Blackheath, New South Wales
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Blackheath (elevation 1065 metres) is a small town in New South Wales located near the top of the Blue Mountains, and also part of the City of the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, Australia. It was named Blackheath in 1815 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie after the colour of the native shrubbery in the area. Macquarie recorded in his journal: "This place having a black wild appearance I have this day named it Black-Heath." It also sometimes taken as reference to the frequently bleak weather. The population of Blackheath is around 3,000, a large number of which are weekday residents of Sydney.
Today, Blackheath does not look "black" at all. The town is the highest on the Great Western Highway and occasionally receives snowfalls. In September, daffodils are in bloom and in October-November many of Rhododendrons are on display.
External links
- Blue Mountains city council (http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/)
- Community, Information and Tourism website (http://www.blackheath-nsw.com) about the town and the adjoining village of Medlow Bath and the Megalong Valley.