Bush Explorers Encyclopaedia

is located 2 km south east of Mount Dawson. On its eastern end, it appears as a thin black line from aerial photographs. In one place, it is so small, you can step over it as it is less than 50 cm wide. Some four metres below that point, the canyon bellows out into a Fern-filled cavernous void complete with limpid pools that looked very cold. This canyon is in two distinct sections. The first of about 200 m is tight, mysterious and flanked by pagodas, the second section is much broader, extends for maybe a further 300 m and discharges over the cliff edge. Named by Brian Fox, Michael Keats and Yuri Bolotin on a Bush Club walk 30th August 2016. Georgina Lyon Wolgan Walker (1843-1906) had married Edwin Barton in 1865. Edwin and Georgina’s father were the earliest property owners in the Wolgan Valley.

See Mount Walker.

Is an imposing isolated sandstone pinnacle, about 70m high. Located on the escarpment 4km due west of Newnes and midway between Point Nicholson and Mount Dawson. Gindantherie Pinnacle was named by Michael Keats and submission sent to the GNB on 9th October 2006. It is highly likely that the name is of Aboriginal origin. Lithgow Council Minutes, 6th August 2007, raised no objections to this name. Other recorded names are Lost Sister (Tom Brennan, October 2010) and the Fourth Sister. The Parish of Gindantherie is a land administrative district within the County of Cook.

Trends east west and divides the watersheds of upper Dumbano Creek and Wollangambe River. Clarence Firetrail runs along this ridge. Named by Peter Fox, National Parks Association bushwalker, between the years 1995-1998, after Kathleen (Kate) Olive Girdwood, a bushwalker and member of the Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club.

Is a small village on Umbiella Creek about 11km north west of Glen Davis and about 37km from Capertee. Dr James Innes (1796-1846) married Jane Alicia McLeod in 1828. James was granted 1760ac in July 1825, but it was not officially gazetted until October 1831 at 14 pound per annum. He named his cattle station, "Glen Alice". Jane Alicia was born c1800 and died on 2nd December 1881. James's brother George (1802-1839) took over the property a few years later, and when he died, his wife Georgianna Lorn Moorshead sold the property. It was the property name that became the name of the settlement of Glen Alice. Glen Alice was notified as a village on the 22ndJuly 1878 and gazetted as a village on the 14th September 1901. Ref: Sydney Gazette, 28th May 1831, p. 2 and 12th January1832, p. 3, Survey Plan 89.691, dated 23rd October 1833 and Annabella Boswell's Journal (Annabella was the daughter of George and Georgianna Innes). .

Is a village about 38km east of Capertee on the Capertee River. Situated on Portions 1 and 2 and on part of Portion 3, Parish of Gindantherie, County of Cook. Land District of Lithgow. An area of 198ac (80ha) was resumed for the Town of Glen Davis and about 294ac (119ha) was also resumed for town extension purposes under the Glen Davis Act No. 38, 1939, which came into force via proclamation in the Government Gazette, dated 15th December 1939. Acquisition of land, Government Gazette 32 of 23rd February 1940. Named after Sir George Francis Davis (1883-1947). The Federal Government's Senator A J McLachlan persuaded George and Chris Davis to form a subsidiary of Davis Gelatine - National Oil Pty Ltd in 1937. George gave up most of his other business activities to lead this new enterprise.The new industrial complex in the Capertee Valley was named Glen Davis after him. Ref: Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online Edition.

Note: Originally this location was known as Newnes North (Newnes South was at the present location of Newnes). Plan of Portion ML 12, dated 30th May 1908 shows Newnes North with significant buildings and tunnels into the shale mines. Lithgow Mercury 1st March 1907, p. 8, records the bridle path linking Newnes North to Newnes South.

is located on one of the western tributaries of Glen Day Gully 2 km south, south west of Newnes. Midway along the gully, when descending, you enter a shallow constriction, which quickly becomes deeper and deeper. In a few more minutes, after carefully negotiating a 2.5 m drop, you enter a small, very dry canyon, with deeply eroded walls, only about half a metre apart, covered in green moss. A couple of metres later, the walls, now over 20 m high, open up to a magnificent overhang on the right-hand side, some 30 m long and 6-7m deep. Here, the ‘room’ is sufficient to accommodate several Coachwood and Sassafras trees. The canyon continues until the second overhang of equal size to the first one, is reached. The constriction is about 250 m long. Named by Yuri Bolotin and Brian Fox on a bushwalk of 27 September 2019.

Is a three pronged gully system, 1.7km in length, on the southern side of Little Capertee Creek directly above the inlier of Glen Day's property. Named by Michael Keats on a Bush Club walk, 1st November 2013.

Is the highest point on the Wolgan - Capertee Divide, 2.1km due south of Glen Davis Camping Ground. A rocky, smooth outcrop has a round brass survey marker, embedded in concrete, with the inscription,"Royal Australian Survey Corps, Survey Mark, Glen Davis." Elevation 938m.

Is a 250m long cliff lined ravine and a tributary of Carne Creek. It is filled with tree ferns, felt ferns, numerous fungi species in season and boxed in by 90m cliffs. Walking access can be gained to this ravine with one difficult spot, where rope assist is handy. Named by Brian Fox on a Bush Club walk, 2nd April 2013.

Is located at the northern end of Glowworm Tunnel Road, accessed via Clarence or State Mine Gully, Lithgow. It was here that the old Wolgan Valley Railway line wound around the base of the cliffs, then through a tunnel approximately 400m long. The creek near this tunnel is called Tunnel Creek and has also been referred to as Penrose Creek. This was the second tunnel constructed in 1907 for the railway to Newnes from Newnes Junction, off the Main Western Line. The first tunnel is now vehicular access to the Glowworm Tunnel and about 3km closer towards Lithgow. The Glow Worms are a larval stage of a harmless, luminous species of fungus gnat, family Arachnocampa. Spelling has varied on different maps, such as Gloworm Tunnel; Ben Bullen Topo, first edition, Glowworm Tunnel Road; Cullen BullenTopo, second edition, as well as Glow Worm Tunnel and Glow-worm Tunnel, websites.

Glowworm Tunnel Road starts at the junction ofthe Old Bells Line of Road and the State Mine Gully Road and generally heads north to the end point which is the car park and start of the Glowworm Tunnel Track to the Glowworm Tunnel. All unsealed. Part of the way the road follows the alignment of the old Wolgan Valley Railway and two tunnels.

Extends from the Glowworm Tunnel carpark to the Glowworm Tunnel

See Browns Gap

Is a sunlit almost spherical overhang on one of the upper tributaries of Dingo Creek, 900m north east of Mount Norris. Named by Rodney Nelson on a Bush Club walk, 28th November 2007.

Is a narrow, twisting, treacherous, slimy canyon. Within the story of Lord of the Rings, Gollum is a small, slimy creature that lived in the caves underground and he was very treacherous. Named by Yuri Bolotin on a Bush Club walk, 15th August 2013, in keeping with his Lord of the Rings themed names in this area. Located 1.4km north east of Invincible Trig Station.

Within Hecates Cauldron a rock face was so named because of its likeness to Gozo the Muppet, by Jafar Calley on a Bush Club walk, 29th August 2015.

Is a natural amphitheatre located on a tributary of Wollangambe River 7.5km north east of ClarenceTrig Station and 6km north west of Wollangambe Crater in the locality of Newnes Plateau. It is a unique, crater like swamp feature, ringed by deeply under cut pagodas, roughly oval in shape, approximately 105m long by 65m wide at the northern end, narrowing to approximately 35m at the southern end. The northern end slopes steeply and evenly to the ridge top above the crater. The sides are formed by the vertical walls of deeply under cut pagodas varying from 20 to 30m high. The southern end is formed by what appears to be the remains of a collapsed pagoda. The swamp itself has typical sedge vegetation and associated plant communities. Named in memory of Nicholas Andrew Gooch (28.3.1947 -18.7.2003), who originally discovered this feature in 1978. The name has become widely known by the bushwalking fraternity Australia wide. Ref: Rae Gooch and Springwood Bushwalking Club members.

Is the name of a land administrative district, Parish of Goollooinboin, within the County of Cook.

Is a mass of contorted ironstone. Named by Haydn Washington, one of the triumvirate who explored and named the Gardens of Stone National Park. The knot is also a platform to view the Wolgan Valley. Located 25m east of the walking track between Mount Horne Trail and Mount McLean. Ref: Correspondence with Haydn Washington, 30th May 2010.

Is one of the most remarkable locations in the Wollemi National Park. It is a ledge of gargantuan proportions, approximately 400 metres long. What makes it particularly amazing are the cliffs above and below. Below, the drop is 35 m+; above, the cliffs are at least 50 m high. Adding to the splendour, is the array of colours - shades of pink, through to apricot, orange to deep purple. Located on the eastern side of a cliff-lined, V shaped gully, a southern tributary of Capertee Creek on the western end of the property Red Cliffs, Newnes. Named by Michael Keats, Brian Fox and Yuri Bolotin on a bushwalk, 6 May 2016.

See Donkey Mountain, north east section

See Donkey Mountain, north east section

Extends the entire length of the east coast of Australia, generally in a north south direction. This range was also referred to as The Dividing Range and Main Range. In the scope of this work, the range extends from near Capertee, Ben Bullen, Moffitts Trail, The Bicentennial National Trail and Gardiners Gap to the Castlereagh Highway 4km south of Cullen Bullen. Great Diving Range was shown on Survey Plan by Robert Dixon, September 1830. Ref: Surveyor General, select list of Maps and Plans, 2517. Early references to Great Dividing Range appeared in the SMH in 1835 as part o fadvertisements for land and stock, and the words " Dividing Range" - in the SMH on 10th July 1823, p. 2.

See Pyramid Rocks.

Refers to the north south line of rocky pagodas on the western side of Mount Airly. This wall of pagodas is bisected by many deep slots otherwise walking along them is relatively easy. Named by Dr Haydn Washington c1984.

Refers to a small rocky ridge line and part of the road leading up to Genowlan Trig Station. Named by Colin (Col) Maxwell Ribaux,former landowner of Airly. Named in the 1970s.

Is a non perennial stream rising 4.5km south, south west of Glen Davis. It flows generally north for about 5km into the Capertee River.The descriptive name of this north south facing gully refers to the dense green ferns at its headwaters. Within this gully, is the Pipeline Track that connects the villages of Newnes and Glen Davis. Numerous examples of old infrastructure of the former pipeline still exist in the gully. Shown as Green Gully on on the Plan of Portion ML 8; Survey Plan, M10825, dated 27th July 1895. The Survey Plan M13826, dated 9th May 1908, records on the eastern side of Green Gully, "Horse Track to Glen Alice".

See Donkey Mountain, north east section

Is a descriptive name for this fern enclosed gully on the northern side of Nayook Creek and eastern side of Mini Standley Chasm, Deep Pass. This name was known and in use by National Parks Association member, Max Reinel, in the year 2000.

Is located about 200m east of the track intersection of Pagoda Track and the main track to the Glowworm Tunnel, and about 38km from Clarence. Initials F R and a date 7/1/1907 are carved into a rock face rediscovered by Mark Langdon, September 2013. On 1st May 1907, a post office was set up at Greens Camp with Mr E. Sheared as postmaster. Ref: Taylor, Greg. J. Newnes, History of a Blue Mountains Oil-Shale town, undated, p. 34. Greens Camp was the name of a railway construction camp for the Wolgan Valley Railway. During construction, this camp housed up to 600 people. Ref: Letter from Henry Martin, storekeeper, The Gorge via Clarence, dated April 1907.

Is 1.3 km in length. It trends in a southerly direction off Sunnyside Ridge Road near Fire Trail No. 8 and has at its southern end Point Green. This narrow southern end contains pagodas which overlook both the eastern and the western side the Wolgan River. This spectacular spur and point above the Wolgan Falls, with 360-degree views, was one of the last major areas which Richard Green photographed late June 2015 for the Gardens of Stone: In Focus photographic competition. Named by Yuri Bolotin in honour of his achievements on a bushwalk, 20 November 2015. Richard Green, a renowned Australian landscape and nature photographer, tragically died in a helicopter crash in November 2015.

Extends from Dominic Dellalibera's property, Ngamperi, which is located below and on the north eastern side of Pantoneys Crown, to the talus slope of Pantoneys Crown. The middle section of this ridge is covered with Xanthorrhoeas, but Dominic gave it the name Grevillea Ridge owing to the rare Grevillea obtusiflora subsp. fecunda which also grows there.

Also called The Grottos. Located in side creek 800m west, south west of Rock Hill. There are various entries of this name in the Yah Hut Log Book, late 1970s.

Is now known as Beecroft Firetrail. The section of this firetrail which joined the Wolgan Road to Kangaroos Creek Road was also known and signposted as Grove Firetrail after the Thomas Henry (1883-1952) and Nellie Adelaide Grove (1889-1967) who lived in this vicinity prior to the 1930s. Ref: Correspondence Danny Whitty local resident and historian, 3rd June 2014. Nellie Adelaide Grove held a Special Lease in 1922 over the portion of land in which the current Beecroft Firetrail intersects with Masons Lane, Lidsdale. Ref: Parish of Cox, County of Cook 7th edition, 1930.

Has an elevation of 845m, located between Mount Gundangaroo and Mount Canobla. The trig is named for its location on Mount Gundangaroo and was established in December 1984 by Patrick Potts, a piling overseer employed by the then Central Mapping Authority of Bathurst. A piling overseer is the person who does all the hard work for the surveyor when erecting and clearing for a trig station.

Extends1.5km from the saddle known as Natural Bridge in a south east direction to the junction of Nayook Creek. So named after Guzzlers Hut, now in ruins, that lies within this gully. Name recorded in the Yah Hut Log Book entry, 18th November 1972. Within this gully, at GR 499 090, is a natural arch. This unique geomorphologic feature is about 5m high, 5m wide and about 4m thick. Named Guzzlers Gulch Arch on a Bush Club walk, 28th January 2013 by Brian Fox and Michael Keats.

Guzzlers Gulch extends 1.5km from the saddle known as Natural Bridge in a south east direction to the junction of Nayook Creek. So named after Guzzlers Hut, now in ruins, that lies within this gully. Within this gully, at GR 499 090, is a natural arch. This unique geomorphologic feature is about 5m high, 5m wide and about 4m thick. Named Guzzlers Gulch Arch on a Bush Club walk, 28th January 2013 by Brian Fox and Michael Keats.

Is a north south trending ridge on the eastern side of Moffitts Trail and the eastern side of Poseidon Arena. There is an Upper Hades Ridge and a Lower Hades Ridge. Named by Michael Keats and Brian Fox on a Bush Club Walk, 16th April 2010, after the Greek god Hades. Two other nearby ridges, trending north south, were given the names of Poseidon and Zeus, the brothers of Hades.

Is a 300m high rocky outcrop on the eastern side of Rocky Creek, 1.6km south of the junction of Rocky Creek and Deanes Creek. This massive bluff was named by IanThorpe, a member of The Bush Club, on 1st October 2008, as he likened it to Hagar, The Horrible's Castle.

Is a 300m long negotiable slot varying in width from half a metre to five metres and cutting through 140m of vertical cliff line. Access is via the barrier at the eastern end of Waratah Ridge Road. Recorded in Jamieson, Rick. Canyons Near Sydney, 4th edition, 2001, p. 55. A pagoda at the northern end defining the entry/ exit to this slot is at GR 510 012.

Is a 700m dramatic knife like cleft surrounded by 50m cliffs. It is located 1.5km south west of Derailment Hill. Access via the end of Waratah Ridge Road. So named by Yuri Bolotin, 8th April 2011, as this ravine joins Dingo Creek.This ravine can be negotiated from both the top and the bottom. It is a pass.

is a non perennial stream rising 2.6km north of MountHarvey. It flows generally north, north west for about 4.6km into Crown Creek. So named as it is halfwaybetween Capertee and Glen Alice. Name recorded in NSW Government Gazette, 26thFebruary 1875 as Half-way Hollow. Shown on Carne, Joseph. Geological Map of theCapertee and Wolgan Valleys, 1901.

See Arwens Pathway.

Is located 3.1km east, south east of Cullen Bullen, below and on the northern side of the junction of the Great Dividing Range and Ben Bullen Range. Described as, "A cavern of great dimensions, estimated to be 30m across, 15m high and the same depth. Rounding a natural, web like rock partition, there is a second cave of similar dimensions, the two forming a huge conjoined overhang cavern complex." Named by Yuri Bolotin on a Bush Club walk, 28th June 2012. an is a fictional character and wife of Elrond created by J.R.R. Tolkien in the book The Lord of the Rings.

Is located on the Ben Bullen Range, 2.7km east, south east of Cullen Bullen. Named by Yuri Bolotin, following his walk on 16th December 2011. Yuri recorded,"starting as a mere crack in the sandstone, it plunges down to the bottom of the valley, 30m below, whilst opening up first to 2-3m and then to a 15-20m wide, 60m long mini canyon, with side branches and a balcony level above the Fern studied floor. As I made my way down, I felt as though I was descending from the high bastions and lookouts of the fantasy city above, to the majestic palace chamber of the city's king. I called this place the Hall of Elrond (the Lord of Rivendell)." Yuri used visual references provided by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

See Galadriel Gorge.

Gives access via a natural slot in the cliff line to, The Hammer, which is the narrow peninsula of land surrounded by cliff lines on the eastern extremity of Genowlan Mountain. Named by Brian Fox on a Bush Club walk, 21st March 2016.

See Poseidon Arena.

Is a locality about 1km north west of Bald Trig Station and about 4km north of Clarence. This valley name applies to the headwaters of Farmers Creek. Originally, the name applied to the small swamp and associated natural springs that gave rise to the area being reserved for a travelling stock route. This area at present is owned by, "The Lower Mountains Motorcycle Club", which built a complex on the site, 1973-1974. Originally this area was surveyed in 1877 for a 123ac (50ha) lot and used as a Travelling Stock Route, (TSR No. 59). The track to and from this TSR was known as Maddox's Line. Ref: Survey Plan C734.1507. Thomas Maddox had purchased 30ac on the Coxs River at Lidsdale in 1853. Ref: Survey Plan C38-1507. Maddox Lane in Lidsdale carries the family name. The name Happy Valley Springs appears on the 1890 edition of the Parish Map of Marangaroo.