Leura, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Leura is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains
Local Government Area 109 km west of Sydney
in New South Wales
, Australia
. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Blue Mountains railway line and Great Western Highway
that bisects the Blue Mountains National Park
. It is 100 km by road from Sydney
and the train journey takes a little under 2 hours. Leura is adjacent to Katoomba
, the largest centre in the upper mountains, and the two towns merge along Leura's western edge.
, Leura had a population of 4,385 people.
The village centre lies on Leura Mall which is divided at this point by a wide median planted with flowering cherry trees. The historic streetscape has been largely preserved, although there has been local concern regarding the development of a shopping complex on the site of a former distribution warehouse. Redesigned to better suit the Leura Mall ambience after consultations with the wider community, the new shopping complex is now nearly complete. The historic post office
building is now home to a newsagency. The Alexandra Hotel, not far from the railway station, offers panoramic views from its back veranda. The are a substantial number of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops along Leura Mall, amongst the famous boutiques, antique shops, etc.
Leura is home to many formal, English-style cool climate gardens which provide elegant walks and the opportunity to visit when open to the public in early October each year.
One of the most prominent is "Leuralla", the former home of NSW Parliamentarian C.R. Evatt. Evatt was the brother of former Federal Labor
leader and UN President
HV "Doc" Evatt; his family still owns and manages the property which is now home to the NSW Toy and Railway Museum.
Another major attraction is the Everglades Gardens, the former home of Belgian
-born industrialist Henri van de Velde now administered by the National Trust
. The Everglades includes van de Velde's Moderne
-style home and 5 hectares (13 acres) of landscaped gardens designed by Danish
architect Paul Sorensen. The Everglades has an outdoor theatre which often hosts productions such as Cirquinox and the Leura Shakespeare festival.
As Leura is also called 'the Garden Village', it is not surprising that every October the Leura Gardens Festival is held. The Leura Gardens Festival is a registered charity and raises money for the Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital in Katoomba by opening private gardens to the public. Not connected with the garden festival but also held at the same time is the ever popular Leura Village Fair.
Natural attractions include Sublime Point to the south, which offers panoramic views of the Jamison Valley, and Leura Cascades in the southwest. There is a network of tracks that goes from Links Road to Echo Point, taking in many attractions along the way, including the Pool of Siloam, Leura Cascades, Leura Falls, Jamison Lookout, Linda Falls and the Dardanelles Pass, before ascending to Echo Point via the Giant Stairway. The area is popular for bushwalking and photography.
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:...
Local Government Area 109 km 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...
in New South Wales
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...
. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Blue Mountains railway line 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...
that bisects 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...
. It is 100 km by road from 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...
and the train journey takes a little under 2 hours. Leura is adjacent to Katoomba
Katoomba, New South Wales
Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council. It is on the Great Western Highway 110 kilometres west of Sydney and 39 kilometres south-east of Lithgow. Katoomba railway station is on the...
, the largest centre in the upper mountains, and the two towns merge along Leura's western edge.
Description
Leura's elevation of 985 metres above sea level leads to occasional snowfall in winter and a climate that reflects all four seasons distinctly. At the 2006 censusCensus in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Leura had a population of 4,385 people.
The village centre lies on Leura Mall which is divided at this point by a wide median planted with flowering cherry trees. The historic streetscape has been largely preserved, although there has been local concern regarding the development of a shopping complex on the site of a former distribution warehouse. Redesigned to better suit the Leura Mall ambience after consultations with the wider community, the new shopping complex is now nearly complete. The historic post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
building is now home to a newsagency. The Alexandra Hotel, not far from the railway station, offers panoramic views from its back veranda. The are a substantial number of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops along Leura Mall, amongst the famous boutiques, antique shops, etc.
Leura is home to many formal, English-style cool climate gardens which provide elegant walks and the opportunity to visit when open to the public in early October each year.
Activities
The Leura Walking Tour I begins at The Alexandra Hotel just above the railway station and ends on The Mall at the Redmond Memorial across from Leura Cellars. The walk offers a slow paced look at homes, buildings and churches that are the architectural history of Leura.One of the most prominent is "Leuralla", the former home of NSW Parliamentarian C.R. Evatt. Evatt was the brother of former Federal Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
leader and UN President
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
HV "Doc" Evatt; his family still owns and manages the property which is now home to the NSW Toy and Railway Museum.
Another major attraction is the Everglades Gardens, the former home of Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born industrialist Henri van de Velde now administered by the National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. The Everglades includes van de Velde's Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
-style home and 5 hectares (13 acres) of landscaped gardens designed by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
architect Paul Sorensen. The Everglades has an outdoor theatre which often hosts productions such as Cirquinox and the Leura Shakespeare festival.
As Leura is also called 'the Garden Village', it is not surprising that every October the Leura Gardens Festival is held. The Leura Gardens Festival is a registered charity and raises money for the Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital in Katoomba by opening private gardens to the public. Not connected with the garden festival but also held at the same time is the ever popular Leura Village Fair.
Natural attractions include Sublime Point to the south, which offers panoramic views of the Jamison Valley, and Leura Cascades in the southwest. There is a network of tracks that goes from Links Road to Echo Point, taking in many attractions along the way, including the Pool of Siloam, Leura Cascades, Leura Falls, Jamison Lookout, Linda Falls and the Dardanelles Pass, before ascending to Echo Point via the Giant Stairway. The area is popular for bushwalking and photography.
External links
* Blue Mountains, Leura, Katoomba and Wentworth Falls - aerial video footage.- Leura Blue Mountains Guide Downloadable map for walking tour of Leura, and bushwalks from either Gordon Falls or Sublime Point.
- Leura Gardens Festival