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Lithgow | |
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 Aerial view of Lithgow in June 2018, looking west | |
  Lithgow | |
| Coordinates:33°29′S150°09′E / 33.483°S 150.150°E /-33.483; 150.150 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| LGA | |
| Location | |
| Established | 1870s |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 950 m (3,120 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 20,000 (2020)[2] |
| Postcode | 2790 |
| County | Cook |
| Parish | Lett |
| Mean max temp | 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 6.4 °C (43.5 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 860.1 mm (33.86 in) |
Lithgow is a city in theCentral Tablelands ofNew South Wales, Australia and is the administrative centre of theCity of Lithgow local government area. It is located in a mountain valley namedLithgow's Valley byJohn Oxley in honour ofWilliam Lithgow, theAuditor-General of thecolony of New South Wales.
Lithgow is on theGreat Western Highway, about 150 km (95 mi) west ofSydney,[4] or via the old mountain route,Bells Line of Road, fromWindsor. At June 2021 Lithgow had an urban population of 11,197.[2]Lithgow is surrounded by a varied landscape characterised by seven valleys which include national parks, one of which, theBlue Mountains National Park, is a World Heritage Area. TheWollemi National Park is home to the Jurassic-age tree theWollemi Pine, which was found growing in a remote canyon in the park.[5]
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The city sits on the western edge of the sandstone country of theBlue Mountains and is usually considered the first true country town west ofSydney. Immediate surrounding areas include the old mining hamlet of Vale of Clwydd and Oakey Park, a famous iron and steel village, of which fiery night scenes have been depicted in many paintings, as well as large areas of bush and state forest. The next city to the west isBathurst, 60 km (37 mi) away.
Lithgow is in the NSW State electorate ofBathurst, while federally it is part of electorate ofCalare. Lithgow is the western terminus for the electric section of theMain Western railway line from Sydney. It is home to theZig Zag Railway.
The mountainous terrain of theBlue Mountains and the expense of building long tunnels required the construction of theLithgow Zig Zag between 1866 and 1869. The line was opened as far asBowenfels, just to the west, in 1869, butLithgow station was not opened until 1877. Although it was superseded in 1910 by more modern engineering methods, includingten tunnels, parts of theZig Zag have been developed into a popular tourist attraction.[6] Following a period of industrialisation in the late 1860s and 1870s, the town of Lithgow boomed during the 1880s, and it was incorporated as a borough in 1889.[7]
The town situated in the centre of acoal mining district and there is one coal-powered power station nearby. It is the site ofAustralia's first commercially viable steel mill,[8] the ruins of which are open for inspection at "Blast Furnace Park". Due to the abundance of coal and relative proximity toSydney, in the areas surrounding Lithgow is one of the largest power stations in NSW, theMount Piper Power Station. TheWallerawang Power Station closed in 2014 and was subsequently demolished. TheLithgow Power Station was operational from 1928 to 1964.
Lithgow was the scene of theplot, for an attempt to assassinateQueen Elizabeth II on 29 April 1970 while she undertook a royal tour of Australia. The Queen and her husbandPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were on a train trip fromSydney toOrange.
At the2021 census, there were 12,385 people in Lithgow.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 13,275 | — |
| 1933 | 13,444 | +1.3% |
| 1947 | 14,461 | +7.6% |
| 1954 | 15,128 | +4.6% |
| 1961 | 14,229 | −5.9% |
| 1966 | 13,265 | −6.8% |
| 1971 | 13,146 | −0.9% |
| 1976 | 12,703 | −3.4% |
| 1981 | 12,793 | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 12,369 | −3.3% |
| 1991 | 11,968 | −3.2% |
| 1996 | 11,441 | −4.4% |
| 2001 | 11,023 | −3.7% |
| 2006 | 11,298 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 11,143 | −1.4% |
| 2016 | 11,530 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 11,197 | −2.9% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[9][10] | ||
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Lithgow has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following listed on theNew South Wales State Heritage Register:
In addition, the following sites were listed on the (now defunct)Register of the National Estate:[22]
Lithgow was also the location of an alleged assassination attempt on the life ofQueen Elizabeth II in 1970.[23]
Lithgow features a moderateoceanic climate (Köppen climate classificationCfb) with mild to warm summers, cool to cold winters and generally steady precipitation year-round. Despite its location on highlands, Lithgow manages to have 90.3 clear days annually.
Lithgow is one of the few Australian cities to see appreciable snowfall,[citation needed] though mostly insignificant in quantity due to the winterrain 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 (7.9 in) of snow fell.[24][25]
| 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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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 snowy days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.56 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.24 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 2.52 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 54 | 58 | 60 | 59 | 66 | 67 | 66 | 56 | 54 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 58 |
| Source:[3] | |||||||||||||
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In 1848,iron smelting began inMittagong, Australia. It proved unprofitable for the remainder of the 19th century. This situation remained until the early 20th century when noiron ore was being smelted. The only iron being cast was byWilliam Sandford in Lithgow. His works were bought byG. & C. Hoskins in 1907, who had previously been making iron pipes in Sydney. The Lithgow works acquired a reputation for industrial disputes.
Lithgow has one majorshopping centre, Lithgow Valley Plaza. With over 500 parking spaces, the plaza has two anchor stores and over 30 specialty retailers.
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.
Lithgow offers a unique[clarification needed] range of retail and specialised boutique stores along the main street, along with a large variety of cafes.
Lithgow is adjacent to a number of national parks and other attractions. Places to visit include theZig Zag Railway, Glow Worm Tunnel,Newnes in theWolgan Valley andGlen Davis in theCapertee Valley, the second largest canyon in the world.[26]
Other attractions include the Hartley Historic Site,Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum,Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway and the Eskbank House Museum. Lithgow is also close toJenolan Caves, which are a World Heritage Area and lie to the south of Lithgow.[27]
The most popular tourist event in Lithgow isIronfest, an annual cultural heritage event that attracts over 10,000 visitors.[28] 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[29][30] 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.
Electronic media in Lithgow is represented by commercial radio stations2LT andMove FM operated byMidwest Radio Network, public broadcastersABC andSBS, and commercial networksSeven,WIN andChannel 10,7two,7mate,9Gem,9Go!,10 Drama and10 Comedy.
There is a free fortnightly paper – The Central West Village Voice. TheLithgow Mercury is a newspaper published weekly.
Local bus services are operated byLithgow Buslines.[31]
Lithgow railway station on theMain Western railway line is the terminus forNSW TrainLinkBlue Mountains Line services fromSydney.[32] As well as being a calling point for theBathurst Bullet,Central West Express andOutback Xplorer services toBathurst,Dubbo andBroken Hill, it is the terminus for road coach services fromOrange,Grenfell,Dubbo,Nyngan,Parkes andCoonabarabran.[33]
In 1983, theState Rail Authority opened the Lithgow Locomotive Maintenance Centre at the eastern end of Lithgow.[34][35][36] It is today operated byPacific National.Southern Shorthaul Railroad has a maintenance facility at theLithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway.[37][38]
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
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