History
The Jungle was originally purchased in 1929 by a group of Sydney businessmen to save the magnificent sassafras and coachwood trees from the timber mill while providing Sydney with a national park to its west.
Known as 'The Jungle', it was opened by the then Governor Admiral Sir Dudley DeChair on 23 March 1929. The original walk was dedicated to the memory of Sir James Fairfax KBE.
However, the Jungle never achieved its destiny as a national park. The Great Depression coupled with pressure for building funds for the Sydney Harbour Bridge led in 1934 to the land being resumed by the previous owners, the Charley family.
In 2008, 33 hectares of the original Jungle was purchased by the Botanic Gardens Trust Sydney with the financial support of John and Elizabeth Fairfax and the NSW Government's Environmental Trust. Now part of Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, The Jungle is again in public hands giving Sydneysiders an opportunity to experience and understand Blue Mountains' rainforest.