The Grose Valley is a rugged valley in the
Blue Mountains,
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. It has been formed by the
Grose River
The Grose River, a Perennial stream, perennial river that is part of the Hawkesbury River, Hawkesbury-Nepean River, Nepean catchment, is located in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia.
Cour ...
, the headwaters of which are in the Mount Victoria area. The valley is located between the
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 Bathurs ...
and
Bells Line of Road
Bells Line of Road is a major road located in New South Wales, Australia, providing an alternative crossing of the Blue Mountains to the Great Western Highway. The eastern terminus of the road is in , 51 km northwest of Sydney, where the road ...
, the two major routes across the Blue Mountains. The majority of the valley falls 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 ...
.
Grose wilderness features
![Grose valley in the valley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Grose_valley_in_the_valley.JPG)
The Grose Wilderness contains some of the most dramatic gorge and canyon landscapes of the entire
Sydney basin sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
region. The Grose also constitutes one of the most accessible wilderness areas for bushwalking or public observation from its escarpment margins.
Geology
The geology of the area consists of
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...
sandstones and underlying
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last ...
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s. A number of
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
-capped peaks dominate the area, notably
Mount Banks
Mount Banks, a mountain within the Explorers Range of the Blue Mountains Range that is a spur off the Great Dividing Range, is located within the Blue Mountains National Park, approximately west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Mount ...
and
Mount Hay. The Grose River and its tributaries have eroded an extensive labyrinth of gorges and canyons through the
Hawkesbury Hawkesbury or Hawksbury may refer to:
People
*Baron Hawkesbury, or Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808), English statesman
Places
;Geography
*Hawkesbury Island, an island in British Columbia, Canada
* Hawkesbury Island, Queensland ...
(upper) and
Narrabeen
Narrabeen is a beachside suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Narrabeen is 23 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council and is ...
(lower) group sandstones, exposing cliffs of commonly over and up to in height (Banks Wall). The Burramoko Head sandstone in the upper and middle Grose gorges possesses weathering tendencies of breakage along vertical joints and has consequently yielded some of the sheerest cliff faces in the Blue Mountains. The wilderness contains 80% of the Grose River catchment. The river flows to the Nepean-Hawkesbury through an undisturbed environment for all but its final . Consequently, the Grose has substantial wild river values, as do its major tributaries such as Wentworth Creek and Carmarthen Brook.
Flora
The bulk of the vegetation in the wilderness is dry open forest and woodland, dominated by ''
Eucalyptus sieberi
''Eucalyptus sieberi'', commonly known as the silvertop ash or black ash, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough bark on the trunk and the base of larger branches, smooth bark above, l ...
'' and ''
E. piperita'' above altitude with ''
Eucalyptus oblonga
''Eucalyptus globoidea'', commonly known as the white stringybark, is a tree that is endemic to near-coastal areas of south-eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy bark, often furrowed on the trunk, glossy, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, often cur ...
'', ''
E. globoidea'', ''
E. agglomerata'' and ''
Angophora costata'' becoming dominant at lower altitudes. Plateau areas have thinner or waterlogged soils and generally support heath or low open woodland communities. Within the sheltered and well watered canyon environments closed forests commonly occur, with typical species being
coachwood
''Ceratopetalum apetalum'', the coachwood, scented satinwood or tarwood, is a medium-sized hardwood tree, straight-growing with smooth, fragrant, greyish bark. It is native to eastern Australia in the central and northern coastal rainforests of ...
,
sassafras
''Sassafras'' is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.Wolfe, Jack A. & Wehr, Wesley C. 1987. The sassafras is an ornamental tree. "Middle ...
and
possumwood. On the isolated basalt caps the fertile soils support taller eucalypt forests of ''
E. viminalis'', ''
E. blaxlandii'' and ''
E. fastigata''. A small area of alluvial sediments deposited in the upper Grose Valley during the Quaternary supports a tall moist open forest dominated by ''
E. deanei'', ''
E. oreades'', ''
E. notabilis'' and ''
E. cypelocarpa''. The Blue Gum Forest is included in this forest type.
[
]
Fauna
The river is known habitat for platypus
The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...
and certain hanging swamps provide habitat for the endangered and endemic Blue Mountains water skink ('' Eulamprus leuraensis''). The rocky sandstone complexes of the plateau provide habitat for some specialised and rare native animal species (e.g. the broad-headed snake
The broad-headed snake (''Hoplocephalus bungaroides'') is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is restricted to the Sydney Basin in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of three snakes in the genus ''Hoplocephalus'', ...
, ''Hoplocephalus bungaroides
The broad-headed snake (''Hoplocephalus bungaroides'') is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is restricted to the Sydney Basin in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of three snakes in the genus '' Hoplocephalus'' ...
''). Woodland communities are habitat for mammals such as the red-necked swamp wallaby, brush-tailed rock wallaby and eastern pygmy possum
The eastern pygmy possum (''Cercartetus nanus'') is a diprotodont marsupial of south-eastern Australia. Occurring from southern Queensland to eastern South Australia and also Tasmania, it is found in a range of habitats, including rainforest, s ...
.[
]
History
Aboriginal history
Aboriginal artefacts have been found close to the Blue Gum Forest.
European history
The Grose River has cut a deep gorge through the area as it makes its way east towards the Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River, is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.
...
. Sheer sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
cliffs standing hundreds of metres above the river make for spectacular scenery and can be viewed extensively from the Blackheath area, where there are a number of accessible lookouts, the best known being Govetts Leap. The valley can also be viewed from lookouts near Bells Line of Road and points outside Mount Victoria. It is named after Francis Grose
Francis Grose (born before 11 June 1731 – 12 May 1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He produced ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785) and ''A Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local Pr ...
.
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
described the Grose Valley as "stupendous… magnificent" when he visited in 1836
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
* January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas.
* January 12
** , with Charles Darwin on board, re ...
. In 1859
Events
January–March
* January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico.
* January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final ...
some of the first photographs in Australia were taken in the valley. At various times there were proposals for rail lines and dams but these have not proceeded. In 1931, the valley was the subject of one of Australia's first forest conservation battles.
Within the valley, the Blue Gum Forest is one place that stands out from the rest of the valley. It consists predominantly of towering Blue Gum trees (''Eucalyptus deanei'', also known as Deane's Gums, or Broad-leafed gums), with a thin understorey because the tall trees inhibit the growth of ground cover by blocking most of the sunlight.
Protected by the Blue Mountains National Park, the forest can be accessed only on foot, with several trails from different parts of the Grose Valley and adjacent canyons meeting in the forest.
Bushwalking trails
There are a number of walks through the valley, with various entry, exit points and valley arms offering a range of permutations to explore. A moderate-grade day walk covering approximately in five hours starts at Perrys Lookdown and descends sharply to the valley floor. Crossing through a corner of the Blue Gum Forest, the track goes south through the Acacia Flat camp ground, following the Govetts Creek. Passing several abandoned campgrounds, the path forks at Junction Rock; the route to Govetts Leap was closed in October 2003, following a landslide, and was reopened in December 2007. In the other direction, along Govetts Creek, the route then starts a continuous climb towards the Grand Canyon, where it forks again; one track goes to Neates Glen, while the other is a steep climb to Evans Lookout. The general direction of travel is towards the southeast and this direction is recommended as the final climb at Evans Lookout is not as difficult as the ascent at Perrys Lookdown. Creeks in the valley are seasonal, the water is unsafe to drink. The walk is much more strenuous in summer due to the higher daily temperatures and the added risk of bushfires.
The valley has been affected by bushfires at various times, notably in 1982 and in November 2006. In particular the Blue Gum Forest was damaged by back burning. Owing to the harsh bushfires in 2006, the Blue Gum forest and other walking tracks in the valley were closed to bushwalkers to allow the regrowth of vegetation. As of March 2009, all tracks in the Grose Valley are open, with the exception of the Rodriguez Pass into the valley from Evans lookout and the Grand Canyon, closed due to a landslide.
Conservation
The Grose Valley arguably became the cradle of the modern conservation movement in NSW when Blue Gum Forest was saved from threatened destruction in 1931-32. A group from the Sydney Bush Walkers club, led by Alan Rigby, were camped in the forest when they chanced upon a Bilpin farmer, Clarrie Hungerford. Hungerford had a lease of the forest and told the bushwalkers he planned to clear the blue gums to plant walnuts. The bushwalkers went away and started a campaign to stop him. Eventually, they raised £130 which they paid Hungerford in exchange for his relinquishing the lease. It was a substantial amount at the height of the great depression. 80 pounds came in the form of an interest-free loan from James Cleary, then head of the NSW railways and subsequently chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...
. Cleary was also a bushwalker.
One of the key activists in the campaign was Myles Dunphy, who at the time was developing his plans for the Blue Mountains National Park.
During the 1800s there were various proposals to dam the Grose Valley, and one such dam would have been at the forest. The area was also the subject of a number of proposed coal and shale mining ventures, and in the 1850s it was planned that the main western railway line would be routed up the Grose River and through the forest.
In 1875 Blue Gum Forest was the scene of an artists’ camp established by Eccleston Du Faur, of the Academy of Art. Several magnificent photographs by Joseph Philip Bischoff and drawings and paintings by William Piguenit
William Charles Piguenit (27 August 1836 – 17 July 1914) was an Australian landscape painter.
Early life
Piguenit was born in Hobart, Tasmania, to Frederick Le Geyt Piguenit and Mary Ann née Igglesden. Frederick had been transported to V ...
resulted. Another outcome was that the whole Grose Valley and surrounds was reserved from alienation because it was ‘a national spectacle’. At the time there was no national park in Australia, and indeed Australia was not even a nation—but the reservation in essence was the country’s first national park.[Macqueen, Parts III-IV]
Gallery
Major tracks
The Blue Mountains National Park contains the following heritage-listed major walking tracks:
* 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 ...
* Blue Gum Forest to Burra Korain Flat
* Blue Gum Forest to Perrys Lookdown
* Burra Korain Flat to Victoria Falls Lookout
* Govetts Leap to Evans Lookout (Clifftop Track)
* Govetts Leap to Junction Rock (Rodriguez Pass)
* Junction Rock to Blue Gum Forest
* Blue Gum Forest to Mount Hay Road (Lockley Track)
* Mount Hay Track
* Neates Glen to Evans Lookout (Grand Canyon Track)
* Evans Lookout to Junction Rock (Rodriguez Pass)
Major lookouts
* - Anvil Rock
* - Baltzer Lookout
* - Evans Lookout
* - Govetts Leap Lookout
* - Grose Valley
* - Lockley Pylon
* - Mount Banks
Mount Banks, a mountain within the Explorers Range of the Blue Mountains Range that is a spur off the Great Dividing Range, is located within the Blue Mountains National Park, approximately west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Mount ...
* - Perrys Lookdown
* - Point Pilcher
* - Pulpit Rock Lookout
* - Walls Lookout
* - Victoria Falls Lookout
See also
*List of Blue Mountains articles
This is a list of articles about the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia.
A
* Aboriginal sites of New South Wales (includes Blue Mountains)
B
* Bargo River
* Barrallier, Francis
* Bell railway station, New South Wales
* Bell, New ...
References
{{The Hawkesbury River , state=autocollapse
Geography of the Blue Mountains (New South Wales)
Hawkesbury River