View source for Grose Valley

{{Short description|Valley in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia}}
{{distinguish|Grose River|Grose Vale, New South Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2014}}
{{GeoGroup}}
{{Infobox valley
| name = Grose
| photo = Grose Valley, NSW, Australia - April 2013.jpg
| photo_caption = View from Govetts Leap
| photo_size = 350px
| country = Australia
| state = New South Wales
| region = [[Sydney Basin]] ([[Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia|IBRA]])
| region1 = [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]]
| city_type = [[Local government area]]
| city = [[City of Blue Mountains|Blue Mountains]]
| range = Explorers Range,<br />[[Great Dividing Range]]
| river = Grose River
| length = | length_orientation = 
| width = | width_orientation = 
| height =
| depth = 
| area_km2 = 50200
| population = | population_date = 
| population_density =
| map = New South Wales
| map_caption = 
| map_background = 
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Grose Valley''', officially '''Grose Gorge'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 April 1970 |title=Grose Gorge |url=https://proposals.gnb.nsw.gov.au/public/geonames/2753e738-f608-43a2-ac1a-c53863a59300 |access-date=26 May 2025 |website=[[Geographical Names Board of New South Wales]]}}</ref> is a rugged valley in the [[Blue Mountains (Australia)|Blue Mountains]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]. It has been formed by the [[Grose River]], the headwaters of which are in the Mount Victoria area. The valley is located between the [[Great Western Highway]] and [[Bells Line of Road]], the two major routes across the Blue Mountains. The majority of the valley falls within the [[Blue Mountains National Park]].

==Grose wilderness features==
[[File:Grose valley in the valley.JPG|thumb|250px|A stream in the Grose Valley.]]
The Grose Wilderness contains some of the most dramatic gorge and canyon landscapes of the entire [[Sydney Basin|Sydney basin]] [[Sydney sandstone|sandstone]] region. The Grose also constitutes one of the most accessible wilderness areas for bushwalking or public observation from its escarpment margins.

===Geology===
The geology of the area consists of [[Triassic]] sandstones and underlying [[Permian]] [[sedimentary rock]]s. A number of [[basalt]]-capped peaks dominate the area, notably [[Mount Banks]] and [[Mount Hay (New South Wales)|Mount Hay]]. The Grose River and its tributaries have eroded an extensive labyrinth of gorges and canyons through the [[Sydney sandstone|Hawkesbury]] (upper) and [[Narrabeen shale|Narrabeen]] (lower) group sandstones, exposing cliffs of commonly over {{convert|200|m}} and up to {{convert|510|m}} in height (Banks Wall). The Burramoko Head sandstone in the upper and middle Grose gorges possesses weathering tendencies of breakage along vertical joints and has consequently yielded some of the sheerest cliff faces in the Blue Mountains. The wilderness contains 80% of the Grose River catchment. The river flows to the Nepean-Hawkesbury through an undisturbed environment for all but its final {{convert|5|km}}. Consequently, the Grose has substantial wild river values, as do its major tributaries such as Wentworth Creek and Carmarthen Brook.<ref name=Colong>{{cite web |url=http://www.colongwilderness.org.au/archive/RedIndex/NSW/grose99.htm |title=Grose |work=NSW Wilderness Red Index |publisher=Colong Foundation for Wilderness |year=1999 |access-date=24 December 2013 |archive-date=20 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420042517/https://www.colongwilderness.org.au/archive/RedIndex/NSW/grose99.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:VictoriaCascades.jpg|thumb|255x255px|Victoria Cascades on Victoria Falls in the Grose Valley. ]]

===Flora===
The bulk of the vegetation in the wilderness is dry open forest and woodland, dominated by ''[[Eucalyptus sieberi]]'' and ''[[Eucalyptus piperita|E. piperita]]'' above {{convert|800|m}} altitude with ''[[Eucalyptus oblonga]]'', ''[[E. globoidea]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus agglomerata|E. agglomerata]]'' and ''[[Angophora costata]]'' becoming dominant at lower altitudes. Plateau areas have thinner or waterlogged soils and generally support heath or low open woodland communities. Within the sheltered and well watered canyon environments closed forests commonly occur, with typical species being [[coachwood]], [[sassafras]] and [[possumwood]]. On the isolated basalt caps the fertile soils support taller eucalypt forests of ''[[Eucalyptus viminalis|E. viminalis]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus blaxlandii|E. blaxlandii]]'' and ''[[Eucalyptus fastigata|E. fastigata]]''. A small area of alluvial sediments deposited in the upper Grose Valley during the Quaternary supports a tall moist open forest dominated by ''[[Eucalyptus deanei|E. deanei]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus oreades|E. oreades]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus notabilis|E. notabilis]]'' and ''[[Eucalyptus cypelocarpa|E. cypelocarpa]]''. The Blue Gum Forest is included in this forest type.<ref name=Colong/>

===Fauna===
The river is known habitat for [[platypus]] and certain hanging swamps provide habitat for the endangered and endemic [[Blue Mountains water skink]] (''[[Eulamprus leuraensis]]''). The rocky sandstone complexes of the plateau provide habitat for some specialised and rare native animal species (e.g. the [[broad-headed snake]], ''[[Hoplocephalus bungaroides]]''). Woodland communities are habitat for mammals such as the [[Swamp wallaby|red-necked swamp wallaby]], [[brush-tailed rock wallaby]] and [[eastern pygmy possum]].<ref name=Colong/>

==History==

===Aboriginal history===
Aboriginal artefacts have been found close to the [[Blue Gum Forest]].{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}

===European history===

The Grose River has cut a deep gorge through the area as it makes its way east towards the [[Hawkesbury River]]. Sheer [[sandstone]] cliffs standing hundreds of metres above the river make for spectacular scenery and can be viewed extensively from the Blackheath area, where there are a number of accessible lookouts, the best known being [[Govetts Leap]].<ref name=Paton>{{cite book |title=Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks |first=Neil |last=Paton |publisher=Kangaroo Press |year=2004 |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7570829?q&versionId=8713810}}</ref>{{rp|259–262}} The valley can also be viewed from lookouts near Bells Line of Road and points outside Mount Victoria. It is named after [[Francis Grose (British Army officer)|Francis Grose]].

[[Charles Darwin]] described the Grose Valley as "stupendous… magnificent" when he visited in [[1836 in Australia|1836]].  In [[1859 in Australia|1859]] some of the first [[Photography in Australia|photographs in Australia]] were taken in the valley. At various times there were proposals for rail lines and dams but these have not proceeded. In 1931, the valley was the subject of one of Australia's first forest conservation battles.<ref name = "SMH12122006BQ">{{cite news |first= Gregg |last= Borschmann |url= https://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-burning-question/2006/12/10/1165685553945.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |title=The burning question |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 December 2006 |access-date=12 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=2002 |url=http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/ParkContent/N0004?OpenDocument&ParkKey=N0004&Type=Xk |title=Blue Mountains National Park: Culture & history |publisher=[[National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)|NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service]] |access-date=12 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003104633/http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/ParkContent/N0004?OpenDocument&ParkKey=N0004&Type=Xk |archive-date=3 October 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Within the valley, the Blue Gum Forest is one place that stands out from the rest of the valley.  It consists predominantly of towering [[Eucalyptus deanei|Blue Gum]] trees (''Eucalyptus deanei'', also known as Deane's Gums, or Broad-leafed gums), with a thin understorey because the tall trees inhibit the growth of ground cover by blocking most of the sunlight.
Protected by the Blue Mountains National Park, the forest can be accessed only on foot, with several trails from different parts of the Grose Valley and adjacent canyons meeting in the forest.<ref name=Paton />{{rp|264}}
[[File:ANOU6559.jpg|thumb|302x302px|Grose Valley in Grose Wilderness.]]

==Bushwalking trails==
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = BRIDAL VEIL FALLS.jpg
| width1 = 150
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = 
| image2 = Bridal falls.JPG
| width2 = 153
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| footer = Bridal Veil Falls near Govetts Leap
}}
[[File:AGAV6949.jpg|thumb|Waratah. A flower found in this region.]]
{{see also|Blue Mountains walking tracks}}
There are a number of walks through the valley, with various entry, exit points and valley arms offering a range of permutations to explore. A moderate-grade day walk covering approximately {{convert|10|km|0}} in five hours starts at [[Perrys Lookdown]] and descends sharply to the valley floor. Crossing through a corner of the Blue Gum Forest, the track goes south through the Acacia Flat camp ground, following the Govetts Creek. Passing several abandoned [[campground]]s, the path forks at Junction Rock; the route to Govetts Leap was closed in October 2003, following a landslide, reopened in December 2007, and closed again since 2020. 

In the other direction, along Govetts Creek, the route then starts a continuous climb towards the Grand Canyon, where it forks again; a closed track goes to Neates Glen, while the other is a steep climb to [[Evans Lookout]]. The general direction of travel is towards the southeast and this direction is recommended as the final climb at Evans Lookout is in the shade in the afternoon. Creeks in the valley are seasonal, the water is unsafe to drink.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Duffy | first = Conor
| title = Toxic metal contamination found in Grose Valley | work = Lateline
| access-date = 6 December 2014 | date = 17 May 2012 | url = https://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3505426.htm
}}</ref> The walk is much more strenuous in summer due to the higher daily temperatures and the added risk of bushfires.

The valley has been affected by bushfires at various times, notably in 1982, 2006, and 2020. In particular the Blue Gum Forest was damaged by back burning. Owing to the harsh bushfires in 2006 and 2020, the Blue Gum forest and other walking tracks in the valley were closed to bushwalkers to allow the regrowth of vegetation. Since 2020, Govetts Leap descent and Rodriguez Pass are semi-permanently closed due to landslides. The remaining access points to the valley include the Horse Track, Pierces Pass, Lockleys Pylon, Perrys Lookdown, and Victoria Falls.<ref name="SMH12122006BQ" /><ref>{{cite news |first=Gregg |last= Borschmann |url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-ghosts-of-an-enchanted-forest-demand-answers/2006/12/10/1165685553891.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |title=The ghosts of an enchanted forest demand answers |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 December 2006 |access-date=12 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Macqueen, Andy | title=Back from the brink : Blue Gum forest and the Grose Wilderness | publication-date=2007 | publisher=Andy Macqueen | edition=2nd | isbn=978-0-646-47695-7|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/22874301}}</ref>

==Conservation==
The Grose Valley arguably became the cradle of the modern conservation movement in NSW when Blue Gum Forest was saved from threatened destruction in 1931-32. A group from the Sydney Bush Walkers club, led by Alan Rigby, were camped in the forest when they chanced upon a Bilpin farmer, Clarrie Hungerford. Hungerford had a lease of the forest and told the bushwalkers he planned to clear the blue gums to plant walnuts. The bushwalkers went away and started a campaign to stop him. Eventually, they raised £130 which they paid Hungerford in exchange for his relinquishing the lease. It was a substantial amount at the height of the great depression. 80 pounds came in the form of an interest-free loan from James Cleary, then head of the NSW railways and subsequently chairman of the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]]. Cleary was also a bushwalker.<ref>Macqueen, Part IV</ref>

One of the key activists in the campaign was [[Myles and Milo Dunphy|Myles Dunphy]], who at the time was developing his plans for the Blue Mountains National Park.

During the 1800s there were various proposals to dam the Grose Valley, and one such dam would have been at the forest. The area was also the subject of a number of proposed coal and shale mining ventures, and in the 1850s it was planned that the main western railway line would be routed up the Grose River and through the forest.<ref>Macqueen, Parts I-II</ref>

In 1875 Blue Gum Forest was the scene of an artists’ camp established by Eccleston Du Faur, of the Academy of Art. Several magnificent photographs by Joseph Philip Bischoff and drawings and paintings by [[William Piguenit]] resulted. Another outcome was that the whole Grose Valley and surrounds was reserved from alienation because it was ‘a national spectacle’. At the time there was no national park in Australia, and indeed Australia was not even a nation—but the reservation in essence was the country’s first national park.<ref>Macqueen, Parts III-IV</ref>

==Gallery==
[[File:Grose valley from ppit rock.jpg|thumb|650px|center|Grose Valley seen from Pulpit Rock, Blackheath]]

==Major tracks==
The Blue Mountains National Park contains the following heritage-listed major walking tracks:
* [[Blue Mountains walking tracks]]<ref name=nswshr-980>{{cite NSW SHR|5014091|Blue Mountains Walking tracks|hr=00980|fn=H00/00231; EF14/4439|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
{{col-start}}
{{col-break}}
* Blue Gum Forest to Burra Korain Flat
* Blue Gum Forest to Perrys Lookdown
* Burra Korain Flat to Victoria Falls Lookout
* Govetts Leap to Evans Lookout (Clifftop Track)
* Govetts Leap to Junction Rock (Rodriguez Pass)
{{col-break}}
* Junction Rock to Blue Gum Forest
* Blue Gum Forest to Mount Hay Road (Lockley Track)
* Mount Hay Track
* Neates Glen to Evans Lookout (Grand Canyon Track)
* Evans Lookout to Junction Rock (Rodriguez Pass)
{{col-end}}

==Major lookouts==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|small=yes}}
* {{coord|-33.595487|150.339451|format=dms|name=Anvil Rock|scale:8000}} - Anvil Rock
* {{coord|-33.584383|150.314383|format=dms|name=Baltzer Lookout|scale:8000}} - Baltzer Lookout
* {{coord|-33.647019|150.326796|format=dms|name=Evans Lookout|scale:8000}} - [[Evans Lookout]]
* {{coord|-33.627926|150.311518|format=dms|name=Govetts Leap Lookout|scale:8000}} - Govetts Leap Lookout
* {{Coord|-33.600000|150.360000|format=dms|region:AU-NSW_type:landmark_dim:15km|display=inline,title|name=Grose Valley}} - Grose Valley
* {{coord|-33.627546|150.357330|format=dms|name=Lockley Pylon|scale:8000}} - Lockley Pylon
* {{coord|-33.584716|150.368240|format=dms|name=Mount Banks|scale:8000}} - [[Mount Banks]]
* {{coord|-33.600139|150.346972|format=dms|name=Perrys Lookdown|scale:8000}} - [[Perrys Lookdown]] 
* {{coord|-33.655324|150.328705|format=dms|name=Point Pilcher|scale:8000}} - Point Pilcher
* {{coord|-33.620800|150.327792|format=dms|name=Pulpit Rock Lookout|scale:8000}} - Pulpit Rock Lookout
* {{coord|-33.572391|150.339799|format=dms|name=Walls Lookout|scale:8000}} - Walls Lookout
* {{coord|-33.573196|150.293493|format=dms|name=Victoria Falls Lookout|scale:8000}} - Victoria Falls Lookout 
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|New South Wales}}
{{Commons category|Grose Valley}}
*[[List of Blue Mountains articles]]
{{maplink|type=shape-inverse}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Blue Mountains topics |state=autocollapse}}
{{The Hawkesbury River |state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:Geography of the Blue Mountains (New South Wales)]]
[[Category:Hawkesbury River]]