Glenbrook, New South Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Glenbrook, New South Wales () is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains. It is located between Lapstone and Blaxland at an elevation of 163m (535ft), has a population of around 5000 (1996 Census) and is approximately an hour's drive from Sydney. Glenbrook is home to a large number of tourist attractions, recreation opportunities and natural flora and fauna.
The creek after which the village is named is on the south side of the village, and one must cross at the causeway to get into the National Park proper at the Glenbrook Entrance.
Glenbrook still retains many historical homes and buildings throughout the village, although the homes are not open to the public as they are still lived in.
Glenbrook is also home to RAAF Base Glenbrook, the home of Headquarters Air Command. The Officer's Mess at RAAF Glenbrook is actually the old Lapstone Hotel. Built in the 1930s, it has been restored and the interior re-modelled, albeit only slightly due to its historical status. The outside remains unaltered.
The town also has two fire brigade stations, one which falls under the jurisdiction of the volunteer Rural Fire Service as well as a 'retained' New South Wales Fire Brigades station (station 301).
In recent years, the town has become synonymous with a railway accident that occurred there in 1999, the so-called Glenbrook train disaster.
[edit] History
Glenbrook was originally known as Watertank due to it being the stop off point of the original "little" zigzag. The name was changed to Wascoe's Siding, referring to its connection with the railway stopping point of Wascoe (now Blaxland). For 12 months the name then changed to Brookdale, then finally in 1879 the name was changed to Glenbrook; the final name coming from a creek which Sir John Jamieson thought came from Regents Glen.
The little zigzag opened near Glenbrook in 1867, a part of the ascent of Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1 in 30-33, which was built up the side of the range with comparatively light earthwork, although it includes the substantial seven-span sandstone Knapsack Viaduct. This was later widened to carry the old Great Western Highway, when the deviation around the little Zig Zag was built, but it is now part of a walking trail on the old railway/highway alignment, including a memorial to the engineer in charge of the construction of the Blue Mountains line and many other early railways, John Whitton.
[edit] Features
- Jellybean Pool/Glenbrook Gorge/Blue Pool, entered via the national park (generally free entry on weekdays)
- Endpoint of the Woodford to Glenbrook bike trail
- Camping at Euroka Clearing where kangaroos can be seen at all times of the day and year (especially summer)
- Bushwalking
- Via Euroka Clearing to the Nepean River
- Via Evans Track to Warragamba Dam
- Many traditional Australian buildings, such as the Station Master's Cottage
- Glenbrook Cinema (one of three in the Blue Mountains)
- Lennox Bridge (AD 1833) - the oldest bridge in mainland Australia
- Historic Glenbrook Public School (AD 1892)
- Glenbrook Oval, Glenbrook Park, Whitton Park, Knapsack Oval, Mt Sion Park
- Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve
- Home to the Blue Mountains Devils (soccer team)
- The old Zig Zag railway and an entrance to the Blue Mountains National Park
- Glenbrook Swimming Centre (although it's disputed between whether it's in Glenbrook or Blaxland)
- Several fatal train crashes, most recently in 1999 - see Glenbrook train disaster
- The New Laptone Hotel, (which also could be said to be in Blaxland) named after the Original Lapstone Hotel became the RAAF base
