Blue Mountains Tourism - Official Site

Education

Educational Attractions

Delta Energy Expo
Delta Energy Expo

Delta Energy Expo at Mt Piper 20kms north west of Lithgow has a comprehensive schools program on how electricity is made, not just in thermal power plants, but all other sources for electrical energy and related environmental factors. Coal - its history, production, availability, delivery, quality, impact on society and interaction with the community are covered in the program. The interactive expo displays and models combined with tours of the power station itself provide a hands on learning experience from Years 4 - 6 to University. Excellent picnic facilities are available in the grounds. Meals can also be arranged.

Topics of Interest: Science and technology, geology, geography, history, engineering physics, environment.

Name
Wolf Kempa
Company
Delta Energy Expo
Street Address
350 Boulder Road Portland (via Lithgow) NSW 2847 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 6354 8173
Facsimile
+61 2 6354 8112
Email
Web Site
www.de.com.au
Edge Giant Screen Cinema
Edge Giant Screen Cinema

Edge Giant Screen Cinema documentary film explores raging waters, early colonial settlement, underground caves, Aboriginal history and the world's oldest living tree species, the Wollemi Pine. Students will gain an insight into the geographical evolution of this World Heritage area and the management practices that have been put in place to protect the flora and fauna of the Blue Mountains for future generations.

The Edge and Scenic World offer an exciting new educational program designed specifically for primary & secondary school students. The program includes lessons on the environmental importance of the surrounding World Heritage wilderness.

Topics of Interest: Human impact on the Blue Mountains, environmental management, interactions of people with environments including local, regional and national, conservation, ecological sustainability, tourism and its impacts, physical processes, European impact, geographical diversity and Aboriginal studies.

Name
Anthony Tilt
Company
Edge Giant Screen Cinema
Street Address
225 Great Western Highway Katoomba NSW 2780 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4782 8900
Facsimile
+61 2 4782 4002
Email
Web Site
www.edgecinema.com.au
Eskbank House
Eskbank House

Eskbank House located in the Lithgow Valley this historic home built in 1842 now operates as a museum featuring a collection that provides an insight into the people and industries that have presided in the Lithgow Region. Eskbank House & Museum can cater to the needs of school and education groups through the delivery of guided tours and educational material as guided by the NSW Department of Education & Training K-12 school curriculum. Tours can also be developed to suit group or teacher requirements.

Topics of Interest: early Australian history, industrialisation in Australia, living in a small rural community.

Name
Penny Hall
Company
Eskbank House
Street Address
Bennett Street Lithgow NSW 2790 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 6351 3557
Email
Web Site
www.lithgow.com/eskbank/
Hartley Historic Site
Hartley Historic Site

Hartley Historic Site is a well preserved 19th century village on the western edge of the Blue Mountains. Consisting of 17 buildings of historic significance, the village dates from 1837 when the Greek Revival Courthouse was constructed to deal with the large numbers of convicts in the area. The village grew around the Courthouse and houses, inns Churches, a post office and garages were also built. The village is set amongst pastures, orchards, native vegetation, and is surrounded by the escarpment of the Blue Mountains. Hartley was reserved as a historic site for the protection of a substantial and well-preserved remnant of one of the first rural settlements west of the Blue Mountains, one which played an essential role in the development of inland Australia.

Guided educational tours of Hartley Historic Site focus on the Colonial history of the region. Students are immersed in 19th Century Australia, an era of convicts and lashes for petty crimes. The Courthouse features both a male and female cell, where the incarcerated inscribed graffiti on the walls of the wood lined cell. The Courthouse tour allows students to dress up in period style and dramatise a case from the original Court records.

Topics of Interest: Human Society and its Environment, Early Australian history, aboriginal heritage, Visual and creative arts, drama

Name
Steve Ring
Company
Hartley Historic Site
Street Address
Great Western Highway Hartley NSW Australia
Telephone
+61 2 6355 2117
Email
Web Site
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
Jenolan Caves Students
Jenolan Caves Students

Jenolan Caves Students can enjoy a unique experience, within a World Heritage area, at Jenolan Caves, the world's oldest discovered open caves system. Jenolan's experienced and nationally accredited caves guides are committed to conserving and protecting the environment, while catering for a wide range of activities to suit the needs of all students, K-12.

Programs incorporate all areas of the school curriculum and can be tailored to meet specific needs. Programs focus on understanding the environment through adventure, challenge, teamwork and fun! The limestone karst area provides an understanding of local geomorphology and landscapes, the importance of tourism conservation and an understanding of cultural development.

Jenolan Caves is best described as "Nature's Classroom". The truly unique surrounds offer students the opportunity to experience rare wildlife, unchanged and contrasting ecosystems, and geological formations wilder than the imagination. Students experience learning through Adventure Caving (which can include abseiling) bush navigation/orienteering, Environmental Studies walk, Streamwatch and guided tours through a choice of fabulous show caves.

Great facilities, accommodation and meals are available at historic Jenolan Caves House, a short stroll from the caves.

Topics of Interest: History, geology, English, biology, chemistry, tourism, human society and its environment, personal development.

Position
Senior Guide
Company
Jenolan Caves
Street Address
Jenolan Caves NSW 2790 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 6359 3911
Facsimile
+61 2 6359 3307
Email
Web Site
www.jenolancaves.org.au
Kings Tableland Observatory
Kings Tableland Observatory

Kings Tableland Observatory is situated at Kings Tableland 55 Hordern Road Wentworth Falls, giving a dark night sky.

We have great views of deep sky objects such as Globular star clusters, Nebula, Planets and the Moon.

On request we also open on weekends for Sun viewing, if the weather is fine.

On cloudy nights, we use our flat screen planetarium, we can visit other planets, moons and see the night sky with out any clouds; see the constellations with there mythical figures; see how our Earth and other planets orbit the sun and lots more.

We have a 4.5 metre dome that houses three modern Astronomical telescopes, mounted on state of the art tracking technology.

Time is taken to point out constellations and other objects of interest in the night sky, before we use the telescopes in the dome and look at these wonders of the Universe.

Topics of Interest: Astronomy, Science

Name
Roger North
Company
Kings Tableland Observatory
Street Address
55 Hordern Road Wentworth Falls NSW 2782 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4757 2954
Facsimile
+61 2 4757 2954
Email
Megalong Australian Heritage Centre
Megalong Australian Heritage Centre

Megalong Australian Heritage Centre provides students with the opportunity to experience real rural outback life right in the heart of the Blue Mountains. Students gain a hands-on experience that provides an insight into early Australian heritage from our Man, Land & the Environment program. Students are offered a wide variety of experiences that meet their needs for curriculum subjects or an entertaining and educational learning experience. The Centre specializes in Australian experiences, including horse riding, bush walking and is committed to presenting old world traditions which form part of our Australian character and personality.

Topics of Interest: Australian History, Environmental & Bush studies, Aboriginal heritage, Discovery and explorers, Heritage farming, Horse Riding

Name
Glenda Lane
Company
Megalong Australian Heritage Centre
Street Address
Megalong Road Megalong Valley NSW 2785 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4787 8188
Facsimile
+61 2 4787 9116
Email
Web Site
www.megalong.cc
Mt Tomah Botanic Garden
Mt Tomah Botanic Garden

Mt Tomah Botanic Garden is the cool-climate garden of the Botanic Gardens Trust Sydney. It covers 28 hectares on the summit of a basalt-capped peak, 1000 metres above sea level, in the World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains. The Mount Tomah Conservation area has 186 ha of pristine rainforest, heath lands, hanging swamps and sandstone formations. Wilderness tours into the area provide an opportunity for visitors to experience and learn about the unique flora of the Blue Mountains.

The diversity of the themed displays at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden enables the creation of a safe yet exhilarating education experience. Take a behind-the-scenes look at a grove of rare Wollemi Pines, this is the first place these Ôdinosaur' trees have been planted in their natural habitat.

Topics of Interest: Geology, Human society and its environment, Science and technology, Aboriginal Studies, four seasons, sustainability, Links to all subjects

Position
Community Education Officer
Company
Mt Tomah Botanic Garden
Street Address
Bells Line of Road Mount Tomah NSW 2758 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4567 3015
Facsimile
+61 2 4567 2037
Email
Web Site
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/mount_tomah_botanic_garden
Norman Lindsay Gallery
Norman Lindsay Gallery

Norman Lindsay Gallery is the former home of artist and writer Norman Lindsay (1879-1969). This sandstone cottage and extensive grounds is now a gallery run by the National Trust, displaying the artist's watercolours, oils, etchings, ship models, and Magic Pudding characters. Lindsay's painting and etching studios are also open to view regularly with a guided tour.

Landscaped grounds are dotted with Lindsay's sculptures and Picnics in the grounds are welcome or a CafŽ is open in an idyllic bushland setting.

The Norman Lindsay Gallery offers different programs for students of all ages and these can be booked with our education officer as required.

The Norman Lindsay Gallery is open 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm.

Topics of Interest: Visual Arts (Post Federation Australian Artists, Painting, Etching, Sculpture, Book Illustration, Cartoons); English (Australian Literature, Magic Pudding); HSIE (Stage 5 Australian History, Bulletin cartoons, WWI, Conscription).

Name
Amanda Trevillion
Company
Norman Lindsay Gallery
Street Address
14 Norman Lindsay Cres Faulconbridge NSW 2776 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4751 1067
Facsimile
+61 2 4751 5845
Email
Web Site
www.normanlindsay.com.au
Scenic World
Scenic World

Scenic World offers students the thrill of a ride on the steepest incline railway in the world before joining a guide who will escort your group along the elevated Walkway, past the coal mines, through the temperate rainforest (with its interpretive signs) and deep into the Jamison Valley. The students can see conservation efforts first-hand as well as the impact from coal mining and the immediate effects of human occupation and modern day tourism. Teachers can make use of the Rainforest Classroom for review before returning along the Walkway to the Cableway which will take you 500 metres back to the cliff top. Students then enter the lecture and cinema theatre for a 3D photographic programme.

Scenic World offers many different educational experiences that can be catered to suit your class or syllabus standards. The World Heritage Education Program is run in conjunction with the Edge Cinema, and includes not only Scenic World rides and guided tour but also The Edge Movie on the giant screen. There are many programs available or you can just come and do your own thing, with interpretive signs there is always something you can learn!

Topics of Interest: Human impact on the Blue Mountains, environmental management, interactions of people with environments including local, regional and national, conservation, ecological sustainability, tourism and its impacts, physical processes, European impact, geographical diversity.

Position
Education Officer
Company
Scenic World
Street Address
Cnr Violet Street & Cliff Drive Katoomba NSW 2780 Australia
Telephone
+61 47 800 200 or 1300 SKYWAY
Facsimile
+61 2 4782 5675
Email
Web Site
www.scenicworld.com.au
Valley Heights Heritage Museum
Valley Heights Heritage Museum

Valley Heights Heritage Museum houses a collection of historic railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock depicting the development of rail transportation in NSW from the 1880's to the 1980's. The majority of the collection is displayed in the oldest remaining steam locomotive Roundhouse in Australia. The Museum is also the home of the Valley Heights Steam Tramway, operators of the only operating example of the Sydney Steam Tram from the 1880's.

School groups have the opportunity to study the history and development of rail transport in NSW from the 1880's to the modern day. Activities include a thorough history of the Locomotive Depot and the development of the Blue Mountains Railway line, a ride on the Sydney Steam Tram or a locomotive cab ride (depends on weather). Activity sheets for student use on Rail Transport history and local history if required. Facilities include picnic ground and disabled toilet.

Topics of Interest: Australian History, History of rail transport in NSW

Name
Andrew Tester
Company
Valley Heights Heritage Museum
Street Address
Tusculum Road Valley Heights NSW 2777 Australia
Telephone
+61 2 4751 4638
Email
Web Site
www.infobluemountains.net.au/locodepot
Zig Zag Railway
Zig Zag Railway

Zig Zag Railway is internationally acclaimed as one of the great railway engineering wonders of the 19th century. Designed by John Whitton, Engineer in Chief of the NSW Government Railways 1857 -1890, its purpose was to bring the Great Western Railway Line from the top of the Blue Mountains, down a sheer precipice into the Lithgow Valley. The single track line passes through two tunnels and over three magnificent sandstone viaducts built of locally quarried sandstone.

With the opening of the new double track line in 1910 the old track fell into disrepair until 1968 when a group of enthusiasts commenced negotiations to establish a steam tourist railway in NSW. Steam and or diesel trains now depart every day except Christmas day from Clarence Station at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Topics of Interest: Australian History, Transport, Science and Technology.

Name
Margaret Fuller
Company
Zig Zag Railway
Street Address
Clarence Railway Station Clarence (via Lithgow) NSW Australia
Telephone
+61 2 6355 2955
Facsimile
+61 2 6355 2954
Email
Web Site
www.zigzagrailway.com.au