j 1\. .; I': ' • I 'I .' I I ~ ~ I ll-IE WOLGAN VALl£Y I I A study of land-use and c onflicts with proposals for future management. I , I I LlTHGOW REGIONAL LlBRAR V BS.·/_".V. ~.(~ Ifc... I 11- ( }f I $ r: 0(' ~7 ~ 8, 'WoL 'Bt<.~ -- - ~.:..;:..:! .: I ~ ..., '"' -1 (' i\ t u L- _, I I Roland Breckwoldt L.. I The National Trust of Aust ral ia (N.S.W:)' " " I I ,i I I 1\ ~ I: t i I \' ! I I ! I' I I I i I " I This study was prepared for The National Trust I of Australia (New South Wales) by Ro1and Breckwo1dt with the assistance of a grant provided by the . Austral ian Government under the National Estate ,I P rog ra,mme. ; I ,;, I I 1 I I Published by The National Trust of Austral ia (N.S.W.) Observatory Hill, I Sydney. N.S.W. 2000 October, 1977. I I c. The National Trust of Australia (N.S.W.) I National Library of Australia Card Number & ISBN 909723 62 1 , ';'1I ,'" j ,/, I j l '11JI ·1 ! I I ! ! ·1 I 'I Most people who have been there feel strongly about the .... - Wolgan Valley. Few places contain such a diversity of attractive attributes in such close proximity. The list I is formidable - natural beauty, the glow-worm tunnel, a fasci~ating history, recreation areas, agricultural lands, minerals and wjldernes.s .. _A]1.~are·_c_ontaineJi in.a_val·ley .._ ringec(bya spectacular sandst6~eescarpment .... ft is . - .1 becaus.e of these attributes·and differing perspectives on how they should be used that conflicts have arisen. The Wolgan Valley is characterised by a number of land­ I use conflicts. Indeed, few of the pressures which come to bear on rural lands are absent from the valley. Its proximity to Sydney and the Bathurst Orange growth 1I .~; centre.will ensure that thes~ problems wi 11 not diminish I without careful planning and subsequent management. ·.. ·11 The interest groups associated with the valley agree that all is not well. Nor is this only the view of those who w visit the area. The residents are not entirely happy. Most of them are farmers who wish to pu~sue their livel i­ jl hoods in the absence of an influx of visitors who may .M hold values alien to their own and who may also want to ~se their lands. It is, however, a curious situation :1 because many people want the Wolgan Valley to stay as it is .. They are fearfu 1 that State Government i ntervent ion may change the area in more ~etrimental fashion than the ,I present unre~olved conflict situation. On the other hand, they agree that the pressures of modern society will not allow the Wolgan to stay the same without intervention. It is for these reasons that this study has eVQlved. The '1 funds for the study were granted by the Australian _ Government under the 1975-·7-6-Na-tional· Estate Programme to the N.S.W. Planning and Environment Commission. The I Commission handed over the responsibility for preparation and administration of the study to The National Trust of Australia (New South Wales). .1 I '. I 'I II ! J I. I I I I CONTENTS Page No. CHAPTER I Background 1. I 1.1 Scope of Study I. 1.2 Description of the Wolgan Valley 2. I CHAPTER 2 The P~ysical Environment 2. I Geology 3. 2.2 Geomorphology 4. 2.3 Soi Is 4. I 2.4 Climate 6. 2.5 Vegetation 8. 2.(> Fauna 10. I CHAPTER 3 History 3. I Aboriginal prehistory IJ. I 3.2 European settlement 14. CHAPTER 4 Ownership and Control 4. I Landholders 17. I 4.2 Other Controlling Interests 18. CHAPTER 5 Conflicts and Recommendations I 5. I Wolgan Wildlife Refuge 21. 5.2 National Trust Landscape Listing 21. '. 5.3 The Original Wolgan Homestead 22 . 5.4 Newnes Hotel 22. I 5.5 Tourism and Recreation 23. 5.6 Industrial Site and Rai lway 28. 5.7 Village of Newnes 33. I 5.8 Mining 34. 5.9 Agriculture 38. 5. 10 Glow-worm tunnel 39. I 5. 11 National Parks and Related Issues 43. CHAPTER 6 Summary of Recommendations 50. I ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS CONSULTED 52. MAPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS 53. I REFERENCES 54. I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 55. I I I I I I I AERIAL VIEW OF THE WOLGAN VALLEY I Reproduction by permission of the Department of Lands, New South Wales I I rJ / I H~~glMJJj~~~~ MAP 1 - LOCATION MAP SHOWING EXTENT OF THE WOLGAN VALLEY Base map is section of Bathurst Project Map reproduced by courtesy of Forestry Commission of New South Wales. '-.., rv11'.iitt1~'~,ITHGc;ifN' -r '<~~~~/ /., .. CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND 1.1 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The area encompassed by this study is the Wolgan Valley and the environs II ....'\. with which it is interdependent. The boundary of the valley is distinct . At one end it is the catchment of the Wolgan River, on both sides it is the rugged sandstone escarpment and at t~e other end it is the junction of I. the Wolgan and Capertee Rivers. The interdependent environs are not so'.-- I easily defined and are a matter of judgment. The extent to which they are discussed in this report reflects the judgment of their importance. !I For example, the Colo-Hunter wilderness is only briefly discussed because it is a separate conservation proposal and it should be managed as a wilderness hinterland. On the other.. hand, the proposal to establish a colI iery on the plateau above the valley will have a direct and immediate 'I impact. The depth of the study was a function of the available funds and time , I hence a detailed survey of the physical environment was not possible. A reasonably thorough survey of fauna and flora alone would exceed the value of the grant. Thus the depth of the study was a matter of allocating time and effort to the most important aspects for planning. I The avai labi lity of voluntary assistance was also a determinant. In this regard, the response was wonderful. This report could not have been completed without the help of a number of people. I 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE WOLGAN VALLEY I The Wolgan Valley 1 ies on the western edge of the Blue Mountains and is within the Hawkesbury River catchment. The local government area is the Municipality of the City of Greater Lithgow. The valley is mainly in I the County of' Cook and is covered by the Parishes of Cox, Gindantherie, Barton, Wolgan, Cook and Goolooinboin. A small area is in the County of Hunter, Parish of Capertee. The valley is within a 160 km radius of I Sydney. The distance by road from Sydney to Newnes is 191 km. The only road access is via Lidsdale, on the Mudgee Road 13 km from Lithgow. Newnes is a further 32 km from Lidsdale. I The Wolgan Valley is approximately 45 km long, measured from Wolgan Gap to the junction of the Wolgan and Capertee Rivers. Newnes is approxim- ately 20 km from Wolgan Gap. The width of the valley varies from 6-7 I km at its widest point to less than 1 km in the gorge east of Newnes. At Newnes it turns sharply east into the rugged gorges of the upper Colo River. I The Wolgan River rises in two branches - t~e East and West Wolgan Rivers. The headwaters of both branchos are in the Newnes State Forest and contain spectacular gorges and canyons. The Wolgan River catchment, measured I from 4 km above Newnes, is 238 $q.km (Water Resources Commission 1977 pers. comm.) The Wolgan River is an upland tributar'y,of the Hawkesbury River which flows out to sea at Broken Bay north of Sydney. I I I. I ~I d I The Wolgan Valley is known asa Ibottle neck valleyl because it widens out to a ~oad valley floor only to close in again where the river has cut a gorge out through the sandstone cap. I The valley is bounded by a rugged escarpment only broken where dra1nage I the plateau. channels have entered from Within the valley, close to the junction of the east and west branches of the Wolgan River, are two prominent landmarks - Mount Wolgan at 877 m I and Donkey Mountain at 995 m. The valley floor is 600 m above sea level. The village of Newnes, which is now no more than the Newnes Hotel .arid two private residences, is situated at the north-eastern end of the I valley. Adjacent to the village site, along both sides of the river is the shale mining industrial site. From here it is a further 25 km to ,I the junction of the Wolgan River and the Capertee River. I I * * * I I I I I I I I I I I 2. I I I -. ,_., ·1 I I I I I - I I To Lidsdale via the Gap, circa 1920. I I I l .:.1"-:1 CHAPTER 2 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 2. I GEOLOGY The Wolgan Valley is situated at th~ north-western edge of the Blue Mountains Plateau and is within the Sydney Basin geological region. The area is also in the Western Coal District of N.S.W. Strat i graphy • "'.... I ....• The rocks of the plateau and cliffs belong to the sandstone dominated ~I Narrabeen Group laid down during the several marine incursions of the Triassic period. Below this group lie the Illawarra Coal Measures, formed under extensive swamps produced by the retreating s~as which had laid down the silts.and fi"ne sands of the Lower Permian sediments.