Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Birds-eye view of pass from Kings Tableland to Cox’s River

Birds-eye view of pass from Kings Tableland to Cox’s River

1912
MLMSS 4457 / MLK 3281
Manuscript diary

The conservationist and architect Myles Dunphy OBE (1891-1985) was a passionate advocate for New South Wales’ nature reserves, and particularly for the Blue Mountains. His love of nature started at a young age after spending much time with his family exploring the bushlands near their home in the southern suburbs of Sydney.

In 1914 Dunphy and his friend Bert Gallop found the Mountain Trails Club which marked the beginning of his lifelong commitment in connecting urban residents with the natural world. Through his association with the Club, Dunphy was able to create a series of maps for newly developed trails within the greater Blue Mountains area. *

‘Birds-eye view of pass from Kings Tableland to Cox’s River’ is an illustration of Dunphy’s route from Wentworth Falls to Cox’s River from his travel journal dated 1912. In the classic style of Dunphy’s cartographic work, this map provides topographical information, and names the peaks, valleys and rivers reflecting the difficulty of the walk. *

Footnotes

* Australian dictionary of biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dunphy-myles-joseph-12446

The Jamison Valley stretches north-south from just outside of Katoomba to Cox’s River for approximately 12 km. From west to east, it stretches from Narrowneck Plateau to Kings Tableland for approximately 10 km.

Kings Tableland is the eroded remnant of a sandstone layer approximately 1000m above sea level, situated immediately south of Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, marking the eastern edge of the Jamison Valley. 

The Cox's River return via Narrowneck bushwalk is a 48 km walk that takes approximately two days. The trail drops down from Katoomba to Cox's River in the Megalong Valley. From the scenic Cox's River, the walk returns to Katoomba via Dunphy's campsite and Narrowneck. 

Kings Tableland Aboriginal Place is a camping and meeting place of significance to the Gundungurra people. The site contains a shelter containing rock art of kangaroo and bird tracks, and is recorded as being the oldest Aboriginal site in the Blue Mountains. *

* Environment and Heritage,  NSW http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/aboriginalplaces/KingsTableland.htm