about ...

Katoomba, aboriginal for "shining falling water", is the main town of the City of Blue Mountains NSW and the headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council.

It lies at Lat: 33:42:41S (-33.7114) Lon: 150:18:14E (150.3039) elevation 1030m on the Great Western Highway 110km west of Sydney.

In summer temperatures are ranging between 30 °C and over 13 °C. In winter the temperature is typically about 12-13 °C in the daytime with -3 °C or so on clear nights and 2 to 3 °C on cloudy nights.

brief history ...

Katoomba was previously known as William's Chimney and Collett's Swamp. In 1874 the was named The Crushers after the name of the railway station that served a nearby quarry. The name Katoomba was adopted in 1877 and the town achieved municipality status in 1889.

First developed as tourist destination towards the end of the 19th century, when a series of grand hotels were built in the area. Mining was also carried out in the Jamison Valley for many years, but the seams were completely exhausted by the early 20th century and Katoomba was established as a resort town.

attractions ...

• The Three Sisters (Echo Point)
• The Edge IMAX Cinema
• Scenic Skyway/Scenic Railway/Sceniscender
• Bushwalking in the valleys

tourist information ...

How to get there
Best is by train from Central Station in Sydney and go off the train at Katoomba Station. You can also catch the train from Stratfield or Parramatta Station. Check the City Rail timetables. See map.

Contact details:
Blue Mountains Tourism
Ph: 1300 653 408
For a list with Blue Mountains Information Centers click here.
For more details please see Blue Mountains Tourism web pages.

Best viewed:
In spring when all the flowers are in bloom.