The Mall in Leura

Leura
Charming and attractive village in the Blue Mountains.
In many ways Leura is seen as the most urbane and sophisticated of all the villages in the Blue Mountains. Its Mall is full of chic coffee houses, gift shops and eateries; its streets are tree-lined and elegant; its houses are attractive and commonly surrounded by English and European style gardens.

Located 105 km west of Sydney Leura has maintained a certain sense of exclusivity by being separated from the Great Western Highway to such a point that travellers are unaware of the village's main street. This is largely a product of both the railway line and the local topography.

The first Europeans in the area were Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813 who probably spent a night camped near where the Leura Railway Station now stands.

The town experienced some development after the construction of the road across the mountains but it was slow and settlement was sparse. Between 1885-87 there was some coal mining at the Gladstone colliery which was located near the present site of the Leura golf course. The coal was sent to Sydney from a railway siding which was located near the mine.

The Leura village railway station was constructed in 1891. At the time the area was known as Lurline but the station was officially named Leura which some claim was a local Aboriginal word meaning 'lava'. This seems very doubtful.

By the 1920s the area was a popular holiday destination for Sydneysiders eager to escape the heat and humidity of the city. By the 1970s it had become popular with Sydney's artistic community as a weekend escape destination.

Things to see:  

The Mall
A walk down The Mall, with its vast number of tea houses, gift shops, restaurants and cafes, is like nothing else in the Blue Mountains. If there is an up market area of the mountains then Leura is it. The Candy Store is an old-time lolly shop with over 1000 jars of sweets.

Hotel Alexandra
Completed in1903, the naming of this historic hotel at 62 Great Western Highway reflects the contemporary popularity of King Edward VII's wife, Queen Alexandra, in the years immediately following Queen Victoria's death. It was built on land offering fine views over the Leura Gap by a Mr Kensett who aspired to the construction of 'a first class residential hotel.'

The spacious and gracious design was executed by local architect F.C. Goyder, whose father had bought the Great Western Hotel and settled in Katoomba after enrolling his son at the Katoomba College. Goyder's design was an adaptation of the Queen Anne style with a 26-metre front balcony offering excellent views, 22 bedrooms with electric service bells, three bathrooms offering hot water, a large dining room, smoking room, recreation room, drawing room, fine interior arches and an admirable staircase made of kauri pine. Its construction proved a boost to local tourism which had already benefited from the establishment of a railway station to service the Ritz Hotel in 1881.

Today it is the only hotel in Leura, offering fine dining in the restaurant, accommodation and entertainment. It is one of the thirteen historic inns listed on the excellent History Highway Inns website. Check it out at History Highway Inns which offers detailed information about the historic inns in the Blue Mountains.

Fairmont Resort
Fairmont Resort - an exercise in excess or classiness, according to your tastes. Set in landscaped gardens and lodged between the Leura Golf Course and the Jamison Valley - it boasts some of the best views in the mountains - it has four all-weather tennis courts, two squash courts, a gymnasium, games room, indoor swimming pool and a wide range of suitably up market eating places. There are also two pleasant bushwalks to Gladstone Lookout and Cathedral Point. The resort has good bushwalking and driving maps.

Leuralla

Leuralla
Head down to the bottom of the Leura Mall road, turn left into Olympian Parade and, along here and to the left, is Leuralla which is open on weekends. This impressive art deco mansion houses the NSW Toy and Railway Museum and Gardens.

Gordon Falls Reserve
At the end of Olympian Parade is Gordon Falls Reserve, which offers excellent views of the falls and over the Jamison Valley. This is the departure point for the easy, 2-km, one-way Gordon Falls to Leura Falls Walk, offering excellent views over Gordon Falls and the Jamison Valley. Gordon Falls Reserve is also the starting point for the moderately difficult 2-km Lyrebird Dell/Pool of Siloam Circuit Walk

Sublime Point Lookout
One of the highlights of the area is Sublime Point Lookout, regarded by many as the finest of all the lookouts in the Blue Mountains. Access is gained by heading off Railway Parade into Gladstone Road, turning left into Fitzroy St, right into Watkins Rd then right again intom Sublime Point Road. There are excellent views of the Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley.

Everglades Gardens
Apart from the lookout there is also Everglades Gardens (turn right off Gladstone Rd into Fitzroy St then left into Everglades Ave), a National Trust property with 5 hectares of gardens which mix native bushland with displays of bluebells, daffodils, rhododendrons and azaleas. It was created in the 1930s by Danish-born landscape designer Paul Sorenson who was working, sometimes with as many as 60 assistants, for Henri Van de Velde, a wealthy Sydney businessman. The Gardens retain memorabilia relating to Sorensen, as well as a National Trust Gift Shop, an Art Deco residence, tea rooms (open on weekends only), a photographic gallery, picnic areas and excellent views. It is open from 9.00 a.m. daily, tel: (02) 4784 1938.

Bushwalking Around Leura
'Bushwalking in the Katoomba Leura Area', produced by the National Parks and Wildlife Service' provides a detailed contour map of the Leura area and describes walks in the area. It would be easy to spend three or four days bushwalking at Leura and, quite frankly, it would be hard to think of a more pleasant way of exploring the Blue Mountains. Bushwalkers should note that the Mount Hay Road was closed after the bushfires of Christmas 2001 and should telephone the National Parks and Wildlife Service on (02) 4787 8877 for further information.

The view from Cliff Drive near Leuralla

Cliff Drive
Near the end of Leura Mall turn right into Gordon Rd and it leads to Cliff Drive which winds around the edges of the cliffs to Katoomba, taking in the picnic and parking areas near the Three Sisters. This road is a highlight of any visit to the area. The views across the Megalong and Jamison valleys, the different angles on the Three Sisters, the Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary, the variety of excellent picnic spots and the range of lookouts make this a must for anyone wanting to experience the full beauty of the area. A particularly pleasant stop is at the Leura Falls Picnic Area along Chelmsford Drive (which branches off Cliff Drive). This is the starting point for the difficult, 3-km Leura Cascades/Leura Forest Walk which goes down the side of the cliff into the Leura Forest in the Jamison Valley. The latter has abundant birdlife and magnificent stands of eucalypts. Bridal Veil Falls, Linda Falls and Lila Falls are also found in this area.

Leura Country Gardens Nursery
At the rear of 156 Megalong St, Leura, is a nursery stocking some of the horticulture of the Blue Mountains, tel: (02) 4784 3146.

Galleries
Quality hand-carved woodwork is on sale at Leura Fine Woodwork, located at 130 The Mall. Telephone (02) 4784 1768 or email the gallery at boxmaker@bigpond.com. At 167 The Mall is Breewood Gallery which hosts regular exhibitions, tel: (02) 4784 2094.

	Motels
	Where Waters Meet Motel 15 Mount Hay St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3022 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3343 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Alexandra Hotel 62 Great Western Hwy Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 4422
	Mercure Resort Blue Mountains Fitzroy St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1331 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1813 Rating: ***1/2
	Peppers Fairmont 1 Sublime Point Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 5222 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1685 Rating: ****1/2
	Resorts
	Mercure Resort Blue Mountains Fitzroy St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1331 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1813 Rating: ***
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Argyll Guesthouse 11a Craigend St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1555 Facsimile: (02) 4782 1566 Rating: ****1/2
	Bethany Manor Bed & Breakfast 8 East View Ave Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 2915 Facsimile: (02) 4782 1962 Rating: ***1/2
	Branksome House 98 Railway Pd. Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2229
	Broomelea Guesthouse 273 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2940 Facsimile: (02) 4784 2611 Rating: ****
	Bunny's B & B 220 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 7435 Facsimile: (02) 4782 7435 Rating: ***1/2
	Clifflands Bed & Breakfast 53 Morven Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2443
	Cloudlands 4-6 Banksia Rd, Katoomba near Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 7376 Facsimile: (02) 4782 7376
	Eastwicke Luxury Bed & Breakfast 9 Balmoral Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1659 Rating: ****1/2
	Fairway Lodge 3 Sublime Point Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3351 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3351 Rating: ****1/2
	Gillians Bed & Breakfast 7 Coniston Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1133 Facsimile: (02) 4782 5425 Rating: ***1/2
	Gladstone Lodge Bed & Breakfast 75 Gladstone Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2518 Facsimile: (02) 4782 1152
	Llandrindod Bed & Breakfast 272 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3234 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3234 Rating: ****1/2
	Tennyson Bed & Breakfast 1 Tennyson St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1661 Rating: ***1/2
	White Gables 63 Railway Pd. Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1008
	White Gables 63 Railway Pd. Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1008
	Woodford of Leura 48 Woodford St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2240 Facsimile: (02) 4784 2240 Rating: ****1/2
	Leura House Guesthouse 7 Britain St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2035 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3329 Rating: ****
	The Gatehouse Guesthouse 114 Craigend St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 2155 Facsimile: (02) 4782 5323 Rating: *****
	The Greens 26 Grose St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3241 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3241 Rating: ****1/2
	Megalong Manor Guesthouse 151 Megalong St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1461 Facsimile: (02) 4782 2716 Rating: ****1/2
	Apartments
	Leura Lodge Holiday Apartments 7 Spencer St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1462 Rating: **
	Cottages & Cabins
	Cherry Tree Cottage Tennyson Ave Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: 0417 674 671 Rating: ****
	Cloudlands 4-6 Banksia Rd, Katoomba near Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 7376 Facsimile: (02) 4782 7376
	Hills Havens Little Pomander Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 7777 Facsimile: (02) 4782 9327 Rating: ****
	Leura Cottages 76 Megalong St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 6359 3250
	Leura Lodge 7 Spencer St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1462 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1462 Rating: ***
	Leuringa Holiday Cottage 6 Beattie St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 9949 2823 Facsimile: (02) 9949 1758 Rating: ***1/2
	Maples on the Mall 255 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2717 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3388 Rating: ****
	Sanjon Lodge 3 Russell Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 2940 Facsimile: (02) 4782 9327 Rating: ***
	Scribbly Gum Cottage 19 Blackheath St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 9418 7074 Facsimile: (02) 9418 7074 Rating: ***
	The Cottage 11 Malvern Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1668 Rating: ***
	The Manors Cottage at Leura 155 Megalong St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2769 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1624 Rating: ****
	Bygone Beautys Cottages Cnr Megalong & Grose Sts Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3117 Facsimile: (02) 4784 3078 Email: info@bygonebeautys.com.au Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Bon Ton Cafe- Restaurant 192 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 4377
	Ferns on Megalong 138 Megalong St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2777
	Le Gobelet French Restaurant 131 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1919
	Mercure Resort Blue Mountains Fitzroy St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1331 Facsimile: (02) 4784 1813
	Peppers Fairmont 1 Sublime Point Rd Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 5222
	Post Office Restaurant 148 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 3975
	Silk's Brasserie 128 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2534
	Solitary 90 Cliff Dve Leura Falls Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 1164
	The Leura Chinese Restaurant 145 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1722
	Wayz Goose Restaurant 174 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1973
	Cafés
	Cafe Bon Bon 192 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4782 4377
	Cottage Cafe Fitzroy St Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1331
	Landseer's 178 The Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1992
	Leura Gourmet 159 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1438
	Snaps Coffee House 142 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 2206
	The Bakers Cafe 179 Leura Mall Leura NSW 2780 Telephone: (02) 4784 1880