Medlow Bath (postcode: 2780) is a village located near the highest point of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Located between Katoomba and Blackheath, its altitude is about 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) AHD . It is about 115 kilometres (71 mi) west-north-west of the Sydney central business district and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-west of Katoomba.[2] At the 2016 census, Medlow Bath had a population of 611 people.[1]
| Medlow Bath New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hydro Majestic Hotel, at Medlow Bath, 2008 | |||||||||||||||
  Medlow Bath | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°40′26″S 150°16′50″E / 33.673909°S 150.280635°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 611 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | circa 1870 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2780 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 1,050 m (3,445 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
| ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Blue Mountains | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Blue Mountains | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Macquarie | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Description and history edit
Medlow Bath is set in a semi-rural area which includes fire-prone eucalypt forest, and has been subject to bushfire threats many times during its history.
The Hydro Majestic Hotel was developed by Sydney businessman, Mark Foy in the early years of the twentieth century and was the main economic activity in the area,[3][4] until bushfires nearly destroyed the hotel in the summer of 2003.
There is an elaborate network of walking tracks, which were developed in the bushland between the hotel and the escarpment of the Megalong Valley. The tracks offer scope for many fine bushwalks and views of the Megalong Valley, but in more recent years have deteriorated due to lack of maintenance.[5] Other tracks in the area include Bruce's Walk, an old track that was upgraded by bushwalkers and other volunteers in the 1980s. Bruce's Walk is located a few kilometres east of Medlow Bath, on the fringes of the Blue Mountains National Park, a huge park that is now a World Heritage Site.
Australia's first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, died at the Hydro Majestic Hotel in 1920.[6]
Medlow Bath was originally known as Brown's Siding when it gave its name to a railway siding in 1880 because Brown's Sawmill was the main business in the area. In 1883, the town was renamed Medlow because there was another Brown's Siding near Lithgow.
Heritage listings edit
Medlow Bath has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Blue Mountains National Park: Blue Mountains walking tracks[7]
- Beauchamp Road: Medlow Dam[8]
- Great Western Highway: Medlow Bath railway station[9]
Population edit
72.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.0% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 39.6%, Catholic 19.1% and Anglican 11.0%.[1]
Transport edit
Medlow Bath was connected to the Main Western railway line in 1880, when the station was called Brown's Siding.[3] Medlow Bath railway station is now served by the Blue Mountains Line.
The Great Western Highway is the main road access route.
Katoomba Airfield, now disused except in emergency situations, is also located a few kilometres east of Medlow Bath.
References edit
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Medlow Bath (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ Map 220 (11th ed.).
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b "Medlow Bath". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ^ Walsh, G. P. (1981). "Mark Foy (1865–1950)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 8. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ Paton, Neil (2004). Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks. Kangaroo Press. pp. 249–251.
- ^ Rutledge, Martha (1979). "Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ^ "Blue Mountains Walking tracks". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00980. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
- ^ "Medlow Dam". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01366. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
- ^ "Medlow Bath Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01190. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
External links edit
Media related to Medlow Bath, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
 | This New South Wales geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |