The World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains Area is a deeply incised sandstone tableland covering over 1 million hectares spread across 8 adjacent conservation reserves. The landscapes of this World Heritage property lie inland to the west of Sydney and extend almost 250 kilometres from the edge of the Hunter Valley to the Southern Highlands near Mittagong.
An enormous variety of plants occur here, but eucalypts dominate the landscape: the area is home to 96 species (13% of all eucalypt species). Rare and endangered plants such as the Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) also occur here.
World Heritage listing
The Greater Blue Mountains Area was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000 in recognition of its significant natural values. It possesses unique plants and animals that relate an extraordinary story of the evolution of Australia’s distinctive eucalypt vegetation and its associated communities.
The Vegetation, Fire and Climate Change in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area booklet outlines a mapping study on plant communities, fire regimes and the impacts of climate changes on plant diversity in this area.
Yarning about Country
The Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage property spans the traditional Country of the Darkinjung, Dharawal, Dharug, Gundungurra, Wiradjuri and Wonnarua Aboriginal peoples.
The Yarning about Country film portrays representatives of these 6 Aboriginal language groups who introduce some of the amazing culture, people and places of the Greater Blue Mountains Area.
A film by Craig Bender and Vera Hong, Backbone Productions.
