprofit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners , promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country. Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation has a registered Native Title Claim since 1995 over their traditional lands, which include

3100-764: The main function of lobbying the State Government on various matters, coordinating economic development, joint purchasing between councils and regional promotion. They have no formal administrative function. There are thirteen networks of regional organisation, in addition to the six networks in Greater Metropolitan Sydney: The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment divides New South Wales into ten regions: The New South Wales Ministry of Health divided New South Wales into fifteen separate regions, called Local Health Districts. These are: Additionally,

3162-423: The main structural hierarchy of statistical analysis. These regions are structured to provide a broad range of social , demographic and economic statistics. The basis for the boundary delineations center on socioeconomic criteria. The thirteen divisions for New South Wales are: The Statistical Region (SR) structure was established in 1986 as a means for labor force analysis. The Statistical District (SDist)

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3224-421: The mountains was built by William Cox from 1814-1815. Parts of his original road can still be seen at Mount York , immediately south of Hartley Vale, and have been incorporated into a walking track. A kilometre east of Coxs Road is Lockyers Road, which was started in 1828 by Major Lockyer as an alternative crossing to Coxs Road, but was never finished. It goes down into the valley and finishes slightly west of

3286-582: The north of the region and the Lansdowne Hills were in the south. The name Blue Mountains , however, was preferred and is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. The tinge is believed to be caused by Mie scattering which occurs when incoming light with shorter wavelengths is preferentially scattered by particles within the atmosphere imparting a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by

3348-698: The oil shale was exhibited at the Paris Exposition . Mining began in the 1860s and a rail line was constructed into the valley of Kerosene Creek. The incline was designed by Norman Selfe who would also design what is now the Katoomba Scenic Railway . Hartley Vale Station was created on the Main Western Line, but closed in 1975 and no longer exists. About 40 feet below the shale seam was a seam of coal, discovered around 1874, which could be used as fuel to support retorts and

3410-618: The sandstone fortress west of the Nepean. Between 1798 and 1813, many people explored various parts of the mountains, from the Bilpin Ridge to the southern regions, today the site of the Kanangra-Boyd National Park . Still, they did not find a definite route across the mountains. The 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains by Gregory Blaxland , William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth is officially credited as

3472-547: The summer average maximum temperature is around 22 °C with a few days extending into the 30s (80s–90s °F) although it is quite common to see maximum temperatures stay in the teens when east coast troughs persist. Night-time temperatures are usually in the teens but can drop to single figures at times. During winter, the temperature is typically around 10 to 11 °C in the daytime with −1 °C or so on clear nights and 3 to 4 °C on cloudy nights. Very occasionally it will get down to −3 °C or slightly lower but usually

3534-506: The time which came to light in the late 1980s. Wilson arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and was freed in 1792. He settled in the bush, living with the Aborigines and even functioning as an intermediary between them and the settlers. In 1797 he returned to Sydney, claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney, including across the mountains. His descriptions and observations were generally accurate, and it

3596-458: The watershed between Coxs River to the south and the Grose and Wolgan rivers to the north. The range contains the Explorer Range and the Bell Range. Once considered impassable by settlers, the 1813 expedition by Blaxland , Wentworth and Lawson opened up the interior to British settlement. Today, the Blue Mountains area includes the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains . Since

3658-421: Was a relatively easy way out of Sydney. Wilson was killed by Aborigines after abducting an Aboriginal woman "for his personal use", but he had accomplished much as an explorer. He was never recognised as the first person to cross the mountains, possibly because his Coxs River journey could not be verified, while his route west of Mittagong may have been the "long way around" for a colony that had its eyes fixed on

3720-476: Was little fear that the mountains might provide a means of escape since they were considered impassable. This idea was, to some extent, convenient for local authorities. An "insurmountable" barrier would deter convicts from trying to escape in that direction. A former convict, John Wilson, may have been the first colonist to cross the Blue Mountains. It is also believed that Matthew Everingham , 1795, may have also been partly successful based on letters he wrote at

3782-418: Was once considered to be the Blue Mountains is Mount Bindo , with an elevation 1,362 m (4,469 ft) AHD . A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site , consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve. The Blue Mountains area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger Hunter-Hawkesbury Sunkland province. This

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3844-512: Was severely damaged in the 2013 New South Wales bushfires . However, even this was dwarfed by the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season , during which the entire mountain range was devastated at a scale never seen before. According to preliminary reports, up to 80% of the World Heritage Area has burned as of January 2020, many of these being areas that had never burned in any previously observed bushfires. These destructive blazes have been linked to accelerating climate change . There have been fears that

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