World Heritage Listing

The Greater Blue Mountains Area was inscribed on the World Heritage list on 29 November 2000 and is one of Australia's 19 World Heritage properties.

What does it mean to be World Heritage Listed?

“World Heritage is the designation for places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Places as diverse and unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in the USA, or the Acropolis in Greece are examples of the 890 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List to date.”

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Features of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area:

Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners

Six Aboriginal language groups are the traditional owners of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area:

• Darug
• Gundungurra
• Wanaruah
• Wiradjuri
• Darkinjung
• Tharawal

World Heritage Overview

• Essential ecosystem services
• Biodiversity
• Wide and balanced representation of eucalypts habitats

Protected Areas

The largest integrated system of protected areas in New South Wales:

• Blue Mountains National Park
• Wollemi National Park
• Kanangra-Boyd National Park
• Nattai National Park
• Yengo National Park
• Gardens of Stone National Park
• Thirlmere Lakes National Park
• Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve

Habitats:

• Wet and dry sclerophyll forest
• Mallee heathlands
• Localised swamps
• Wetlands
• Grassland

Biodiversity:

• 10% of the vascular flora
• Large numbers of rare or threatened species (e.g. The Wollemi pine)
• 96 species of eucalypts
• More than 400 animal species such as:
  • Spotted-tailed quoll
  • Koala
  • Yellow-bellied glider
  • Long-nosed potoroo
  • Green and golden bell frog
  • Blue Mountains water skink

The Greater Blue Mountains Area is over one million hectares:

• Sandstone plateau
• Escarpments and gorges
• Temperate eucalypt forest
• 60 km inland of Sydney
• From the Cumberland Plain in the east
• Encompass some of the central portions of the Great Dividing Range
• Stretches east to urban development
• Stretches west to agri-industry
• North section split by a corridor of townships along the Great Western Highway

More information:

• NSW Office of Environment & Heritage - World Heritage-listed Areas/Greater Blue Mountains