Walking
Eugene Von Guerard visited the area in 1859 and his masterpiece of Wentworth Falls called Weatherboard Falls shows this Scenic Grandeur, but is at the same time notable for its detail. These painters all saw more than just the view, they looked out into the view. Von Guerards paintings of the mountains inspired comments such as this “ I should imagine this scenery can scarcely be surpassed in any part of the world” : said James Smith an art critic at the time.
Photographers continue to find inspiration in the Blueys. From the early days of photography when Robert Hunt captured the Blue Gum Forest in 1859 during a survey of the Grose Valley for a railway line. Another attack of progress on the wild places which fortunately failed. Harry Phillips from 1873 -1944 produced 100,000 copies of his book “Blue Mountains Wonderland 81 Views” which must have inspired many people.
Contemporary photographers among them friends Ian Brown, Henry Gold and Rob Jung as well as Leo Meier produce outstanding images for books, magazines, periodicals and conservation articles. The aesthetic viewpoint is central to conservation campaigns such as the Colong Campaign, the Wollemi National Park, Gardens of Stone and the Blue Mountains for World Heritage Campaign. Many benefit from the works of a few. Myles Dunphy who I knew, once said of this place, “Great peaks noble in their grandeur, arose above all, the hubs about which the ridges and the rivers were ordered. I was amazed with the wonder.”
Blue Breaks