Why is the Blue Mountains an important part of Australian history?

The Blue Mountains region is rich in history. Once considered an impassable barrier, the Blue Mountains is now a major gateway to Western New South Wales. Aboriginal peoples passed through the Blue Mountains on ancient access routes, which provided passage for trade, ceremony and travel.

What is significant about the Blue Mountains?

The high wilderness quality of much of the Greater Blue Mountains Area constitutes a vital and highly significant contribution to its World Heritage value and has ensured the integrity of its ecosystems and the retention and protection of its heritage values.

Why is Australia called the Blue Mountains?

A blue haze blankets the region when viewed from a distance, hence the name Blue Mountains. Forests of eucalyptus and gum trees grow in the area. All four different types of eucalyptus trees covered the hills, mountains, valleys, canyons, and plateaus. So there, that’s the reason why the Blue Mountains are blue.

Why did colonists want to cross the Blue Mountains?

Blaxland, inspired by the need for more grazing land for his flocks and frustrated by the Governor’s refusal to grant him more coastal land, decided to attempt to cross the Blue Mountains.

What Aboriginal land is the Blue Mountains?

The City of the Blue Mountains is located within the Country of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples.

How were Blue Mountains formed?

The ‘Blue Mountains’ are actually a plateau in geological terms rising gradually in elevation from 170 metres at the eastern edge to an average of nearly 1,000 metres on the western side. The sandstone which forms the plateau was formed from sediments deposited by ancient river systems about 250 million years ago.

Who discovered Blue Mountains?

The 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains was the expedition led by Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth, which became the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales by European settlers.

How was Blue Mountain formed?

Starting with the sea. A movement in the earth meant that the quartzite landscape was flooded by a shallow sea from the east. Streams flowing into this sea carried huge amounts of sediment, which were deposited in horizontal layers. Later, these layers formed rock beds of shales, siltstones and mudstones.

What is the aboriginal name for the Blue Mountains?

Part of the Great Dividing Range west of Sydney, reaching a height of 1100 metres. In 1829 the name for the area used by the local Aboriginal people was recorded as being Colomatta .

What is Blaxlands full name?

Gregory Blaxland

What Aboriginal country is Springwood NSW?

History. The Springwood area was first occupied by the Oryang-Ora Aboriginal people belonging to the wider Darug Aboriginal tribe of the wider Sydney region. They settled the area about 40,000 years ago, with many rock carvings and art sites in the area.

How high are the Australian Blue Mountains?

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 was once considered to be the Blue Mountains is Mount Bindo, with an elevation 1,362 m (4,469 ft) AHD .

Is there a big mountain in Australia?

Tenison Woods Mountain (770m) The Summit (765m) Mount D’Aguilar (745m) Mount Samson (690m) Northbrook (659m) Mount Glorious (619m) Mount Nebo (617) Mount Byron (617m) Mount Jim Sue (610m) The Bulls Knob (563m)

What are the mountains called in Australia?

The Australian Alps consist of two biogeographic subregions: the Snowy Mountains, including the Brindabella Range, located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory; and the Victorian Alps, located in Victoria. The latter region is also known as the “High Country”, particularly within a cultural or historical context.