Bullaburra, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bullaburra is a small town in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
in the City of Blue Mountains
. It is one of the towns that stretch along the route of the Main Western railway line
and Great Western Highway
which pass over the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney
. Bullaburra used to have a service station but it was demolished in 2008.
, and east of Wentworth Falls
. The population together with Lawson
was 3637 as of 2001 (Census 2001). Bullaburra has a railway station served by CityRail
's Blue Mountains services, a railway siding, a small paint store and a playground. Two reserves, Red Gum Park and Sir Henry Parkes
Park, are nearby, Red Gum Park being on the south side of the town. Minnatonka Falls are a feature of the park. Another notable landmark is Rhondda Valley, a large property just west of Bullaburra. The Blue Mountains National Park
, which is a World Heritage Area, is situated not far to the north and south of the town.
and a transmission line was put through from Blackheath
to Lawson
with a track to provide maintenance access. The authorities then decided to promote this track as a walking trail, which was duly opened on 21 November, 1931. The surveyor who planned the track was A.Bruce, as a result of which the track eventually became known as Bruce's Walk
. It passed through the north side of Bullaburra on the way to Lawson.
A pamphlet was published to publicise the walk, which passed through a variety of scenery, including glens and ridges. However, from World War II onwards, the track was forgotten and neglected. Parts of the track were also blocked off when the council constructed Lake Greaves in 1942 as a local water supply. Much later, however, a local walker named Dick Rushton found a copy of the pamphlet published in 1931 and set out to clear and mark the track. In 1980 he led a party of walkers along the section of track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls, and in 1983 he created a written guide to the track.
By 1986, Bruce's Walk had come to the attention of two other walkers, Jim Smith and Wilf Hilder, who organised a group of volunteers to clear the track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls. In the process, they found many artefacts and features, including signs, shelter caves, seats and picnic tables. This part of the track was officially opened on 24 May, 1986, by Alderman David Lawton. The opening was attended by 118 people, including Dick Rushton, who was by then eighty years old.
(This opening was condemned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Mayor of the Blue Mountains City Council.) Other stretches of the track, from Wentworth Falls to Medlow Bath, were also cleared by the volunteers and opened later in 1986. The track, however, is still patchy and largely without signposts, and is not shown on the topographic map for the area.
On the south side of Bullaburra, Red Gum Park offers some scope for walks, with tracks starting from De Quency Road and Cottle Road. The main feature of the park is Minnatonka Falls, situated not far from the residential area in Boronia Road. Tracks go by the falls and part of the way down the creek that flows from the falls.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the City of Blue Mountains
City of Blue Mountains
The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains range west of Sydney.-Demographics:...
. It is one of the towns that stretch along the route of the Main Western railway line
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
and Great Western Highway
Great Western Highway
The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...
which pass over the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Bullaburra used to have a service station but it was demolished in 2008.
Description
Bullaburra lies west of LawsonLawson, New South Wales
Lawson is a town in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Great Western Highway between Hazelbrook in the north east and Bullaburra in the west. At the 2006 census, Lawson had a population of 2,419 people. It has a station on the Main Western line...
, and east of Wentworth Falls
Wentworth Falls, New South Wales
Wentworth Falls is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales located 100 kilometres west of Sydney, and about 8 kilometres east of Katoomba, Australia on the Great Western Highway, with a Wentworth Falls railway station on the Main Western line. The town is situated at an elevation of...
. The population together with Lawson
Lawson, New South Wales
Lawson is a town in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Great Western Highway between Hazelbrook in the north east and Bullaburra in the west. At the 2006 census, Lawson had a population of 2,419 people. It has a station on the Main Western line...
was 3637 as of 2001 (Census 2001). Bullaburra has a railway station served by CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
's Blue Mountains services, a railway siding, a small paint store and a playground. Two reserves, Red Gum Park and Sir Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
Park, are nearby, Red Gum Park being on the south side of the town. Minnatonka Falls are a feature of the park. Another notable landmark is Rhondda Valley, a large property just west of Bullaburra. The Blue Mountains National Park
Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue Mountains region of the Great Dividing Range. The park covers 268,987 hectares. The boundary of the park is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas...
, which is a World Heritage Area, is situated not far to the north and south of the town.
Bushwalks
A walking track was constructed through the area in 1931. The Railway Department had agreed to supply electricity to the Blue Mountains Shire Council from the power station at LithgowLithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
and a transmission line was put through from Blackheath
Blackheath, New South Wales
Blackheath is a small town located near the top of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, 120 kilometres west north west of Sydney and 11 kilometres northwest of Katoomba. In 2006, Blackheath had a population of 4,177 people...
to Lawson
Lawson, New South Wales
Lawson is a town in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Great Western Highway between Hazelbrook in the north east and Bullaburra in the west. At the 2006 census, Lawson had a population of 2,419 people. It has a station on the Main Western line...
with a track to provide maintenance access. The authorities then decided to promote this track as a walking trail, which was duly opened on 21 November, 1931. The surveyor who planned the track was A.Bruce, as a result of which the track eventually became known as Bruce's Walk
Bruce's Walk
Bruce's Walk is a bush track in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 100 kilometres west of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.-Description and history:...
. It passed through the north side of Bullaburra on the way to Lawson.
A pamphlet was published to publicise the walk, which passed through a variety of scenery, including glens and ridges. However, from World War II onwards, the track was forgotten and neglected. Parts of the track were also blocked off when the council constructed Lake Greaves in 1942 as a local water supply. Much later, however, a local walker named Dick Rushton found a copy of the pamphlet published in 1931 and set out to clear and mark the track. In 1980 he led a party of walkers along the section of track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls, and in 1983 he created a written guide to the track.
By 1986, Bruce's Walk had come to the attention of two other walkers, Jim Smith and Wilf Hilder, who organised a group of volunteers to clear the track between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls. In the process, they found many artefacts and features, including signs, shelter caves, seats and picnic tables. This part of the track was officially opened on 24 May, 1986, by Alderman David Lawton. The opening was attended by 118 people, including Dick Rushton, who was by then eighty years old.
(This opening was condemned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Mayor of the Blue Mountains City Council.) Other stretches of the track, from Wentworth Falls to Medlow Bath, were also cleared by the volunteers and opened later in 1986. The track, however, is still patchy and largely without signposts, and is not shown on the topographic map for the area.
On the south side of Bullaburra, Red Gum Park offers some scope for walks, with tracks starting from De Quency Road and Cottle Road. The main feature of the park is Minnatonka Falls, situated not far from the residential area in Boronia Road. Tracks go by the falls and part of the way down the creek that flows from the falls.