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Mount York, a
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
in the western region of the Explorer Range, part of the Blue Mountains Range that is a spur off the Great Dividing Range, is located approximately west of Sydney, just outside Mount Victoria in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia. Mount York has an elevation of and is a projection of the Blue Mountains
dissected plateau A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded such that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, ...
, creating a promontory of the western escarpment with a minor rise at its summit.


Description

Mount York is mainly forested in
Eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...
growth, mostly open canopied. Several small creeks that flow into the Coxs River system run down its side. A twin promontory to its immediate east branching from the southern origin of Mount York promontory is also an extension of the western escarpment. Lockley Promontory and Mount York Promontory both jut northwest from the western escarpment, and begin at Mount Victoria, a small mountain village. Several bushwalking tracks are to be found here, including Berghofers Pass, Lockyers Road and Coxs Road. The tracks branch off from Mount York and descend into the valley below, or in the case of Berghofers, in the direction of Little Hartley, west of Mount Victoria. Atop the summit plateau near the lookouts are two wells used in early days, and remains of early settlement like walls are still visible on the tracks. Birdwatching is good here and many native species like the Yellow Cheeked Black Cockatoo and King Parrot reside here. Many termite mounds can be seen along the road. The mountain is about two to three hundred metres above the Hartley Valley.


History

The mountain now known as Mount York lies on the traditional lands of the
Dharug The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...
people, very close to the eastern edge of traditional lands of the Wirajuri people. Mount York was the point where
Gregory Blaxland Gregory Blaxland (17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853) was an English pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia, noted especially for initiating and co-leading the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers. Early life ...
, William Lawson and
William Wentworth William Charles Wentworth (August 179020 March 1872) was an Australian pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures of early colonial New South Wales. Throug ...
viewed the Hartley Valley and the 'west' for the first time during their successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813, although some Europeans had already reached the valley before them. However, their 'first crossing' and opening of the west to farming in 1813 is commemorated with several memorials atop the summit, one with their faces set in stone. There are two metal fenced lookouts, a westward facing and northward facing one. Mount York was the site of various attempts to build a pass to the plains west of the Blue Mountains. The first was Coxs Road, constructed in 1813. The next was Lockyers Road, which was begun not long after Coxs Road, but which was never finished. Still another was Lawsons Long Alley, which was a little east of Lockyers Road. These roads were all abandoned eventually, but in recent years they have been developed into multi-use tracks by the Department of Lands in New South Wales and Blue Mts City Council. Also still visible is Berghofers Pass, which was abandoned because of later developments, and which has also been turned into a walking track. John Berghofer, who was responsible for this pass, is interred at Mount Victoria Cemetery.


Heritage listings

Mount York has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Blue Mountains National Park:
Blue Mountains walking tracks The Blue Mountains walking tracks are heritage-listed picnic areas, walking tracks and rest areas located in the Blue Mountains National Park, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from ...


See also

*
List of mountains of New South Wales This is a list of mountains in Australia. Highest points by state and territory List of mountains in Australia by topographic prominence This is a list of the top 50 mountains in Australia ranked by topographic prominence. Most of these ...


References

{{New South Wales mountains , state=collapsed
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
York, Mount