Lithgow's main street

Lithgow
Interesting city on the far side of the Blue Mountains
The city of Lithgow is situated 144 km north-west of Sydney and 920 m above sea-level on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains. Its history is closely linked with both the large coal deposits upon which it stands and the extension of the the railway line over the Blue Mountains in the 1860s.

The Wiradjuri tribe occupied the Lithgow area prior to white settlement. The valley was given its European name in 1827 by Hamilton Hume, in honour of William Lithgow, the auditor-general of the colony.

The first substantial settler was Scotsman Andrew Brown who later founded St Andrew's College at the University of Sydney. He established 'Cooerwull' station at what is now Bowenfels in 1824 and built a water-powered mill which he later converted to steam power by using coal mined on his property, although the state of road transport over the Blue Mountains precluded commercial mining.

Construction of a railway line into the Lithgow Valley began in 1866. At that time there were but five landholders in the valley. When it was completed in 1869, the Zig Zag Railway was acclaimed worldwide as a major engineering feat. It was intended to link Sydney to Bathurst and the prosperous farming areas beyond the Blue Mountains. Furthermore, it enabled the industrialisation of Lithgow (and therefore the establishment of the town) by making the exportation of coal and iron commercially viable. Not surprisingly, the railways became the biggest customer for that coal and iron. Consequently, the road-town of Bowenfels declined and Lithgow emerged as the railhead for the western region and the major industrial centre of NSW in the latter part of the 19th century.

However, the constant change of direction required by the Zig Zag system imposed limitations upon the length of trains which could use the line. In the long run this affected the economic viability of the service and hence of the area's industry.

Thomas Brown, whose property 'Eskbank' was the second-oldest in the valley (1835), commenced the first commercial coalmine the year the railway arrived. Iron was found on his property and iron smelting began in 1875. A blast furnace was soon producing 100 tons of pig-iron per week but efforts were undermined by cheap imports. One of the company founders, James Rutherford, dynamited the blast furnace in protest against the lack of protection.

The employees formed a co-operative and leased the works until William Sandford took over in 1886. He reorganised the plant, introduced Australia's first galvanising and corrugating works in 1894 and, in 1900, imported an open-hearth furnace and successfully puddled Australia's first steel. He built the nation's first modern blast furnace in 1907 but went into liquidation in 1908 when government assistance did not materialise.

Lake Lyell near Lithgow

The next owners, G & C Hoskins, made a great success of the venture which was employing 632 people by 1909. Poor industrial relations culminated in a nine-month strike in 1911 which ended in a riot when scabs were brought in. Nonetheless the demands of an expanding rail system and an encroaching war saw a second blast furnace opened in 1913. However, BHP opened a steelworks at Newcastle in 1915 which had obvious advantages over Lithgow. It was located adjacent a harbour and the company possessed its own collieries and ships. There was an insufficiency in supplies of both good quality ore and coke at Lithgow. In order to compete Hoskins joined Australian Iron and Steel and relocated to Port Kembla in 1928. The blast furnaces were removed in 1932 thereby exacerbating local unemployment during the Great Depression.

Iron and steel were not the only local industry. Thomas Mort set up a slaughtering and meat refrigeration works in 1875 with the first chilled meat arriving from Lithgow in 1880. In 1876 the Lithgow Valley Colliery set up the Lithgow Pottery, manufacturing bricks, pipes and domestic items out of clay. The pottery closed down in 1898 due to the depression, though pipes and bricks were still made.

Breweries and a copper smelter were amongst the other local industries. Four brickworks were in operation by 1889 when Lithgow was declared a municipality and there were seven collieries in 1901. One of the most consistent businesses and employers was the small arms manufactory which was opened in 1912. Not surprisingly it was a major employer during the two world wars.

Lithgow was declared a city in 1945. By that time much of the heavy industry was gone, although light industry continued to prosper and the population peaked in the years just after World War II.

In the late 1950s, a power generating plant was built at Wallerawang and, more recently, Mt Piper Power Station was opened near Portland. The stations created a ready market for local coal. However, since the mid-1980s, reduced demand, automation and rationalisation have caused the loss of nearly 2000 jobs in the mining, power and manufacturing industries which are the city's lifeblood.

Two of Lithgow's best-known offspring are Olympic sprinter, Marjorie Jackson (known as the 'Lithgow Flash') and radio and television personality John 'Roy Slaven' Doyle.

The Lithgow Blues Music Festival is held every year in November, the National Go-Kart Championships in October and plans are currently afoot to establish an annual festival around the time of the Lithgow Show in March.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Lithgow Visitors' Centre is situated in the old Bowenfels railway station at 1 Cooerwull Rd in north-west Lithgow, tel: (02) 6353 1859. It is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily. Enquiries can be made here concerning local attractions, operators, accommodation, maps and brochures. There are also historic photographs and displays of local arts and crafts. Lithgow Heritage Tours offer guided tours of the district, tel: (02) 6351 4848.

The attractive sandstone railway station was built in 1869 to accompany the arrival of the Zig Zag Railway. The charming little Gothic Revival stationmaster's residence (1869) is made of sandstone and features a steeply pitched slate roof and ornately carved timber bargeboards.

The ANZ Bank in the main street

Some Heritage Buildings
De La Salle College (originally Cooerwull Academy) in Rabaul St is an interesting two-storey Victorian Gothic building (c.1882) made of dressed stone with an unusual parapet. It was built by the valley's first European settler, Andrew Brown, as a training academy for prospective Presbyterian ministers. It closed when staff enlisted in World War I, converted to a private residence, and became a Catholic High School in 1953.

At the Mort and Bridge St intersection is the Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church, built from 1916-1928 at the behest of local steel magnate Charles Hoskins, in memory of his son Guildford who died in an accident in 1916. This Gothic church was made of Waverley and Pyrmont sandstone, cut and finished in Sydney and shipped by rail. The furnishings are of Queensland maple and the striking 30-m spire houses a war memorial carillon. The landscaped gardens are outstanding.

Diagonally opposite is Lithgow courthouse (1879), a symmetrical, Federation-style brick structure.

Lithgow courthouse (1879), a symmetrical, Federation-style brick structure

At the corner of Main and Gray is the old CBC Bank, a Tudor-style building dating from 1883, designed by G.A. Mansfield. The ANZ building at Main and Eskbank was erected in 1888.

Small Arms Museum
At the western end of town, in Methven St, is the Small Arms Museum. It is located in an old section of the Australian Defence Industry Factory which opened in 1912. Lithgow was chosen by the Federal Government as the site for the factory due to its steel and coal production and its distance from the coast, in case of naval bombardment. A major component of the local economy, the factory employed 6000 people at its peak in 1942.

On display is a substantial collection of machine guns, rifles, pistols and related items from around the world, including Australian-designed experimental, prototype and pre-production weapons. There are also non-military wares produced in the factory, a photographic collection and memorabilia. It is open weekends and public holidays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by arrangement, tel: (02) 6351 4452. .

Pottery
In 1876, the Lithgow Valley Colliery established a brick and pipe works, using clay near the mine. In 1879 trained English craftsman James Silcock emigrated to establish the manufacture of domestic items on the site. But for a brief revival in 1906, it closed down in 1898 due to the depression though pipe and brick manufacture continued.

Remnants include a residence and several old brick structures - the warehouse, flue and clay store. The old buggy shed is now home to a modern-day pottery selling hand-made items and a large range of ceramics. The estate is in Silcock St, off Bent St, behind the Lithgow Valley Shopping Centre. It is open every day from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Entry is free and there are barbecue facilities, tel: (02) 6351 4483.

Zig Zag Railway
Chifley Rd heads east out of town until it becomes Bells Line of Road (convict-built in 1841), which extends to Richmond. About 10 km east of Lithgow, at Clarence, is the delightful Zig Zag Railway, acclaimed worldwide as a major engineering feat when it was completed in 1869. The track passes over three magnificent sandstone viaducts and through two hand-hewn tunnels and a cutting, furnishing striking views over some spectacular natural scenery during its precipitous descent from the Blue Mountains into the Lithgow Valley.

The railway enabled the industrialisation of the valley by rendering the exportation of coal and iron commercially viable. The railways also provided local industry with its biggest customer. Consequently, Lithgow became the rail-head for the western region and the major industrial centre of NSW in the latter part of the 19th century.

The feat of bringing the railway from the top of the Blue Mountains escarpment into the Lithgow Valley was accomplished by John Whitton, engineer in chief of the NSW Government Railways. Whitton rejected a 3.2-km tunnel. Instead, he designed a 'Zig-Zag' line - a series of gently sloping ramps in the form of a letter 'Z' - which would alternately push and pull trains down the escarpment by means of specifically arranged grades and bridges.

Although the line was intended primarily for goods trains it became a major scenic attraction due to the spectacular scenery, the excellent views and the marvel of the engineering. An important result of the railway's construction was the development of locomotive boilers which could cope with running on hills. This enabled the construction of mountain railways in other parts of the world, particularly the Americas.

By the turn of the century rail traffic over the Blue Mountains was heavy and the single track had become congested. Consequently a ten-tunnel line was constructed through the escarpment. It was completed in 1910 and bypassed the zig-zag line. During the Second World War Clarence Tunnel was used as an ammunition store. It was reopened in 1975 due to the work of the Zig Zag Railway Co-operative.

Steam trains now operate on weekends, public holidays and most school holidays while a diesel-powered vintage motor runs during the week. The latter takes in a tour of the workshop and allows more time to investigate the viaducts and scenery.

Tickets for the 12-km return journey are $18 for adults, $15 concession, $9 for children. Trains leave the Zig Zag Station at Clarence at 11.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. every day of the year except Christmas Day. For further information ring (02) 6353 1795. A recorded message outlining the timetable is available on (02) 6351 4826.

The railway is signposted at Mount Victoria and at Bell. If you are travelling by train from Sydney, inform the guard at Mount Victoria, or if you are coming from Lithgow, tell the guard there, and move into the front carriage as the platform at Zig Zag is short. Bottom Points Station is a short walk from the main line.

There are numerous picnic and barbecue places along the line where you can be dropped off and picked up later (speak to the guard before leaving the Clarence or Bottom Points stations). There is a shop, as well as picnic and barbecue facilities at Clarence station where you can also enquire about bushwalking opportunities.

The Sleigh Inn
The Sleigh Inn sells Christmas decorations from around around the worlds and offers light meals and refreshments. It is located 500 m on the Lithgow side of the railway.

Eskbank House
Eskbank House, the oldest building in Lithgow, is open to visitors, for a small entry fee. To get there, head east along Inch St, turn left into Bennett St and the Georgian Cottage is to the right.

Eskbank was built in 1842 of well-dressed sandstone with stone-flagged verandahs, cedar joinery and a hectare of beautiful lawns and gardens. The four front rooms are well preserved and contain some fine early Victorian furniture. The stables and blacksmith's forge are also of dressed sandstone while the hexagonal garden house is made of rock-faced stone. The outbuildings house a Hansom cab and pennyfarthing bicycle and a locomotive from the old Lithgow ironworks is displayed in the grounds.

Eskbank was built by Thomas Brown, who became the valley's second European landholder when he purchased 400 acres around 1835, naming it after the Esk River in Scotland. He acted as magistrate at the courthouse at Hartley and opened the area's first commercial coalmine on his property when the railway arrived in 1869. Brown represented the district in parliament from 1872 and remained at Eskbank until 1884.

The covered courtyard at the rear of the house is used as a museum. Displays include artefacts from the old Lithgow Pottery (1876-1898) and other memorabilia. The complex is open Thursday to Monday from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m or by arrangement, tel: (02) 6351 3557.

Blast Furnace Park
Further west along Inch St, to the right, is Blast Furnace Park, the only surviving relic of Australia's first iron and steel industry. There is some debate about the origin of the site. Some historians claim that William Sandford first used it in 1886. There is no dispute that he started to smelt iron on the site in 1907 after he had built the country's first modern blast furnace. From 1907 until 1915 it was the country's only iron production facility. It continued to produce iron ore until 1928 (for further detail on the operation see the general introduction).

The site has now been developed as a park around the remains of the engine house, boiler house, turbines, storage bins, crane walls, stoves, rail sidings, cooling pond, water channels, a network of underground tunnels, a large slag heap and the foundations of the furnaces. A pamphlet outlines the features in some detail.

Lake Pillans, adjacent, is a rehabilitated wetland area, through which some walks have been established.

State Mine Heritage Park
Further east along Inch St, Atkinson St heads off to the left. It crosses over the railway line, becoming State Mine Gully Road. The industrial park is situated on the original site of the State Coal Mines headworks, which were established to supply coal to the railways and other government departments. It opened in 1916 and from 1921 was the biggest employer in the western coalfields and one of the largest in the state. The mine was closed dramatically in June 1964 as a result of flooding.

There are displays relating to mining history, steam power and the town's rail heritage. It is open for guided tours from 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays, and at other times by prior arrangement. The entry fee is $2 for adults, $1 for children and concessions, tel: (02) 6353 1513.

There are picnic areas at the powder magazines, nature trails, some fine scenery, flora and birdlife. Plans are afoot to link the park with the Zig Zag Railway late in 1998 but, at this stage, are still uncertain.

The dirt road continues on past the park, ultimately leading to the Glow Worm Tunnel (see entry on Newnes).

Oakey Park
If you continue east along Inch St it soon takes you to Oakey Park, an old mining village which is now a quiet leafy suburb of Lithgow at the foot of the mountains. Its name derives from the Scottish term 'oakey' meaning a small stream.

The houses at 1-10 and 12 Brisbane St and 1-13 Bragg Sts were originally cottages for the mineworkers. The blue-roofed house is the original mine manager's residence and both the Zig Zag Brewery and Zig Zag School remain from the early days. Other remnants include the foundations of the coke ovens and the brewery chimney, built c.1912, which can be seen against the background of the cliff.

The Oakey Park mine was close down in 1897 when the company tried to cut their employees' pay. Some strikebreakers were brought from Sydney but they were stopped 4 km from town by the employees who then raised enough money to send the scabs back to Sydney

A row of gracious terraces in Lithgow Street, Lithgow

Hassans Wall and Braceys Lookouts
The lookout is located 10 km south of town along Hassans Wall Rd (take Lithgow St south off Main St and keep to the left). The highest scenic lookout in the Blue Mountains (1130 m above sea-level) it was apparently named by Governor Macquarie after a similar escarpment formation in India. There are views of Mt Wilson and Mt York to the east, Mt Tarana and Mt Blaxland in the west and the whole Hartley Valley below. To the south are the Kanimbla and Megalong Valleys and Mt Bindo (1363 m).

Proceed past Hassans Wall Lookout and turn left into Norman Henry Drive to Braceys Lookout from whence there are fine views over Lithgow.

Archvale Trout Farm
Archvale Trout Farm offers recreational fishing, fresh and smoked trout and fingerlings. It is located at Marrangaroo, 11 km north of Lithgow via the Great Western Highway. Turn left into Hughes Lane, just before the Mudgee turnoff. There are barbecue and picnic facilities. The complex is open, for a small entry fee, every day from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (02) 6352 1341.

	Tourist Information
	Lithgow Visitors Centre Old Bowenfels Station 1 Cooerwull Rd Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6353 1859 Facsimile: (02) 6353 1851
	Motels
	Best Western Bowen Inn Great Western Hwy Bowenfels Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 5111 Facsimile: (02) 6352 5100 Rating: ****
	Colonial Motor Inn 84 Great Western Hwy Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 1655 Facsimile: (02) 6352 2471 Rating: ***1/2
	Lithgow Valley Inn Motel Cooerwull Rd Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2334 Facsimile: (02) 6352 3869 Rating: **1/2
	Parkside Lodge Motel Great Western Hwy Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2871 Facsimile: (02) 6352 1232 Rating: ***
	Zig Zag Motel Cnr Chifley Rd & Clwydd St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2477 Facsimile: (02) 6352 3654 Rating: ***1/2
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel 198 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2312
	Court House Hotel 1 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3234
	Exchange Hotel 83 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 3307
	Grand Central Hotel Cnr Main & Eskbank Sts Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3050
	Lansdowne Hotel 137 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3045
	Lithgow Hotel 130 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3379
	Tattersalls Hotel 151 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3387
	Apartments
	No. 1 Ferro St Services Apartments 1 Ferro St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 4524 Facsimile: (02) 6351 4524
	Cottages & Cabins
	Capertee Valley Retreat Mudgee Rd Capertee Lithgow NSW 2846 Telephone: (02) 6359 0194 Email: caperteevalley@bigpond.com Web site: http://www.caperteevalleyretreat.com.au
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Eagle View Escape Lots 12 & 13 Sandalls Dve Rydal Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6355 6311 Facsimile: (02) 6355 6311 Rating: ****
	Lodges & Chalets
	Zig Zag Lodge Cottage Clarence Clarence Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6355 2683 Rating:
	Caravan Parks
	Lithgow Tourist & Van Park 58 Cooerwull Rd Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 4350 Facsimile: (02) 6351 4384 Rating: **1/2
	Camping & Other
	The Terrace Lithgow St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6353 1545, 015 935 410
	Restaurants
	Blue Sky Restaurant 192 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2008
	Bushman's Bistro 84 Great Western Hwy Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 1655
	CJs Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 4442
	Colonial Motor Inn Great Western Hwy Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 1655
	Commercial Hotel (Jade Room) 198 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2312
	Court House Hotel Restaurant 1 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 3234
	Emerald Lantern Chinese Restaurant 13 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6353 1110
	Galloping Grape Lithgow 277 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 4000
	Lithgow & District Workmens' Club Restaurant 3 Tank St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2777
	Lithgow Palace Chinese Restaurant 57 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6353 1888
	Lithgow Valley Motel 45 Cooerwull Rd Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2334
	O'Grady's Irish Tavern 3 Tank St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2777
	The Bowen Inn Motel Great Western Hwy Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 5111
	The Valley Japanese Teppanyaki BBQ Restaurant 45 Cooerwull Rd Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2334
	The Zig Zag Motel cnr Chifley Rd & Clwydd St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2477
	Cafés
	Blue Bird Cafe 118 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 1644
	Cafe Connections 32 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6351 2112
	Central Coffee Shop 149 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 3055
	Metro on Main 105 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2966
	Much Ado About Eating 105 Main St Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 2966
	Rossco's Valley Coffee Lounge Lithgow Valley Shopping Centre Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 1332
	The Gatekeepers Cafe Lithgow NSW 2790 Telephone: (02) 6352 5314