Warrimoo, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Warrimoo City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Warrimoo Location in New South Wales
Population	2,450 (2016 census)
Postcode(s)	2774
Elevation	273 m (896 ft)
Location	68 km (42 mi) west of Sydney CBD 35 km (22 mi) east of Katoomba
LGA(s)	City of Blue Mountains
State electorate(s)	Blue Mountains
Federal Division(s)	Macquarie
Localities around Warrimoo: Valley Heights Sun Valley Hawkesbury Heights Yellow Rock Warrimoo Mount Riverview Blaxland Glenbrook

Warrimoo (which used to be called Karabar) is a village in the lower Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. It is 273 metres above sea level.

Warrimoo is part of the Blue Mountains area for state government elections. The person who represents this area is Trisha Lee Doyle. For federal government elections, Warrimoo is in the Macquarie area. The federal representative is Susan Templeman. Warrimoo is about 68 kilometres west of Sydney. It is part of the City of Blue Mountains council area. The local Mayor is Mark Greenhill.

Warrimoo is next to the towns and suburbs of Blaxland, Mount Riverview, Sun Valley and Valley Heights. You can reach Penrith by train in 5 stops and Katoomba in 11 stops.

Who Lives in Warrimoo?

Most people in Warrimoo have a European background. Besides English, people in Warrimoo also speak French, Mandarin, Greek, Spanish, and Italian. About 31% of residents have a university degree or higher. Around 30% of people work in professional jobs. More than 35% of residents say they do not have a religious connection. The average weekly household income is $2,097.

Local Shops and Services

Warrimoo railway station

In the middle of Warrimoo, you'll find the Warrimoo railway station and the Warrimoo Citizens Hall. Near the train station, there are several shops. These include a post office, a fire station, a cafe, a car mechanic, and antique shops. There's also a restaurant that can be hired for events. An old-fashioned general store is a popular stop for tourist buses. These buses are usually heading to Katoomba and the Jenolan Caves.

The closest big shopping centre is Westfield Penrith.

Parks and Fun Things to Do

Warrimoo has several parks for you to enjoy. These include Ardill Park, Arthur St Park, Possum Park, Terrymont Rd Park, and Cross St Nature Reserve. The Florabella Pass track is a popular walking path. It goes between Warrimoo and Blaxland. You can also find tennis courts and the Warrimoo oval on Rickard Road.

Possum Park

Within 10 kilometres, there are other fun places to visit. These include Glenbrook Swim Centre and the Nepean River. You can also ride the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler. Other attractions are the Sydney International Regatta Centre, iFLY Downunder, and Jetpack Adventures. There's also Cables Wake Park, Glenbrook Cinema, and Penrith Panthers. About 20 minutes further from Penrith, you can find the water park Wet'n'Wild and Sydney Zoo.

Hospitals and Care

Warrimoo is close to two hospitals. Nepean Hospital is a major teaching hospital about 14 kilometres away. Springwood hospital is about 6 kilometres away. Buckland Aged Care Services and Nursing Home are also 6 kilometres from Warrimoo.

Getting Around Warrimoo

The Warrimoo railway station is on the Blue Mountains Line. This line is part of the NSW TrainLink intercity network. Warrimoo also has bus services through Blue Mountains Transit. You can also use uber for rides. The original Warrimoo station from 1918 burned down in a bushfire in the 1950s. A new station was built after that.

New trains bought by the NSW government are very long, up to 205 metres. This might mean the Warrimoo train station needs changes to fit them. The train tracks might also need to be adjusted. The Western Sydney Airport is planned to open in 2026. It will have a train link through Parramatta.

Schools and Childcare

Warrimoo has a private childcare centre called Bush Babies. There is also a small public school on Florabella Road, which is Warrimoo Public School. A private school for students from Kindergarten to Year 12, Wycliffe Christian School, is also in the area.

Other schools nearby include Blue Mountains Grammar School, Springwood High, Winmalee High, and Blaxland High.

Culture and Famous People

Blinky Bill's father

The author and illustrator Dorothy Wall lived in Florabella Street from 1934 to 1937. She made Warrimoo famous with her children's books about Blinky Bill, a playful koala. A filmmaker from Poland, Yoram Gross, turned these books into movies. This helped the famous character become known around the world. Blinky Bill is not the only koala story written by someone from the Blue Mountains.

Not far away, in Faulconbridge, is the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum. Norman Lindsay wrote about Bunyip Bluegum. This koala character is the star of the well-known children's book, The Magic Pudding. This book was also made into a movie, directed by Karl Zwicky.

Beryl Guertner, a former journalist for the Daily Telegraph, lived in Warrimoo. She was also the first editor of 'House and Garden' magazine.

There are local music and choir groups run by the community. The Moo Choir meets and performs at the Warrimoo Public School hall. The Sound Lounge is a music group that performs twice a year.

George Finey, a cartoonist for the Daily Telegraph, also lived in Warrimoo for a time.

Universities and Colleges

Western Sydney University has a campus in Penrith, which is 5 train stops away. Blue Mountains TAFE colleges are located in Wentworth Falls, Katoomba, Nepean, and Penrith.

Bushwalking Adventures

The Florabella Pass Track is a popular and beautiful nature walk. It goes from Warrimoo to Blaxland. Along the way, you will see many plants, creeks, and rare wildlife. The bushwalk leads into a thick rainforest. Here, you might spot Lyrebirds, Flame Robins, Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, Gang Gang Cockatoos, Owls, and other rare animals.

The Pippas Pass part of the track is known for its colourful plants. You can see flannel flowers, Waratah plants, and pink angophoras. There are also shelter caves. The walk is less than 9 kilometres long, but it does have some steep parts. Many other bushwalking tracks are available. One long walk goes to Glenbrook through the Glenbrook Gorge. Groups like The Wilderness Society ask people to report koala sightings. This is because koalas are an endangered species.

History of Warrimoo

The name Warrimoo comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "eagle's nest" or "place of the screaming white bird."

In 1898, a train station platform called Karabar was built in the area. It was meant to serve a new housing area. This first station closed before World War I. But in 1918, a new station was built a bit further along the Blue Mountains line. This new station was named Warrimoo.

Arthur Rickard, a businessman and developer, was behind the growth of Warrimoo. He planned to divide the land into different sized blocks. There were small blocks and larger ones. He did this to encourage sustainable living. On what was called the Warrimoo Estate, Rickard encouraged people to grow orchards and vegetable gardens. He also wanted them to raise chickens. Warrimoo still has many old homes and buildings. These include a former distillery, where the local public school now stands.

Dorothy Wall, the author of the children's book Blinky Bill, lived in Warrimoo from 1934 to 1937. During this time, she published the second book in the series. In 2015, a mural was painted at Possum Park to honour the illustrator.

Heritage Sites

Warrimoo has some places that are listed for their historical importance. These include:

• Blue Mountains National Park: Blue Mountains walking tracks