Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow Federal division(s) | Calare | ||||||||
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Lithgow is a town in the
Lithgow is on the Great Western Highway, about 150 km (95 mi) west of Sydney,[3] or via the old mountain route, Bells Line of Road, from Windsor. At June 2021 Lithgow had an urban population of 11,197.[1] Lithgow is surrounded by a varied landscape characterised by seven valleys which include national parks, one of which, the Blue Mountains National Park, is a World Heritage Area. The Wollemi National Park is home to the Jurassic-age tree the Wollemi Pine, which was found growing in a remote canyon in the park.[4]
Location
The city sits on the western edge of the sandstone country of the
Lithgow is in the NSW State electorate of Bathurst, while federally it is part of electorate of Calare. Lithgow benefits from being the western terminus for the electric section of the Main Western railway line from Sydney, and of NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains Line electric services. Lithgow is home to the iconic zig-zag railway.
History
The mountainous terrain of the
The town situated in the centre of a coal mining district and there is one coal-powered power station nearby. It is the site of Australia's first commercially viable steel mill,[7] the ruins of which are open for inspection at "Blast Furnace Park". Due to the abundance of coal and relative proximity to Sydney, in the areas surrounding Lithgow is one of the largest power stations in NSW, the Mount Piper Power Station. The Wallerawang Power Station closed in 2014 and was subsequently demolished. The (now demolished) Lithgow Power Station was operational from 1928 to 1964.
Population
At the 2021 census, there were 12,385 people in Lithgow.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 8.3% of the population.
- 82.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 2.2%, New Zealand 1.1%, Philippines 0.7%, India 0.6% and Scotland 0.4%.
- 86.5% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian, Thai and Mandarin, all at 0.3%, .
- The most common responses for religion were No Religion 34.2%, Catholic 20.7% and Anglican 16.4%.
Heritage listings
Lithgow has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register:
- Bent Street: Lithgow Valley Colliery and Pottery Site[8]
- Brewery Lane: Lithgow Zig Zag[9]
- Gas Works Lane: Lithgow Coal Stage Signal Box[10]
- Inch Street: Lithgow Blast Furnace[11]
- 70 Inch Street: Eskbank House[12]
- Jenolan Caves Road: McKanes Falls Bridge[13]
- Main West Line 156.334 km, James Street: Lithgow Underbridge[14]
- Main Western railway: Eskbank railway station, New South Wales[15]
- Main Western railway: Ten Tunnels Deviation[16]
- Railway Parade: Lithgow railway station[17]
- Top Points Zig Zag railway: Cooerwull railway footbridge[18]
In addition, the following sites were listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate:[19]
- Former Station Master's Residence (now Caddie's Restaurant), a sandstone cottage designed by John Clifton and built in 1869
- Eskbank House, Bennett Street, built by Thomas Brown in 1842
- Lithgow Valley Pottery Site Kiln, 1875 to 1908
- Lithgow Court House, corner Bridge and Mort Streets, a brick building in the Arts and Crafts style
- La Salle Cottage (formerly Cooerwull Academy), Rabaul Street, a stone building in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, built circa 1882
- Methven, Lidsdale Road, a sandstone house built by Andrew Brown in the 1870s
- Lithgow Small Arms Factory
Lithgow was also the location of an alleged assassination attempt on the life of
Climate
Lithgow features a
Lithgow is one of the few Australian cities to see snow, although snowfall is rarely in significant quantities due to the rain shadow brought about by the ranges to the west of the city. One major event was the late season snowfall in October 2014, where 20 centimetres of snow fell.[21][22]
Climate data for Lithgow (Birdwood St, 1912–2006, rainfall to 1889); 950 m AMSL; 33.49° S, 150.15° E | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 37.8 (100.0) |
38.4 (101.1) |
35.1 (95.2) |
30.8 (87.4) |
23.9 (75.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.5 (72.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
33.1 (91.6) |
37.2 (99.0) |
36.8 (98.2) |
38.4 (101.1) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) |
24.7 (76.5) |
22.4 (72.3) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.1 (52.0) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
18.7 (65.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.9 (53.4) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.1 (50.2) |
6.7 (44.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
1.8 (35.2) |
0.7 (33.3) |
1.3 (34.3) |
3.4 (38.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
6.4 (43.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) |
3.5 (38.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 94.3 (3.71) |
83.8 (3.30) |
83.8 (3.30) |
62.7 (2.47) |
63.0 (2.48) |
67.3 (2.65) |
67.6 (2.66) |
63.4 (2.50) |
58.9 (2.32) |
67.7 (2.67) |
70.0 (2.76) |
76.1 (3.00) |
861.8 (33.93) |
Average rainy days | 10.6 | 10.2 | 10.6 | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 125.7 |
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)
|
54 | 58 | 60 | 59 | 66 | 67 | 66 | 56 | 54 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 58 |
Source: [2] |
Iron and steel industry
In 1848,
Retail
Lithgow's range of both small and major retailers include:
- Woolworths – supermarket
- Aldi – supermarket
- Bunnings Warehouse – hardware store
- Harvey Norman – home appliance and furniture store
- Dimmeys – discount department store
Lithgow has one major shopping centre, Lithgow Valley Plaza. With over 500 parking spaces, the Plaza has two anchor stores and over 30 specialty retailers including:
- Target – discount department store
- Coles – supermarket
- Liqourland – liquor store associated with Coles Group
- The Reject Shop – discount variety store
- Australia Post – national postal service
- EB Games – video game entertainment software retailer
The Lithgow District Chamber of Commerce has been providing advocacy, events and services for local retailers and the economy of Lithgow and the surrounding towns and villages since 2015.
Tourist attractions
Lithgow is adjacent to a number of national parks and other attractions. Places to visit include the
Other attractions include the Hartley Historic Site, Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum, State Mine Heritage Park and the Eskbank House Museum. Lithgow is also close to Jenolan Caves, which are a World Heritage Area and lie to the south of Lithgow.[24]
The most popular tourist event in Lithgow is Ironfest (Lithgow), an annual cultural heritage event that attracts over 10,000 visitors.[25] Ironfest hosts the annual St George's Day Jousting Tournament which involves contestants from all around the world. The festival also features a colonial battle re-enactment, called the 'Battle of Lithgow' which involves over 120 participants, kitted out in fully authentic 19th century apparel, and involving cavalry, infantry and artillery. As well as these two historical re-enactment events Ironfest includes historical & auto displays, blacksmith demonstrations, art exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations, as well as live music and performances.
The Lithgow Greyhound Racing Club was established in 1928 [26][27] and its Saturday race meetings are also a popular tourist attraction. The annual feature event is the Lithgow Golden Muzzle held every December, which is sponsored by the Lithgow Workers Club.
Media
Electronic media in Lithgow is represented by commercial radio stations 2LT and Move FM operated by Midwest Radio Network, public broadcasters ABC and SBS, and commercial networks Seven, WIN and Southern Cross 10, 7two, 7mate, 9Gem, 9Go!, 10 Bold and 10 Peach.
There is a free fortnightly paper – The Central West Village Voice. The Lithgow Mercury is a newspaper published weekly.
Notable residents
- Robert Bartlett – rugby league and lawn bowls player.
- Andrew Brown – the first European settler of the Lithgow Valley and a prominent industrialist and philanthropist.[28]
- Albert Burdus – rugby league player
- Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Australia (1983 to 2001) was born in Lithgow.[29]
- Sixth Prime Minister of Australia.
- AM – a comedian of the duo Roy and HG, was born in Lithgow.[30]
- Wayde Egan – rugby league player for the Penrith Panthers and the New Zealand Warriors.
- Roy Heffernan – professional Wrestler, Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Kangaroos, Mr Australia was born in Lithgow 1925.
- Nancy Hill – basketball player.
- Charles Hoskins – industrialist significant in the development of the iron and steel industry, lived at the former home of William Sandford, from 1908 to 1912.
- athlete and Olympic gold medalist ("The Lithgow Flash") and later, Governor of South Australia, was raised in Lithgow.[31]
- Nina Eva Vida Jones (1882–1966) – socialite and motor racing driver, married to John Alexander Stammers Jones (1870-1933), brewer of Lithgow.[32]
- Leon Morris (1914–2006) – Theologian and New Testament Scholar
- Laurie Oakes – journalist, was educated at Lithgow High School, being dux in 1961.[33]
- David Palmer – squash player, was born in Lithgow.[34]
- Ben Reynolds – rugby league player.
- Marty Roebuck – a former rugby union Wallabies fullback, was born in Lithgow.[35]
- William Sandford (1841–1932) – industrialist and pioneer of the iron and steel industry, lived at 'Eskroy Park', now part of the clubhouse of the Lithgow Golf Club, from 1890 to 1908.
- Jordan Shanks – comedian and YouTuber
- William John Truscott (1886–1966) – Australian Rules footballer for the East Fremantle Football Club from 1913 to 1927.[36]
See also
- Lithgow Ironfest
- Lithgow Small Arms Factory
- Jenolan Caves
- Blue Mountains (New South Wales)
- Zig Zag Railway
References
- ^ a b "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Significant Urban Area, 2008 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Climate statistics for Lithgow (Birdwood St)". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ Robinson's Road Atlas of Australia, Edition 8 (Lansdowne Press) 1983, Map 204
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Bozier, Rolfe (ed.). "Main Western Line". NSWrail.net. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
- OCLC 742063057.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Grunbach, A (September 2000). "An Episode in our Troubled Steel Industry". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 323–331.
- .
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- ^ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, pp.2/264-265
- ^ Malkin, Bonnie; Pierce, Andrew (27 January 2009). "Queen and Prince Philip were 'victims' of Australian assassination attempt". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
- ^ Hart, Chloe; Woodburn, Joanna (16 October 2014). "Power still out and clean up continues day after Lithgow snow storm". ABC News. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Nageshwar, Pranesh; Paterson, Ian (15 October 2014). "Snow falls in Blackheath in springtime as Sydney's wild weather continues". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Capertee Valley". Lithgow Visitor Information Centre. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ^ "Lithgow". Visit NSW. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ "Come for the knight life". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
- ^ 1928 Lithgow Greyhounds
- ^ "Lithgow Greyhound Racing Club". Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Andrew Brown". Lithgow Tourism. Auzziebiz. 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Kerry Myers (3 August 2014). "A faithful son of the church: former Sydney Archbishop Edward Clancy dies". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Doyle, John (9 July 2006). "The Songlines Conversations". Big Ideas (transcript). Interviewed by Gregg Borschmann. ABC Radio National. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ABC1. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ K. A. Johnson (1983). Jones, Nina Eva Vida (1882–1966). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 9. Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Williams, Brett (December 2009). "To live and breathe politics" (PDF). Police Journal. Police Association of South Australia: 26–27, 47. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "David Troy Palmer - Bio". David Palmer Biography. Team Palmer. 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Marty Roebuck player profile". Scrum.com. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Lee, Jack. Truscott, William John (1886–1966). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
External links
- Lithgow travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Lithgow Tourism Information
- VISITNSW.com - Lithgow
- Map of Lithgow, New South Wales on OpenStreetMap