Lawson, New South Wales

2025-06-22T09:44:29Z

58.107.145.16: /* See also */

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = suburb
| name = Lawson
| city = [[Blue Mountains (Australia)|Blue Mountains]]
| state = nsw
| image = (1) Blue Mountain Hotel2.JPG
| caption = Blue Mountain Hotel
| lga = [[City of Blue Mountains]]
| local_map = yes
| zoom = 11
| postcode = 2783
| est =
| pop = 2651
| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=Census>{{Census 2021 AUS|id= SAL12298|name=Lawson (State Suburb) |accessdate= 14 October 2022|quick=on}}</ref>
| coordinates = {{coord|33|43|10|S|150|25|47|E|display=inline,title}}
| elevation = 732
| area =
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Blue Mountains|Blue Mountains]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Macquarie|Macquarie]]
| near-nw = ''[[Blue Mountains National Park]]''
| near-n = ''[[Blue Mountains National Park]]''
| near-ne = [[Hazelbrook]]
| near-w = [[Bullaburra]]
| near-e = [[Hazelbrook]]
| near-sw = [[Bullaburra]]
| near-s =
| near-se = [[Hazelbrook]]
| dist1 = 93
| dir1 = W
| location1 = Sydney CBD
| dist2 = 13
| dir2 = E
| location2 = [[Katoomba, New South Wales|Katoomba]]
}}

'''Lawson''' is a town in the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]] area of [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]. It is located on the [[Great Western Highway]] between [[Hazelbrook]] in the east and [[Bullaburra]] in the west. Lawson has [[Lawson railway station|a station]] on the [[Main Western railway line|Main Western line]]. The town is also served by a public swimming pool and over the years has developed into the commercial hub of the mid-mountains area, which spans from [[Linden, New South Wales|Linden]] to Bullaburra, boasting a significant industrialized area as well as a shopping centre located on the south-eastern side of the highway.

==History==
One of the first settlements on the eastern slopes of the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]], Lawson was identified on early maps as 24 Mile Hollow–a name which was changed to Christmas Swamp for a few years. When the Blue Mountain Inn was opened in 1848, the locals adopted the name Blue Mountain for the village. This name was also given to the [[Lawson railway station|original railway station]] after the [[Main Western railway line]] was pushed through in 1867. The presence of a Blue Mountain on the Blue Mountains, however, became so confusing to visitors that the authorities stepped in and renamed the village Lawson in honour of [[William Lawson (explorer)|William Lawson]] who, along with [[William Wentworth]] and [[Gregory Blaxland]], were the [[1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains|first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains]] in 1813.<ref>"Origin of Blue Mountains Town Names" [http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au Blue Mountains City Council] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415223726/http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/ |date=2007-04-15 }}</ref> All three had namesake railway stations.

In 1931, the Railway Department agreed to supply electricity to the Blue Mountains Shire Council. Power lines were constructed between [[Blackheath, New South Wales|Blackheath]] and Lawson, accompanied by a maintenance track. The authorities then decided to promote the maintenance track as a walking trail; it became known as [[Bruce's Walk]], after the surveyor who planned it.<ref>How to See the Blue Mountains, Jim Smith (Second Back Row Press), 1986, pp.64-66</ref> The track later became neglected and forgotten, until it was rediscovered and improved by bushwalkers in the 1980s. It can now be followed from [[Medlow Bath, New South Wales|Medlow Bath]] to the north side of Lawson, although it is not shown on the relevant topographic map.

In more recent years, Lawson was at the centre of controversy due to an ongoing government proposal to widen the Great Western Highway. The highway was a single lane in each direction through the town; the proposed plan by the [[Roads & Traffic Authority]] for widening necessitated the removal and relocation of the existing shops and the demolition of the Lawson Community Centre, formerly known as the [[Mechanics' Institute]] Hall, which dated back to 1903. Groups opposed to the demolition claimed the hall could be re-sited; others claimed this would be too costly, that the building was in poor repair and contained dangerous levels of [[asbestos]]. There was also a group lobbying for the retention of the shops on heritage grounds. By the end of 2008, the Community Centre had been saved.<ref>[http://www.midmountainshistory.org/mechanics_institute.html Mid Mountains History:Retrieved 1st January 2009]</ref>

== Heritage listings ==
Lawson has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Blue Mountains National Park: [[Blue Mountains walking tracks]].<ref name=nswshr-980>{{cite NSW SHR|5014091|Blue Mountains Walking tracks|hr=00980|fn=H00/00231; EF14/4439|accessdate=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* Main Western railway: [[Lawson railway station]].<ref name=nswshr-1177>{{cite NSW SHR|5012076|Lawson Railway Station Group|hr=01177|fn=H05/00225|accessdate=18 May 2018}}</ref>
*Honour Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=1170564|title=Ln014 : Honour Gardens Conservation Area {{!}} NSW Environment & Heritage|website=www.environment.nsw.gov.au|access-date=2019-01-03}}</ref>

== Population ==
According to the [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]] of Population, there were 2,651 people in Lawson.<ref name=Census/>
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.3% of the population.
* 79.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 5.7%.
* 91.0% of people only spoke English at home.
* The most common responses for religion were No Religion 52.4%, Catholic 15.7% and Anglican 9.9%.

== Attractions ==
The walks in South Lawson can be accessed from several points along Honour Ave, within easy walk of the train station. This includes the [[South Lawson Waterfall Circuit]], with four waterfalls: Adelina Falls, [[Cataract Falls (Blue Mountains)|Cataract Falls]], [[Federal Falls]] and [[Junction Falls]]. While not having the height of upper mountains waterfalls, the waterfall walk can be completed in 2-3 hours.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chapman |first=John |title=Day Walks Sydney |year=2011 |isbn=9781920995089 |edition=1st |location=Australia |pages=78}}</ref>
On the north side of town beyond the swimming centre, walks take in Fairy Falls, Dante's Glen, St Michael's Falls, and Echo Bluff (sometimes referred to as Echo Point).

Community activities include: Magpie Markets at Lawson Public School are held on the third Sunday on most months (2nd Sunday December, no market in January) In November, the "Love Lawson Festival", later changed to the Mid Mountains Festival is held in conjunction with the Magpie Markets celebrating what is good about living in Lawson and the mid mountains.

The historic Lawson Community Hall (Mechanics Institute) built in 1903 has now reopened after a long battle to save it from demolition due to road widening, and is now the location of numerous community activities.
<gallery>
Image:(1)_Honour_Avenue.JPG|Honour Avenue
Image:(1)_Lawson_Community_Centre.JPG|Lawson Community Centre (formerly Mechanics Institute)
Image:(1)_Tahlia.JPG|Tahlia, headquarters of Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation
Image:BlueMountains0088.jpg|Frederica Falls, Lawson area
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[Great Western Highway]]
*[[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{cite web | url = http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/lawson | title = Lawson | access-date = 28 September 2015 | author = Nance Cooper - Mid Mountains Historical Society | date = 2010 | work=[[Dictionary of Sydney]]}} <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Creative Commons license|CC-By-SA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
* [http://www.lawsoncommunityhall.com/ What's on at the Lawson Community Hall - Mechanics Institute]
* [http://www.midmountainshistory.org Mid Mountains History]
* [http://www.saveourhall.blogspot.com Save Community Centre Blogspot]

{{Blue Mountains topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Suburbs of the City of Blue Mountains]]
[[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]

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Lawson, New South Wales