Wentworth Falls, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wentworth Falls New South Wales
Station Street
Wentworth Falls Location in New South Wales
Population	6,428 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2782
Elevation	872 m (2,861 ft)
Location	97 km (60 mi) W of Sydney CBD 8 km (5 mi) E of Katoomba
LGA(s)	City of Blue Mountains
State electorate(s)	Blue Mountains
Federal Division(s)	Macquarie
Suburbs around Wentworth Falls: Leura Blue Mountains National Park Blue Mountains National Park Leura Wentworth Falls Bullaburra Leura Jamison Valley Bullaburra

Sylvia Falls in the Valley of the Waters

Wentworth Falls (postcode: 2782) is a lovely town. It is located in the beautiful Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. The town is about 100 kilometres west of Sydney. It is also about 8 kilometres east of Katoomba.

You can find Wentworth Falls on the Great Western Highway. It also has its own train station, Wentworth Falls railway station, on the Main Western line. The town sits high up, at about 867 metres (2,844 feet) above sea level. In 2016, about 6,076 people lived here.

Wentworth Falls is a lively place with many events. The Wentworth Falls Autumn Festival happens in April. The local public school holds an Art and Craft Show in October. Model boat fans enjoy the Task Force 72 Annual Regatta in late spring. The Wentworth Falls Cricket Club (WFCC) is very old. It started in 1892 and is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the Blue Mountains.

History of Wentworth Falls

Ancient History and First Peoples

Kings Tableland is a flat area at the south-east of Wentworth Falls. It is a very important place for history. This area holds the Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site. It is special to the Gandangara, Darug, and Wiradjuri people.

People have gathered here for at least 22,000 years. You can find many cultural signs here. These include rock carvings, grooves for sharpening axes, and modified rock pools. There is also a shelter where people lived.

How Wentworth Falls Got Its Name

The town was first called The Weatherboard. This name came from an inn built in 1814. A year later, Governor Lachlan Macquarie renamed it Jamison’s Valley. He did this to honour Sir John Jamison, a leading person in the colony.

In July 1867, the first train trip to the Blue Mountains happened. The train went from Penrith to Weatherboard Station. This was the end of the line back then. In 1879, the village got its current name. It was named after a group of waterfalls nearby. These waterfalls were named after William Charles Wentworth. He was one of the explorers who crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813. He was also a friend of John Jamison.

Famous Visitors and Landmarks

Pitt Park is on the north side of town. The Bathurst Traveller inn was built here in 1826. It was later called Weatherboard Inn. Charles Darwin, a famous scientist, stayed there in 1836. He walked from the inn to the cliff's edge. He wrote about a "huge gap" that opened up through the trees.

The path he took is now called the Charles Darwin Walk. It opened in 1986. This walk starts at Wilson Park and leads to the edge of the Jamison Valley.

The Kings Tableland area once had a deer park. It closed in the late 1980s. The land then became private property. Some deer were seen around the area for a while. They were later removed by park rangers. This area also has the site of the old Queen Victoria Sanitorium. This was a big hospital for people with tuberculosis.

Historic Places to See

Wentworth Falls has several places listed for their history. These are important sites that are protected.

• Blue Mountains National Park: This includes many Blue Mountains walking tracks.
• 63-67 Falls Road: This is the site of Davisville, Wentworth Falls.
• 1-15 Matcham Avenue: This is where the Weatherboard Inn archaeological site is found.
• 'La Vista', 65 Blaxland Road, Wentworth Falls.

Library School of Arts

The Literary Institute building is at 217 Great Western Highway. It was designed in 1915 by Herbert Dennis. Today, it is known as the Library and School of Arts. It is a popular place for community events. It also has the local library.

People of Wentworth Falls

The 2016 census counted 6,076 people in Wentworth Falls.

• About 2.0% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• Most people (74.9%) were born in Australia.
• Other common birthplaces were England (6.5%) and New Zealand (1.7%).
• Most people (88.2%) spoke only English at home.
• For religion, many people said No Religion (38.5%). Others were Catholic (18.4%) or Anglican (17.1%).

Things to Do and See

Lincoln's Rock, April 2024

There are many fun things to do and see in Wentworth Falls.

Nature and Lookouts

Ingar Camp Ground is a very pretty picnic spot. It is about eight kilometres east along Murphys Fire Trail. Further south on Kings Tableland are Sunset Lookout and McMahon's Lookout. Both offer amazing views over Lake Burragorang. These roads used to go into the Burragorang Valley. This was before the valley was flooded by Warragamba Dam.

There are many natural lookouts in the area. These include Lincoln's Rock, Breakfast Point Lookout, Princes Rock Lookout, Wentworth Falls Lookout, and Rocket Point Lookout.

Waterfalls and Walks

A walking track through the Valley of the Waters leads to several waterfalls. You can see Empress Falls, Sylvia Falls, Lodore Falls, and Flat Rock Falls. Near where Jamison and Valley of the Waters Creeks meet, you can find Vera Falls. This is a bit off the main track.

Empress Falls is a popular spot for canyoning. Canyoning is an adventure sport where you travel through canyons. You can often see people abseiling down Empress Falls.

One of the most popular walks is the National Pass. It goes along the top edge of the Valley of the Waters. The path is narrow and sits halfway down the cliff. It then climbs up the ridge using sandstone steps. These steps were built in 1908.

The Conservation Hut is an information centre and restaurant. It is leased from the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. It is a great starting point for many of these walks.

Other Local Attractions

Other interesting places include the historic Grand View Hotel. There is also the historic house Glen Isla. The Wentworth Falls School of Arts is a popular place for local events. Falls Gallery shows art by major Australian artists. The Kedumba Gallery is inside the Blue Mountains Grammar School.

Wentworth Falls Lake is an artificial lake. It was made long ago to provide water for steam trains. Now, it is a lovely reserve and recreation area. Another landmark is Yester Grange. This is a heritage-listed home with wide verandas. It is now used as a place for events.

Gallery

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  Strathmore, a heritage-listed Federation Queen Anne cottage in Falls Road

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  Grand View Hotel

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  Cascades along Jamison Creek, Wentworth Falls

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  Yester Grange

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  Aerial View Queen Victoria Sanitorium Wentworth Falls NSW

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  Grinding grooves, Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site

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  Empress Falls (with Canyoner Abseiling), Valley Of The Waters, Blue Mountains

Notable Residents

• Reg Livermore - a well-known actor and playwright