Blue Mountains News

The town clock is a prominent local landmark that has been in place on Katoomba Street in its current form since 1968.

In recent years, the clock has become unreliable and frequently loses time, requiring costly manual adjustments.

Temporary road closures will be required to enable the safe removal and later re-installation of the clock.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “The town clock is part of the identity of Katoomba.

“We know how important it is to the community and this upgrade means the clock will continue to be a feature of the town centre, but with modern technology that ensures it will keep accurate time and be more durable for years to come.”

The original Katoomba town clock was purchased with funds raised by the Rotary Club of Katoomba and unveiled on 25 May 1957.

In 1967, Council removed the original archway after it had deteriorated and become a safety hazard, and a new archway and clock were erected in 1968.

The town clock upgrade is part of a broader program of improvements being planned for the Katoomba Street Precinct in line with the Katoomba Masterplan, including:

•     The continuation and completion of street paving, kerbing and guttering upgrades
•     improved street furniture
•     new outdoor public dining facilities
•     improved outdoor public event facilities
•     street tree plantings and landscaping
•     public art and treatments for cultural and heritage interpretation
•     improved wayfinding and directional signage

The Katoomba Masterplan was endorsed in November 2023 and provides a long-term vision to guide sustainable revitalisation, development and investment within Katoomba. 

Council worked with the community and key stakeholders to develop the Katoomba Masterplan from 2020, and the process involved significant consultation to understand what people value about living, working and playing in Katoomba. 

The draft masterplan was exhibited at the end of 2022 and received a high level of community support.

Council was awarded $7.5 million in funding for the upgrades to Katoomba Street via the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants program. This is in addition to funding for improvements at Glenbrook, Blaxland and Hazelbrook town centres.

The Katoomba Town Centre Upgrade program follows a recently completed program of works at the Katoomba Civic Centre Arcade precinct that delivered a new central Visitor Information Centre for Katoomba, the Katoomba Artist Studios and a range of upgrades to improve accessibility and comfort for visitors, including redesigned outdoor spaces for events and community activities.

For further information visit:here

To follow the Katoomba Town Centre Upgrade program and learn about future consultation opportunities visit: here