History of Hartley, NSW

Blue Mountains Map

The little village of Hartley in New South Wales was begun in 1830, notably as the first colonial settlement west of the Blue Mountains. Its strategic location was instrumental in the development of the interior of the colony. See Central West of NSW.

The village is now listed as a Historic Site under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. Administered and protected by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, you can visit here as the place is still much as it was then as seen on photographs from the 1870s.

Occupying some 12 acres, the village played an important role in the administration of the developing interior of the regions beyond the The Blue Mountains NSW with Map. Here they built a courthouse and other buildings, serving as administrative centre and a place to change horses for the coaches that came through.

It was only after the Great Western Railway was built, which by-passed the village in 1869 that Hartley began to fade in importance. Just further west of here the town of Lithgow began to replace the duties that Hartley served in the surrounding region. In fact, Lithgow boomed, particularly after the discovery of gold, producing the early gold rushes that NSW saw

Surrounds

More about the surrounds of Hartley:

Lithgow Surrounds

Mt Victoria, NSW

Towns of the Mountains