The Tingle Factor Box

Rover Gets All Hot And Bothered At The Museum Of Fire

This week, with the holidays slowly but surely drawing to a close, Rover decided it was a perfect time to share a fascinating place to visit not far from Sydney itself. The question was, where to go? Then, I reminded Rover of a place we had visited not long ago with his cousins. Rover loved visiting the Museum of Fire, learning about the fascinating history of the building itself and of course playing on the awesome playground outside! He thought it would be a perfect place to share with all his online friends. 

 

If you would like to visit the Museum Of Fire, it is located in the old Penrith Power Station. The street address is 1 Museum Drive, in Penrith (which is accessed from the corner of Castlereagh Road). Look out for the 1942 Dennis Fire Station mounted up on a pole - it marks the entrance to the museum grounds! Entry to the museum is $12 per adult and $6 per child, with family tickets (and additional children on these family tickets) available. 

 

The Museum Of Fire is located inside a fascinating, if somewhat unexciting looking building which was once a power plant. Yet the history of electricity usage in Penrith actually dates back far further than the building itself! In fact, in early October, 1890, Penrith became the first area on the Sydney region and just the third in the entirety of NSW to actually make use of electricity! Electric lighting was used in approximately 60 houses in Penrith, and of course also along streets and in local businesses and public buildings, including the railway station. The mayoress of Sydney flicked the switch to turn the electricity on on October 3, 1890, and such was the excitement that thousands came to watch. The day itself was even a public holiday!

The early uptake of electricity in Penrith initially nearly ruined Penrith, with an economic depression soon following and the expense of the new electric light adding to the burden. Then, as more people began to move to the Penrith area, increasing power was needed. By the mid 1940s it was clear that Penrith itself needed its own power station. The power plant was built in the early 1950s to service the growing suburbs in the west of Sydney and continued to supply the power needs of the people of Penrith for nearly 20 years. The power station closed in 1970, and the Museum of Fire opened in the premises within a decade. Today, the Museum of Fire has been operating at the site for more than 30 years. 

Rover Finds An Outdoor Gallery

This week, Rover had a hankering to take in some artworks. Rover loves art, but he also wanted to take advantage of the sun, and spend his time outdoors, instead of heading to a more conventional art gallery. I told him about a graffiti laneway which I had heard about, which could be found hidden away in Katoomba, and he thought this would the perfect place to visit. Indeed, when we arrived, Rover was simply blown away by the spectacular artworks on display!

If you would like to visit the ‘Street Art Gallery’ as Rover has heard it described, it is located in Beverly Place, just off Waratah Street in Katoomba. Of course, many are familiar with Katoomba, for it’s Three Sisters, scenic views, and Scenic World, as well as it’s historic hotels, fabulous shops and cafes. The street art site is easy to miss though, slightly hidden away in the lane, but Rover thinks it is absolutely worth a look!

Just a short few months ago, Beverly Place was simply a forgotten alley, a backstreet in Katoomba hidden away from sight. There was nothing particularly interesting or noteworthy about the site, but then, in June (2015), the street was transformed with legal graffiti artworks being painted throughout. The gallery, which was created by a partnership between Street Art Murals Australia and the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, is believed to be Australia’s largest, and Rover thinks probably the most impressive, outdoor gallery of legal graffiti.

The works themselves are stunning, and many required scaffolding or scissor lifts and cherry pickers to allow them to be created. After all, the canvases for many of the magnificent artworks are 3 storey high buildings! There are more than 30 murals in the gallery, which were created in just two days! Over 3000 square metres of wall has been painted, with some of the best known and most talent street artists coming from all over the world to be involved. Artists include Anthony Lister, Nico Nicoson, Cines, Phibs and Sid Tapia.

Roaming Roy Finds A Riot Of Colour - Campbell Rhododendron Garden

This week, Roy decided he would like to share a visit he made recently to a truly spectacular garden. Roy loves gardens and nature of all sorts, and he has visited many spectacular gardens in his time. There is one, the Rhododendron Gardens in Blackheath, which he has been wishing to visit for years but he had never been there at the right time of the year to see the spectacular flowers in bloom. This year though, he managed to be there just at the right time, and he was awestruck by the beauty of the gardens.

If you would like to visit the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens, they are located in Blackheath in the beautiful Blue Mountains of NSW. The gardens are located in Bacchante Street, and there is parking available both inside the gardens and on the outside. The gardens are also apparently an easy walk from the Blackheath Station, so you can visit by rail if driving isn’t your thing. Roy thinks the gardens are the perfect place to enjoy a picnic, or simply to wander around and enjoy the fresh mountain air and beautiful scenery.

The Rhododendron Gardens are so expansive and beautiful that you could be forgiven for thinking they were much older than they actually are, yet the gardens were established in the 1970s! The Blue Mountains Nurserymen’s Association held the very first meeting of the Blue Mountains Rhododendron Garden in early April, 1969. Not long after, in fact just 5 months later, the newly formed group decided they wanted to create a Rhododendron Garden in the Blue Mountains. They looked at a number of different locations, searching out the perfect place for the garden to be formed, and on March 13, 1970, 18 and a half hectares of land in Blackheath was officially gazetted to be used as the gardens.

The land belonged to the Land’s Department, and a condition of using the area was that as much of the landscape as possible be retained in its ‘natural state’. This condition was a challenge for the society, but led to the unique and stunning combination of natural bushland and exotic plantings which the gardens are famous for. Another famous feature of the garden is the tranquil lake which reflects the colour of the spectacular blooms so beautifully. The lake was excavated in December 1971 and by 1972 had been filled and landscaped, with the first nine rhododendron’s, all ‘White Pearls’, planted. A picturesque stone bridge was built over the lake in 1974 by Bob McCollough. The Gardens are today known as the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens in honour of the driving couple behind the establishment of the gardens, Norm and Olive Campbell. In 1973 Norm Campbell became the first Gardens Supervisor, and he continued to work several hours a week on their upkeep for the next 30 years. Olive was secretary of the Rhododendron Society from 1970 until her death in 1994.

Roaming Roy Goes For A Ride: Scenic Skyway

This week, Roy decided it was time to head to the Blue Mountains and examine one of the iconic attractions to be found in the area. There are many famous attractions, from natural beauty to wonderful historic hotels, to shopping precincts full of fascinating shops. Yet one which Roy has been interested to visit is Scenic World. Most famous for the Scenic Railway, Roy wanted to get a closer look at something a little different – the old skyway car on display in a small park area, and which I had told him about riding as a child.

If you would like to visit Scenic World, it is located in the Blue Mountains, in Katoomba. Scenic world is located at the corner of Violet Street and Cliff Drive, and there is plenty of parking to be had if you plan to drive. Otherwise, Scenic World is only 3 kilometres from Katoomba Railway Station, and there are regular bus services to the main building at Scenic World. There is plenty to do at Scenic World, with the famous incline railway, a skyway, cableway, and even rainforest walk, as well as cafes and even walking tracks.

The Skyway may not be the ‘main attraction’ which brings people to Scenic World, but it is certainly one with a long and fascinating history. The scenic railway itself was doing a brisk tourist trade when, in 1952, in a Sydney machinery merchant yard, Dickson Primer was wondering what to do with the remains of an ash dumping aerial tramway from Glen Davis. At the same time, an English syndicate had been trying to get people interested in the idea of a hotel and aerial tourist attraction, like the skyway. They suggested Govett’s Leap, but couldn’t get people interested. They proposed instead to create a ropeway from Reid’s Plateau to Lady Darley’s Lookout, passing across Katoomba Falls. The problem was though, that they didn’t own any of the land they needed. The plan for the aerial ropeway was one which caught the attention of the Mayor of Katoomba, Aub Murphy. He asked Harry Hammon who, along with his sister, operated Scenic World and leased the land at the Western end of the proposed ropeway, if he would be interested in getting involved. Harry was, but the land problem still existed, though now it was associated with the eastern side of the ropeway. The Minister for Lands, Gus Kelly, promised to take care of the problem if Harry would just build the ropeway.

A deal was soon struck with Dickson Primer for the machinery from Glen Davis, and an engineer, Bill Wingrove, was engaged to work on installing the ropeway. In February 1958, just 8 months after work to install the rope began, the Skyway opened. Nothing like this had ever been done in Australia, and skyway has always been a wonderful tourist drawcard, but within a short time, the wires began to break. The only rope in Australia which was up to the task was a newly developed rope designed for mine haulage by BHP in Newcastle. The new rope was duly installed and the skyway was up and running again. This rope only lasted two years, but third time did indeed prove lucky and the same rope was used for nearly 40 years, between 1962 and 2001. As for the skyway bogies which were used to carry passengers, originally the skyway operated using steel bogies which ran on two wheels, but these were modified in 1962 to 8 wheeled bogies in order to reduce strain on the rope. The cabin was covered with plywood, and the original paint scheme was pink! The skyway was decommissioned and replaced in 2004, but you can still see, and even climb aboard, the original cabin in the grassed area adjacent to the multi-storey carpark at Scenic World.

Roaming Roy And Rover Go Exploring - Tourism In The Blue Mountains

This week, Rover and Roy were looking through their various photographs from visits to the Blue Mountains. One thing they noticed surprised them – many of the images had hints of old paths which tourists once used many years ago. This got them thinking about tourism in the Blue Mountains and they wanted to find out more. After all, they had explored how the Blue Mountains were first explored, but the early tourists are another fascinating area of exploration they wanted to discover.

The images today are from all different areas of the Blue Mountains, from the Leura Cascades to the beautiful lookout at Govett’s Leap. These areas which we so enjoy today, were also popular with early tourists, and this week, instead of giving specific directions, Roy and Rover want to encourage you to look closely at the places you visit, for traces of the past tourist trade! Signs may include old stonework walls to old paths which run parallel to more recent steps and trails.

After the Blue Mountains were first crossed and a road was built to allow travellers to traverse the ridges and valleys in the early 1800s, it became possible for people to access the beautiful scenery and fresh air which we associate with the Blue Mountains today. Some of the first buildings to be built were actually inns, but they did not cater to the tourist. Instead, they were built for the use of people travelling to the settlements west of the mountains. It was not until the railway was built in the 1860s that the Blue Mountains began to be somewhere people could visit for shorter periods, and in following two decades many hotels were built, including The Oriental Hotel at Springwood and the Great Western Hotel (later known as The Carrington) at Springwood. Yet still, tourism was a little slow. The areas we now think of as popular tourist retreats were simply towns – in fact Katoomba was a mining town! It would not be until the late 1800s that the Blue Mountains began to slowly transform into a fashionable place for tourists to enjoy the health benefits of mountain air and the spectacular scenery.

In the early 1900s the large hotels began to discover competition from the dozens of smaller, more intimate guesthouses which were opening to tourists and with the increase in tourist numbers, lookouts and walking paths began to be formalised. Some of these paths are extraordinary engineering feats, which seem to have made the impossible, possible. The most famous of these is the Giant Stairway. The idea for the stairs was conceived in 1914 but people thought it was impossible! Yet still, in 1916 approval was given to begin construction, and the hazardous and difficult work of hacking stairs from the cliff face began. A quarter of the way through though, work was halted because it was too costly. It was only as the Great Depression worsened that work recommenced, in the hopes not only of providing work, but attracting tourists to the Blue Mountains and boosting the economy. Although Echo Point is probably the most famous lookout in the Blue Mountains today, this was not always the case, and you can often tell which were popular in the past as they have ornate stonework fences and sometimes even the remnants of gardens. Some even have tourist attractions such as the wishing chair at Mount York lookout.

Roaming Roy Visits A Green Corridor - Corridor Of Oaks

This week, Roy decided it was time to head towards the Blue Mountains for a day in the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Roy loves the Blue Mountains, with their history and stunning scenery, and is constantly amazed by the fact that every time he visits, there seems to still be something new to see. This time, he decided to stop by Faulconbridge to visit a park which he had heard about and even driven past many times, the Prime Ministers Corridor Of Oaks. 

 

 

If you would like to visit the Prime Ministers Corridor Of Oaks, it is located in Jackson Park in Faulconbridge. To get there, take the Great Western Highway through the mountains, and turn off into Sir Henry’s Parade at Faulconbridge. Continue over the railway crossing and you will soon see Jackson Park to the left. There is plenty of parking available, and Jackson Park is a perfect place for a picnic, or to run off a little excess energy.

 

 

Faulconbridge is a little town in the Blue Mountains with a big history, being named for the property which was established by Sir Henry Parkes (which was itself named after his mother - Faulconbridge was her maiden name). Parkes was, of course, most famous as the father of Federation, but he did not live to see his dream of a single, federated Australia realised. In 1917 his home at Faulconbridge, Faulconbridge House, was purchased by Joseph Jackson, a businessman and long term resident of the area. Jackson was interested in Australian history and was also a great admirer of Sir Henry Parkes and in 1932 he and his wife, Mylora purchased the land opposite their home, offering it to the Blue Mountains Shire Council as a park - what became Jackson Park. 

 

 

The park was soon established, but much of the early work in creating and caring for the park was actually done by Jackson. He also extended the park area over the following years, purchasing and donating more land. Then, when the park was fully established, Jackson hit upon the idea of having each Prime Minister (or their surviving relative) plant a tree within its bounds. He was perhaps inspired by two trees in his own garden which had been planted in 1881 by their Royal Highnesses Prince Albert and Prince George during a visit with Sir Henry Parkes. Jackson imagined a grand corridor of oaks standing proudly opposite the home of the father of federation, a memorial not only to the Prime Ministers themselves, but to Sir Henry Parkes who had made it all possible. The first oak was planted on September 12, 1934 by the then Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, and each Prime Minister of Australia is represented, whether by a tree planted by themselves, or by a relative. 

Rover Takes The Road Less Travelled - Kurrajong

This week, with the holidays nearly at an end, Rover decided he would like to share with his friends somewhere which he thinks is perfect for taking a short break while journeying to another destination. It is always important to get out of the car and stretch the legs, and Rover particularly enjoys doing this in places with history and room to run around. One popular road which is travelled by many of his friends is the Bells Line Of Road, and Rover wanted to share a place which is perfect for breaking the journey – Kurrajong.

If you would like to visit Kurrajong, it is located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. To get there, take the Bells Line Of Road and follow the signs to Kurrajong Village. There is plenty of room to go for a walk, and a small number of interesting shops (though when Rover visited, on a Wednesday, many of these weren’t open), and also some history to enjoy. Of course, there is also beautiful scenery in the area, and plenty more to do if you continue your journey along Bells Line Of Road either to the upper mountains or to the Hawkesbury.

Kurrajong has a long history, with Aboriginal use of the area dating back far beyond European colonisation. However, Europeans came to the area remarkably early in the history of colonisation, with the first to settle the area arriving in about 1790, though settlement in earnest began in 1841, when Bells Line Of Road was built through Kurrajong. Early settlers in the area were terrorised by the bushranger Jack Donahoe who operated in the area in the 1820s and 1830s, often leaving settlers and travellers alike stripped naked and without their horses, but still settlers came. Many early settlers established farms, but there were also a number who catered to those using the Bells Line Of Road over the mountains, with inns and shops springing up in the area. Other industry was established in the area early on, including a mill whose mill stones are now on display in the village, near the fire station.

By the late 1800s though, one particular industry was becoming dominant. The area was well suited to growing fruit trees, and by the late 1800s orchardists were not only common, but they were lobbying the government for a train line to carry their produce to market. Finally, in 1926 the line from Richmond was extended, with a train called Pansy (hence the Pansy Junction shops, which are opposite the site of the station) but by this time most orchardists had actually purchased trucks. The Bells Line Of Road had been improved in 1901 to provide easier grades for travellers and the railway wasn’t well patronised, closing in 1952 less than 30 years after it opened. During the Second World War further deviations were created and today Bells Line Of Road bypasses Kurrajong itself. In the 1930s, tourism to the area was popular and there were many guest houses in Kurrajong and the surrounding area, but by the 1960s tourism was in sharp decline.

Roy Remembers Road Builders - Road Builders Memorial

 

This week, Roy decided that with the weather slowly heating up and the flowers thinking of unfurling their heads, it was time to head up the Blue Mountains. Roy adores the Mountains with their breathtaking scenery, fresh air and beautiful gardens. He is also constantly fascinated by their history and by the amazing places and things which he discovers. One such discovery was the Road Builders Memorial, which recognises the amazing efforts of convict road builders.

If you would like to visit the Road Builders Memorial, it is located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains and is not far from Echo Point. To get there head into Katoomba and follow Echo Point Road. The memorial itself is in Lilianfels Park, just up the road from Echo Point. There is plenty to see in the area, including of course the famous Three Sisters.

In the early years of the colony, the Blue Mountains were seen as an insurmountable barrier to the west but new lands were desperately needed to support the growing settlement. In 1813, the Blue Mountains were successfully crossed by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson and later the same year the route was surveyed by Surveyor-General George William Evans. Finding and marking out a route was not enough though - a road needed to be constructed which could be used by travellers traversing the mountains. The first road over the Blue Mountains was Cox’s Road, built under the supervision of Lieutenant William Cox. Using convict labour Cox and his party constructed over 100 miles of road in the incredibly short period of 6 months.

The Road Builders Memorial, created by Terrence Plowright and erected by Rotarians and the Blue Mountains City Council, celebrates and recognises the lives and work of these convicts and early pioneering families of Australia, but particularly of the Blue Mountains. The memorial is dedicated to the convicts who worked with basic tools, through cold winters and in leg irons to build the ‘Great Western Highway’ as it is now known. These convicts endured incredible hardship, but through their efforts the fertile land west of the Blue Mountains was opened up for much needed farming

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Roaming Roy Takes A Footstep In Time - Blue Mountains Footsteps In Time Markers

Roaming Roy Marches Up To The Top Of The Hill - Mount York

Rover Goes Into The Blue - Blue Mountains Cultural Centre

This week, Rover decided he wanted to share something of a hidden gem in the Blue Mountains. Rover loves the mountains with their breathtaking scenery and amazing history and takes any opportunity to learn more about it. He often visits Katoomba, and when he heard rumours of a cultural centre which had opened up in the area he wanted to find out more. Yet so many people had no idea what he was talking about! He knew he had to remedy this.

If you would like to visit the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre it is located in Parke Street, Katoomba. Rover found it a little difficult to find the centre, but you can find parking in either Katoomba Street or Parke Street and walk through to find it. It is bounded by College Lane on two sides and the entrance is from College Lane. The centre is open from 10am until 5pm during the week and from 10am until 4pm on weekends. You can visit the viewing platform for free, but to visit the exhibition and art gallery it is $5 for adults. Children under 16 are free. There is also a shop and cafe available at the centre.

The Cultural Centre, although only opening in 2012 has a remarkably long history. For many years the Blue Mountains community had wanted a regional art gallery in which to display the many arts and crafts created in the Mountains. In June 1998 Council began planning to meet this call by creating a gallery space. They didn’t want a stand-alone gallery though. They wanted to incorporate the gallery space into a more innovative cultural centre which could reflect the importance of the World Heritage National Park which Katoomba lies within. In 2004 a library was also added to the plans and funds were finally allocated to create the centre. After more than 10 years of planning the centre was finally completed and opened to the public in 2012.

You might be wondering why you should visit though. Most people who visit the Blue Mountains realise it is a very special place, and even that it is a World Heritage area yet many of the visitor information centres provide little opportunity to learn a much more about this, and about the history of the area. The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre is different. They have a wonderful, immersive exhibition called ‘Into The Blue’ which not only uses huge screens to show some of the amazing areas which we don’t regularly get to see when visiting the mountains on, but also casts light on some of the stories associated with both Aboriginal and European history in the Blue Mountains. Once you’ve learned more about the history of the area, you can also wander out onto the viewing platform and enjoy amazing views over Katoomba and further. As the Cultural Centre is built on the highest point in Katoomba, it really does provide a breathtaking view!

Roaming Roy Marches Up To The Top Of The Hill - Mount York

This week, Roy decided he wanted to venture somewhere interesting, beautiful and wild, with plenty of history. Roy loves the Australian bush, but he also loves historic places and his absolute favourite types of places are those which seem remote and rugged, with a winding dirt road through the bush, but which have historic monuments to admire when you arrive. Mount York in the Blue Mountains is one such amazing place.

If you would like to visit Mount York, it is located in the upper Blue Mountains, beyond Mount Victoria. To get there, follow the Great Western Highway all the way up the Blue Mountains, past Mount Victoria. You will come across a turn off to Mount York Road not far past the town of Mount Victoria. Take this road and follow it until you reach the very end – this is Mount York. There is plenty to explore on Mount York, with historic monuments, heritage roads and spectacular views. There is also plenty of room for the kids to run off some energy and to enjoy a picnic, but make sure you keep an eye on the children as there are cliffs in the area which although fenced would be easy for an exploratory child to access.

Mount York is an area with a huge amount of history, and one which Roy plans to visit again in the future to explore further. It is a perfect place to discover more about the crossing of the Blue Mountains, with monuments to some of the important figures in the history of Blue Mountains exploration. It is the point where Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth first viewed the land to the west of the Blue Mountains in 1813 after their successful crossing of the Blue Mountains, and today you can see the view which was so important to the settlers. The land opens up below the mountains into fertile fields and Hartley Vale can also be seen. There is a grand memorial to their crossing on the mountain.

Although Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson crossed the mountains in May of 1813, they were not the only ones to play a role in finding a route over the Blue Mountains. Later the same year George Evans set out to survey the route for the first road over the Blue Mountains and there is a monument to his important contributions. As well as monuments to these great men, there are also remnants of the first road over the Mountains, known as Cox’s Road – you can even walk a section of this historic road, from the summit of Mount York to Hartley Vale below (Roy plans to do this sometime in the future).  This road was not the only route trialled to reach the plains beyond the mountains and further back along Mount York Road you will also find other historic roads (Lawsons Long Alley, Lockyers Line Of Road and Berghoffers Pass) which were built from the mountains to the plains below, all of which can now be walked.