100 Towns

Glen Davis is a tiny settlement situated in the beautiful Capertee Valley.  It came into being when the shale oil mining and refining operations at Newnes closed down and moved to Glen Davis in 1938. But as shale oil was ultimately not viable the operation closed down in 1952 leaving the town to slowly disappear. However there are still some dwellings, a boutique hotel, a camp ground used by walkers keen to explore the nearby Wollemi National Park, the ruins of the old shale oil works (on private land) and a  beautiful backdrop of cliffs. This a great spot to take a day drive or a weekend stay.

The town of Newnes sprung into being with a shale oil mine and refinery which operated from 1906 to 1932. It quickly disappeared when the operation was shut down with just the pub and ruins of the old works remaining. The pub was moved to its current position in the 1980s because it was too close to the river and subject to flooding. It also sold its last beer in the 1980s. It now operates as a facility for tourist. The scenery around here is magnificent and for those who love camping there is a great camp ground near old hotel and shale oil ruins. For those who like luxury and have deep pockets there is the six star Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa a kilometre or two back along the track. For 4WD enthusiasts there is plenty of good driving in the nearby Newnes State Forest.

Rydal is a small town with of 80 people, about 40 houses and a couple of churches.  One of them is a Union Church which brought together the Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist congregations. Rydal's heyday, long gone, was in the early days of the railway. From 1870 for six years it was the end of the line so was a busy spot where goods were transferred from road transport to the railway.  Today the daily XPT service still passes through Rydal and will stop here if needed for passenger to alight and set down. This little village has a great community spirit. It has been a five times tidy town award winner. The annual daffodil festival in September is a highlight of its social calendar. At that time of year it is not just the daffodils splashing the countryside yellow -- the wattles are also in full bloom.

1. St John's Union Church, Running Stream 2. Running Stream Public School 3. Near Foxwood Farm cafe Foxwood Farm specialises in making great apple pies and there is other good food to be had as well, making it the perfect stopping place on the way to Mudgee. Running Stream is a tiny community which has been serving as a stopping place on that route for all its life. There is a church, a school and the cafe as a wayside stop in among lovely farming land. Worth the break.

1. Entry sign to Capertee Valley 2. The valley from lookout 3. Railway station 4. Royal Hotel, Capertee 5. Catholic church, on the outskirts of the town. The canyon of the Capertee Valley is apparently 1 km longer than the Grand Canyon but not as deep. It's beautiful and impressive but to me nowhere near as impressive as the Grand Canyon. Sheep properties were established in the valley in the 1840s and the village, with a reliable water source, was a good rest stop on the road to Mudgee. With the arrival of the railway in 1882 the valley was opened up for coal, limestone and old shale mining. It's a small town (population around 200) but has lots of facilities - a school, police station (with police who are often out breath testing), community hall, Royal hotel, churches and a combined garage/shop/post office so ticking along nicely. The town itself may not be the perfect destination but the surrounding area is magnificent and there are bed and breakfasts and far...

1. Roadside stalls at Ben Bullen 2. Old house, perhaps once a shop. 3. Disused railway station I guess Ben Bullen is a railway town with a small community of four or five houses springing up around the small railway station.  The station is now derelict, Taking a short drive up the single street we saw there was once a tennis court and down at the vacant lot over the road from the railway there are regularly sellers set up to sell local produce. It's the size of town that you could blink and miss but as it is located at the spot where the road crosses the railway line at a level crossing so you had better not blink.  The line is still in use by a coal train about once a day.

1. Cullen Bullen welcome sign 2. General store 3. House on the outskirts of town 4. Royal Hotel 5. Opposition to mining While Cullen Bullen was originally a wayside point on the road to Mudgee and blossomed further when gold was discovered further up the road it really came into it's own with the arrival of the railway which made coal mining in the region viable.  Ever since it has been sustained by mining with varying degrees of success. Today there is a move to expand the open cut mine in the region but there is opposition to this, a least by some of the locals. The townsfolk may prize their lifestyle but for the visitor there doesn't appear to be an awful lot to see and do in Cullen Bullen.

1. Portland Cement works 2. Heritage industrial building  3. Heritage industrial building 4. Worker's cottage 5. Main street There is a sadness at Portland.  All down one side of the long main street is closed off - industrial buildings, workers cottages, parklands.  The closed off area is the site of the Portland Cement Works which sustained the town for 100 years and shut down in the 1990s.  Portland was a company town. It is hard to imagine the impact of that closure. Today Portland (population 2000) is a bit of a struggle town but kept ticking by the nearby Mount Piper Power Station (which opened about the time the cement works closed), mining and rural activities. I think it is a rather nice town with a pleasant historic feel to it.  I do hope that one day the heritage industrial buildings are put to good use. There are 'signs of yesteryear' murals on many of the shops.  I am annoyed at not having taken a photograph but I think I realised t...

1. Wallerawang Power Station 2. Wallerawang Royal Hotel 3. Old railway station 4. Storage sheds by the railway line 5. Lake Wallace Wallerawang began as a staging point on the road to the west. The railway which reached Lithgow in the 1869 and Wallerawang in 1870 helped develop the town.  Until the line extended to Bathurst, some six years later, passengers alighted at Wallerawang to join Cobb & Co coaches for their onward journey. Oil shale, coal mining and power generation have sustained the town since then.  The power station which began operation in 1957 has been instrumental in developing the western coal fields. A little further up the road is the newer Mount Piper Power Station, built in 1990. Power generation requires water and Lake Wallace provides this, as well as being a lovely local amenity.

1. Lithgow City Welcome Sign 2. Blast Furnace Park 3. Workers cottages 4. Hassans Walls lookout 4. State Mine Heritage Park 5. The big miners lamp Lithgow is a small city (population 21,000) built on an industrial  base.  The city of proud of its tradition which is brought to life at Blast Furnace Park (site if an old steel mill), the State Mine Heritage Park (old coal mine) and the Small Arms Museum.  Today, there is still plenty of industry with coal mines and large power stations in the area. Located in a very scenic location at the edge of the Blue Mountains, Lithgow is a modern and house proud city -- Australia's Tidiest Town in 2011. Lithgow is fascinating and attractive place to visit which may surprise, given its industrial backdrop. The intercity trains visit many times each day so give yourself a treat and come out for the ride.

1. Court House 1837 2. Corney's Garage 1945 3. Shamrock Inn 1860s 4. Church Presbytery 5. Former Royal Hotel 5. Catholic Church Hartley is an historic village preserved and managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife service. Located on the western edge of the Blue Mountains it started as the farmlands beyond the mountains were developed. In particular, the court house served as a policing centre for the growing population. A busy village sprung up around it though over time it dwindled to practically a ghost town but didn't disappear because it was mostly built from sandstone. Today as you descend the mountains you see this lovely cluster of buildings beside the highway.  It's well worth diverting from the highway to have a look.

1. Meadow Flat environs 2. Community hall 3. War memorial  4. School Meadow Flat has a string of houses old and new along its single street.  Why did it come into being, was it ever more of a town than it is today?  I don't know.  It is on an intersection of roads and is nicely placed halfway between the cities of Lithgow and Bathurst, perhaps that has something to do with it. Today around 40 students attend the school, the community hall is maintained (they were mowing the lawn the day we were there) and a rural fire service shed is in place. A pleasant rural spot within easy commuting distance to bigger places. See where Meadow Flat is on the map.