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Revision as of 06:51, 29 September 2005
Blackheath (elevation 1065 metres) is a small town located near the top of the Blue Mountains 120 kilometres west of Sydney and 10 kilometres northwest of Katoomba, Australia. It was named Blackheath in 1815 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie after the colour of the native shrubbery in the area. Macquarie recorded in his journal: "This place having a black wild appearance I have this day named it Black-Heath." It also sometimes taken as reference to the frequently bleak weather. The population of Blackheath is around 4,100, a large number of which are weekday residents of Sydney.
Today, Blackheath does not look black at all. In September, daffodils are in bloom and in October Blackheath is home to the annual Rhododendron Festival.
A popular spot for tourists, Blackheath has managed not to overly commercialise and has a natural, fluid atmosphere, regardless of the season. The area around Blackheath contains some of the most spectacular views in the Blue Mountains, including those over the Grose Valley from Evans Lookout and Govetts Leap in the east, and the lesser-known vista of the Megalong Valley from Hargraves Lookout in the west, past the tiny hamlet of Shipley. As the highest town in the Mountains, Blackheath often receives snow in the winter and even in summer the temperatures are generally mild in comparison to other locations at the same latitude.
External links
- Blue Mountains city council
- Community, Information and Tourism website about the town and the adjoining village of Medlow Bath and the Megalong Valley.
- Blue Mountains Online
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