City of Blue Mountains New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 33°42′S150°18′E / 33.700°S 150.300°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 78,121 (LGA 2021) [1] | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1 October 1947 [2] | ||||||||||||||
Area | 1,430 km2 (552.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Mark Greenhill | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Katoomba [3] | ||||||||||||||
Region | Blue Mountains, Greater Western Sydney | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Macquarie | ||||||||||||||
Website | City of Blue Mountains | ||||||||||||||
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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, on the Great Dividing Range at the far western fringe of the Greater Sydney area. Major settlements include Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood, and Blaxland.
The mayor of Blue Mountains City Council is Councillor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party.
The urban part of the city consists of a ribbon of close or contiguous towns which lie on the Main Western railway line, served by NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains Line, and Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and Lithgow. About 70% of the city's area is within the Blue Mountains National Park which lies north and south of the ribbon of towns. The National Park is part of the much larger Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site 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 [ citation needed ]. The road to Sydney, the Great Western Highway, is mostly dual carriageway but is relatively slow due to the urban development and hilly terrain. The electric train service integrates into Sydney Trains, Sydney's suburban rail network.
The main towns and villages in the City of Blue Mountains are:
Selected historical census data for the City of Blue Mountains local government area | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census year | 2001 [4] | 2006 [5] | 2011 [6] | 2016 [7] | 2021 [8] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on census night | 73,675 | 74,067 | 75,942 | 76,904 | 78,121 | |
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 28 | 27 | 31 | ||||
% of New South Wales population | 1.1% | 1.09% | 0.99% | 0.94% | |||
% of Australian population | 0.39% | 0.37% | 0.35% | 0.33% | 0.30% | ||
Cultural and language diversity | |||||||
Ancestry, top responses | English | n/r | n/r | 30.1% | 30.5% | 44.3% | |
Australian | n/r | n/r | 28.7% | 26.3% | 38.1% | ||
Irish | n/r | n/r | 10.2% | 11.1% | 16.0% | ||
Scottish | n/r | n/r | 8.3% | 8.6% | 13.3% | ||
German | n/r | n/r | 3.2% | 3.3% | 4.8% | ||
Language, top responses (other than English) | German | n/r | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% | |
Spanish | n/r | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% | ||
Italian | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | ||
Mandarin | n/r | n/r | n/r | 0.4% | 0.3% | ||
French | n/r | n/r | n/r | 0.3% | 0.3% | ||
Religious affiliation | |||||||
Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion (excluding not stated) | 18.0% | 22.0% | 26.8% | 35.7% | 46.5% | |
Catholic | 22.6% | 22.5% | 21.5% | 19.7% | 17.2% | ||
Anglican | 24.6% | 22.5% | 20.9% | 17.0% | 13.5% | ||
Not stated | n/r | n/r | n/r | 8.4% | 4.9% | ||
Christian (nfd) | n/r | n/r | n/r | 2.9% | 2.9% | ||
Median weekly incomes | |||||||
Personal income | Median weekly personal income | n/r | $501 | $590 | $688 | $817 | |
% of Australian median income | n/r | 107.5% | 102.2% | 103.9% | 101.4% | ||
Family income | Median weekly family income | n/r | $1,345 | $1,624 | $1,866 | $2,235 | |
% of Australian median income | n/r | 114.9% | 109.6% | 107.6% | 105.4% | ||
Household income | Median weekly household income | n/r | $1,093 | $1,270 | $1,468 | $1,756 | |
% of Australian median income | n/r | 106.4% | 102.9% | 102.1% | 100.5% | ||
Blue Mountains City Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as four separate wards, 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 14 September 2024.
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Labor Party | 9 | |
The Greens | 2 | |
Independents | 1 | |
Total | 12 |
Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Ward [9] | Sarah Redshaw | Greens | Elected 2021. | |
Suzie van Opdorp | Labor | Elected 2021. | ||
Suzanne Jamieson | Labor | Elected 2024. | ||
Second Ward [10] | Romola Hollywood | Labor | Elected 2012. Deputy Mayor 2021–date. | |
Claire West | Labor | Elected 2021. | ||
Brent Hoare | Greens | Elected 2016. | ||
Third Ward [11] | Daniel Myles | Independent | Elected 1999. Deputy Mayor 2004–2005. [12] Mayor 2010–2013. | |
Darren Rodrigo | Labor | Elected 2024. | ||
Mick Fell | Labor | Elected 2012. | ||
Fourth Ward [13] | Mark Greenhill | Labor | Elected 1999–2004, 2008–date. Deputy Mayor 2010–2012. [12] Mayor 2013–date. | |
Nyree Fisher | Labor | Elected 2021. | ||
Margaret Buckham | Labor | Elected 2024. |
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | 29,052 | 63.9 | +14.7 | 9 | 3 | ||
Greens | 11,000 | 24.2 | +9.3 | 2 | |||
Independents | 4,329 | 9.5 | −2.3 | 1 | |||
Libertarian | 1,082 | 2.4 | 0 | ||||
Formal votes | 45,463 | 90.0 | −6.5 | ||||
Informal votes | 5,049 | 10.0 | +6.5 | ||||
Total | 50,512 |
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | 24,032 | 49.2 | +11.4 | 6 | 1 | ||
Liberal | 11,750 | 24.1 | −1.1 | 3 | 1 | ||
Greens | 7,296 | 14.9 | −4.3 | 2 | |||
Independent | 5,755 | 11.8 | −5.9 | 1 | |||
Formal votes | 48,833 | 96.48 | |||||
Informal votes | 1,784 | 3.52 | |||||
Total | 50,617 | 100.00 |
# | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William Freelander | Independent | 2 October 1947 | 7 December 1948 | 1 year, 66 days | [15] [16] [17] | |
2 | Frank Walford | Independent | 7 December 1948 | 12 December 1950 | 2 years, 5 days | [18] [19] | |
3 | Percy Edward Galwey | Independent | 12 December 1950 | 5 December 1953 | 2 years, 358 days | [20] [21] [22] | |
4 | Aubrey Murphy | Independent | 15 December 1953 | December 1955 | 1 year, 351 days | [23] [24] | |
– | Frank Walford | Independent | December 1955 | December 1956 | 1 year, 0 days | [25] | |
– | Aubrey Murphy | Independent | December 1956 | December 1959 | 3 years, 0 days | [26] | |
5 | Leslie Corne | Independent | December 1959 | December 1960 | 352 days | [26] | |
– | Frank Walford | Independent | December 1960 | December 1961 | 1 year, 0 days | ||
6 | Keith Bates | Independent | December 1961 | December 1966 | 4 years, 351 days | [26] | |
7 | Tom Hunter | Independent | December 1966 | December 1967 | 351 days | [26] | |
8 | Ern Lesslie | December 1967 | December 1969 | 1 year, 351 days | [26] | ||
9 | Jack Powell | December 1969 | September 1971 | 1 year, 274 days | [26] | ||
10 | Ian Dash | September 1971 | September 1974 | 3 years, 0 days | [26] | ||
– | Ern Lesslie | September 1974 | September 1976 | 2 years, 0 days | [26] | ||
11 | William Lloyd | September 1976 | September 1977 | 1 year, 0 days | [26] | ||
– | Ern Lesslie | September 1977 | 19 December 1979 | 2 years, 109 days | [26] | ||
– | John James Wickham (Administrator) | 19 December 1979 | December 1981 | 1 year, 347 days | [26] [27] [28] | ||
12 | Peter Quirk | December 1981 | September 1987 | 5 years, 274 days | [26] [29] | ||
13 | James C. Angel | September 1987 | September 1988 | 1 year, 0 days | [26] | ||
14 | Ralph Williams | September 1988 | September 1991 | 3 years, 0 days | [26] | ||
15 | Peter O'Toole | September 1991 | February 1992 | 153 days | [26] | ||
16 | Bob Clarke | February 1992 | September 1994 | 2 years, 212 days | [26] | ||
17 | Joy Anderson | September 1994 | September 1995 | 1 year, 0 days | [26] | ||
18 | Michael Neall | September 1995 | September 1999 | 4 years, 0 days | [26] | ||
19 | Jim Angel | Labor | September 1999 | 13 September 2008 | 9 years, 12 days | [26] | |
20 | Adam Searle | Labor | 30 September 2008 | 21 September 2010 | 1 year, 356 days | [26] | |
21 | Daniel Myles | Liberal | 21 September 2010 | 17 September 2013 | 2 years, 361 days | [26] | |
22 | Mark Greenhill | Labor | 17 September 2013 | Incumbent | 11 years, 102 days | [26] [30] [31] |
The City of Blue Mountains Council maintains cemeteries at Blackheath, Faulconbridge, Katoomba, Lawson, Megalong Valley, Mount Irvine, Mount Victoria, Mount Wilson, Springwood, and Wentworth Falls. [32]
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. [33]
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. [34]
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 City of Blue Mountains has sister city relationships with the following cities: [67]
Katoomba is the main town and council seat of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, and is the administrative centre of Blue Mountains City Council. Katoomba is located on the lands of the Dharug and Gundungurra Aboriginal peoples.
Glenbrook is a township of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 63 kilometres (39 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. As of the 2021 Australian census Glenbrook had a population of 5,078 people.
Warrimoo is a medium-sized village in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, 273 metres above sea level. The state government's electorate is Blue Mountains and the state member is Labor's Trisha Lee Doyle.
Medlow Bath is a village located near the highest point of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Located between Katoomba and Blackheath, its altitude is about 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) AHD. It is about 115 kilometres (71 mi) west-north-west of the Sydney central business district and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-west of Katoomba. At the 2016 census, Medlow Bath had a population of 611 people.
Springwood is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Springwood is located 72 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2021 census, Springwood had a population 8,423 people.
Valley Heights is a small township of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. It is about 70 km (43 mi) from the Sydney central business district and is located east of the township of Springwood. At the 2021 Census, Valley Heights had a population of 1,188 people.
Linden is a village in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is in the City of Blue Mountains, 82 km west of Sydney and 23 km east of Katoomba. The village is on the Great Western Highway and has a railway station on the Main Western railway line served by NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains Line. It shares a post office, and therefore the 2778 postcode, with adjoining Woodford. In the 2011 census, its population was 594, including 19 indigenous people (3.2%).
Mount Victoria is a village in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. Geographically, Mount Victoria is the westernmost village and suburb of Greater Sydney on the Great Western Highway in the City of Blue Mountains, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) west-northwest by road from the Sydney central business district and at an altitude of about 1,052 metres (3,451 ft) AHD. At the 2021 Census, the settlement had a population of 945.
The City of Penrith is a local government area in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The seat of the city is located in Penrith, located within Sydney about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Sydney central business district. It occupies part of the traditional lands of the Darug people. First incorporated as a municipality on 12 May 1871, on 1 January 1949, the municipalities of Penrith, St Marys and Castlereagh and part of the Nepean Shire amalgamated to form a new Municipality of Penrith. Penrith was declared a City on 21 October 1959, and expanded westwards to include Emu Plains and Emu Heights, formerly part of the City of Blue Mountains, on 25 October 1963. As of the 2021 census the City of Penrith had an estimated population of 217,664. It is a member council of the Hawkesbury River County Council.
The Blue Mountains Dams are a series of six dams in the Blue Mountains which supply water to the Blue Mountains and Sydney, Australia. The Dams are managed by the WaterNSW. Water in this scheme may be supplemented from the Fish River Scheme.
Medlow Bath railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western line in Medlow Bath in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by NSW Government Railways and built from 1902 to 1922. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area, located on the south west fringe of the Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia, parts of which fall into the Macarthur, Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands regions in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wollondilly is seen as the transition between Regional NSW and the Greater Sydney Region, and is variously categorised as part of both. Wollondilly Shire was created by proclamation in the NSW Government Gazette on 7 March 1906, following the passing of the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905, and amalgamated with the Municipality of Picton on 1 May 1940.
The City of Lithgow is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Great Western Highway and the Main Western railway line.
Woodford is a village in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, about 90 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Its elevation is 609 metres (1,998 ft) above sea level. It is situated on the Great Western Highway and has a railway station on the Main Western railway line served by NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains services. At the 2016 census, Woodford had a population of 1,934.
The Valley Heights Rail Museum is a railway museum located in Valley Heights, New South Wales, Australia. The facility is located 400 metres (1,300 ft) north-west of Valley Heights railway station. The museum is operated by two partner organisations:
The Oriental Hotel, also known as The Ori and formerly known as the Springwood Hotel, is a heritage-listed pub located in Springwood, a suburb of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Katoomba Post Office is a heritage-listed former post office and now retail building at 59-61 Katoomba Street, Katoomba, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by NSW Government Architect's office. It is also known as Katoomba Post Office (former). It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.
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 known as the Valley Heights Gatekeeper's Cottage. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The Glenbrook Railway Residence is a heritage-listed railway residence located at Great Western Highway, Glenbrook, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Railway Residence. The property is owned by Ampol Pty Ltd. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.