The City of Blue Mountains is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains range west of Sydney. The Mayor of Blue Mountains City Council is councillor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party.

Towns and villages in the local government area

The urban part of the city consists of a ribbon of close or contiguous towns which lie on the

Main Western railway line 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. It is with operational & under construction & repairs. Description o ...

, served by

NSW TrainLink NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...

Blue Mountains Line The Blue Mountains Line (BMT) is an inter urban commuter rail service operated by NSW TrainLink serving the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The line travels west from Sydney to the major town of Katoomba and on to Mount Vi ...

, and

Great Western Highway Great Western Highway (also known as Broadway from to , Parramatta Road from Chippendale to , and Church Street through Parramatta) is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, ...

between

Emu Plains Emu Plains is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 58 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney re ...

and Lithgow. About 70% of the city's area is within the

Blue Mountains National Park The Blue Mountains National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately west of Sydney, and the park boundary is quite ...

which lies north and south of the ribbon of towns. The National Park is part of the much larger

Greater Blue Mountains Area The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site located in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The area was placed on the World Heritage List at the 24th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairns in 2000. ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

and the city brands itself as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". The towns and villages are generally grouped into lower, mid, and upper mountains. The economy of the upper mountains is dependent almost entirely on tourism . The road to Sydney, the Great Western Highway, is mostly

dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

but is relatively slow due to the urban development and hilly terrain. An electric train service integrates into Sydney Trains, Sydney's suburban rail network. The main towns and villages in the City of Blue Mountains are: *

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inter ...

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

* Blaxland * Bullaburra *

Faulconbridge Faulconbridge is a village located in the Blue Mountains 77 km west of Sydney, New South Wales and is 450 metres above sea level. At the 2016 census, Faulconbridge had a population of 4,025 people. History and description The Faulconbrid ...

* Glenbrook * Hawkesbury Heights *

Hazelbrook Hazelbrook is a town situated in New South Wales, Australia (Elevation: 675 metres) It is located 91 kilometres west of Sydney and 16 kilometres east of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains on the Great Western Highway. History and description The ...

* Katoomba *

Lapstone Lapstone is a township on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. Elevation 160 m (525 ft). Lapstone is located 62 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD in the local government area of the City of Blu ...

* Lawson *

Leura Leura (postcode: 2780) is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains local government area that is located west of the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Main W ...

* Linden *

Medlow Bath Medlow Bath ( postcode: 2780) is an Australian small town located near the highest point of the Blue Mountains, between and . Its altitude is about and it is about west-north-west of the Sydney central business district and north-west of ...

* Mount Irvine *

Mount Riverview Mount Riverview is a town off the Great Western Highway about 2 km NE of Blaxland, New South Wales, Blaxland in the Lower Blue Mountains (Australia), Blue Mountains, New South Wales, 70 kilometres west of Sydney, Australia. At the Census i ...

* Mount Victoria * Mount Wilson * Springwood * Sun Valley *

Valley Heights Valley Heights is a small township of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. It is about from Sydney and is located east of the township of Springwood. At the , Valley Heights had a population of 1,337 people. Valley Heig ...

* Warrimoo *

Wentworth Falls Wentworth Falls (Postcodes in Australia, postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoo ...

Winmalee Winmalee is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Winmalee is located 77 kilometres west of Sydney, in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the , Winmalee had a population of 6,593. Originally known as North Springwood ...

Woodford Woodford may refer to: Places Australia *Woodford, New South Wales *Woodford, Queensland, a town in the Moreton Bay Region *Woodford, Victoria Canada * Woodford, Ontario England *Woodford, Cornwall * Woodford, Gloucestershire *Woodford, Greate ...

* Yellow Rock

Demographics

Council

Current composition and election method

Blue Mountains City Council is composed of twelve

Councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

s elected proportionally as four separate

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

, each electing three Councillors. All Councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the Council. The most recent general election was held on 4 December 2021.

Mayors

Council services

Cemeteries

The City of Blue Mountains Council maintains

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

at Blackheath, Faulconbridge, Katoomba, Lawson, Megalong Valley, Mount Irvine, Mount Victoria, Mount Wilson, Springwood, and Wentworth Falls.

Libraries

Blue Mountains Library operates three full-time branches, three part-time branches and a service for train commuters at Springwood and Katoomba stations two days a week.

Leisure centres

Blue Mountains Leisure Centres operate from five locations. All five locations have pools and the Katoomba and Springwood locations have gyms and offer various fitness classes.

Heritage listings

The City of Blue Mountains has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites listed on the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

: *

Blue Mountains walking tracks The Blue Mountains walking tracks are heritage-listed picnic areas, walking tracks and rest areas located in the Blue Mountains National Park, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from ...

* Blackheath, Main Western railway: Blackheath railway station * Faulconbridge, 14-20 Norman Lindsay Crescent:

Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum The Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum is a heritage-listed former residence and farmlet and now art gallery, tourist attraction and museum located at 14-20 Norman Lindsay Crescent, in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains town of ...

* Glenbrook, Great Western Highway: Glenbrook railway residence * Glenbrook, Great Western Highway: Glenbrook Tunnel * Glenbrook, Mitchells Pass:

Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook The Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries the Mitchell's Pass across Brookside Creek (also known as Lapstone Creek), located at Glenbrook, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, ...

* Katoomba, 10-14 Civic Place: Mount St Marys College and Convent * Katoomba, Katoomba Street: Carrington Hotel * Katoomba, 59-61 Katoomba Street: Katoomba Post Office * Katoomba, 63-69 Katoomba Street: Paragon Cafe, Katoomba * Katoomba, Main Western railway:

Katoomba railway station Katoomba railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western line in Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba opening on 2 February 1874 as Crushers, being renamed Kato ...

* Katoomba, 10-16 Panorama Drive: Lilianfels, Katoomba * Lawson, Main Western railway: Lawson railway station * Leura, 37 - 49 Everglades Avenue: Everglades, Leura * Linden, 91 - 111 Glossop Road: Linden Observatory Complex * Linden, off Railway Parade: Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Linden, Linden Precinct * Medlow Bath, Beauchamp Road: Medlow Dam * Medlow Bath, Great Western Highway: Medlow Bath railway station * Mount Victoria, Main Western railway:

Mount Victoria railway station Mount Victoria railway station is a heritage-listed former barracks and now staff accommodation, guest accommodation, railway signal box and railway station located on the Main Western line in Mount Victoria in the City of Blue Mountains loc ...

* Mount Victoria, Mount York Road (off): Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Mount York, Cox's Pass Precinct * Mount Wilson, 68-78 The Avenue:

Wynstay Estate ''Wynstay Estate'' is a heritage-listed farm located at 68-78 The Avenue, Mount Wilson in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Richard Wynne and built from 1875 to 1893 by Joseland ...

* Springwood, 345-347 Great Western Highway:

Christ Church Anglican Church, Springwood The Christ Church Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church located at 345-347 Great Western Highway, Springwood, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Sir John Sulman and built from 1888 to 1889. It ...

* Springwood, 39 Hawkesbury Road:

Buckland Convalescent Home Buckland Convalescent Home is a heritage-listed former residence and private parkland and now convalescent hospital located at 39 Hawkesbury Road, Springwood, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. ...

* Springwood, Main Western railway:

Springwood railway station Springwood railway station is a heritage-listed former railway bridge and now railway station located on the Main Western line in Springwood, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by NSW Government Railways and bu ...

* Valley Heights, 110 and 112 Green Parade:

Valley Heights railway gatehouse The Valley Heights railway gatehouse is a heritage-listed railway gatehouse located at 110 and 112 Green Parade, Valley Heights in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1867. It is also ...

* Valley Heights, Main Western railway:

Valley Heights railway station Valley Heights railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western railway line, Main Western line in Valley Heights, New South Wales, Valley Heights, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South ...

* Warragamba, Coxs River Arms:

Coxs River track The Coxs River track is a heritage-listed former walking track and road and now walking track at Cox's River Arms, Lake Burragorang/Warragamba Dam, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. The track is also known as the Warragamba ...

* Wentworth Falls, 63-67 Falls Road: Davisville, Wentworth Falls * Wentworth Falls, 1-15 Matcham Avenue:

Weatherboard Inn archaelological site The Weatherboard Inn archaeological site is a heritage-listed former grazing ground, military post, staging inn and road building depot and now public park located at 1-15 Matcham Avenue, Wentworth Falls, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales ...

* Woodford, 90-92 Great Western Highway:

Woodford Academy Woodford Academy is a heritage-listed former academy school, inn, private residence and boarding house and now a museum, tourist attraction, art gallery and coffeehouse at 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford in the City of Blue Mountains l ...

* Woodford, Old Bathurst Road: Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Woodford, Old Bathurst Road Precinct * Woodford, The Appian Way (off): Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Woodford, Appian Way Precinct

Sister cities

The City of Blue Mountains has sister city relationships with the following cities: *

Sanda, Hyōgo file:Sanda City Hall Main Building.jpg, 270px, Sanda City Hall file:Sanda-city aruban area in 1974.JPG, 270px, Aerial view of Sanda city center in 1974 file:Street in Sanda.jpg, 270px, Residential street in Sanda is a Cities of Japan, city locat ...

, Japan *

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...

, US

References

External links

Blue Mountains City Council Website

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Mountains Cities in New South Wales Cittaslow Communities in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales) Local government areas of New South Wales