World Heritage Exhibition Centre
Wollemi forest in the Greater
Blue Mountains
Travel to the deep heart of an ancient UNESCO-listed World Heritage wilderness - from the comfort of a 21st century exhibition space.
The leading-edge World Heritage Exhibition Centre takes you on a virtual journey through the canyons and ridges of 1 million hectares of wilderness. On your journey to the inaccessible Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, you will:
- experience 14,000 years of Aboriginal culture
- play in a virtual world of canyons
- marvel at the plant and animal diversity of the surrounding seven National Parks
- get close to Silurian fossils from Jenolan caves
- wander through a slot canyon without getting your feet wet
- experience a journey through the gigantic cliffs of the World Heritage Area.
The Centre's interactive activities are suitable for all ages, languages and groups.
World Heritage listing - what it means
The outstanding diversity and sheer number of eucalypts across the landscape gained World Heritage listing for the Greater Blue Mountains. Fourteen per cent of the world's eucalypts grow in the Greater Blue Mountains. That's over 100 species, 12 of which occur only in the Sydney sandstone region.
World Heritage listing protects the rich biodiversity associated with this area which contains:
- over 70 different vegetation communities
- more than 1500 species of plants
- an outstanding representation of Australia's fauna.
The striking diversity of animals in the area includes:
- at least 52 native mammals
- 265 birds (33 per cent of the Australian total)
- 63 reptiles
- 30 frogs
- species of global significance such as the platypus and the echidna.
It's hard to account for all the invertebrates but the area includes 125 butterflies, about 4000 moth species and 67 cave invertebrates (found at Jenolan Caves).
There are 127 plants of conservation significance and 52 endemic rare or threatened animals highlighted in the strategic plan for this World Heritage Area. Some of these species such as the Wollemi Pine and the dwarf Blue Mountains Pine have remained virtually unchanged in appearance for many millions of years and today survive only in highly restricted, often wet, habitats. These species are connections with Australia's distant past, when it was part of a larger landmass called Gondwana.
On display at the Centre
- An Aussie icon - the outstanding diversity of the eucalypts
- History in the markings - markings on eucalypts tell us about life in the past
- Home sweet hollow - eucalypts provide hollows for wildlife
- Sugar glider - the 'short headed ropedancer'
- Fire - friend or foe? - bushfires in the World Heritage Area
- The plant hunter - George Caley's botanical discoveries
- 'Got by Dan' - George Caley's Aboriginal guide
- Rare plants - the Area protects a significant amount of Australia's plant biodiversity
- Animal habitats - the Area provides habitats for a wide variety of animals
- Forest protectors - an area worth protecting
- People power - saving the Blue Gum forest
- The Wollemi Pine - a living dinosaur
- Ensuring the Pine's survival - managing threats to the wild population
- Experience a slot canyon - these abound in the Area
- Mt Yengo's story - from the mountain top
- Rock legend - basalt capped mountain tops
- Mt Tomah - remnant of an ancient lava sheet
- Jenolan Caves - striking example of a 'karst' landscape
- Cage age? - a question that is difficult to answer
- Nature's art in sandstone - Gardens of Stone National Park
- Aging slowly - Thirlmere Lakes National Park
- Valley of shining waterfalls - the Jamison valley
Virtual exploration of the pristine Blue Mountains wilderness promotes minimal impact eco-tourism and encourages all visitors to care for and appreciate wilderness areas.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Aboriginal people and associated clans of the Darkinjung, Darug, Dharawal, Gundungurra, Wanaruah and Wiradjuri Language Groups as the traditional custodians of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
A World Heritage view
Look out at the panoramic view from the World Heritage Exhibition Centre. That vast natural landscape all around you encompasses eight national parks and reserves, six Aboriginal language groups and over a million hectares of sandstone plateaus, escarpments and gorges.
The area is dominated by temperate eucalypt forests that date back about 60 million years. Scattered with Dreaming and rock art sites, and remnants of colonial exploration, much of the wilderness remains isolated. This ancient area is conserving whole ecosystems with unique biodiversity.
After a history of continuous care by Aboriginal people and years of campaigning for its recognition by conservation groups, individuals and governments, this Area's significance was formally acknowledged by its inscription in the World Heritage List on 29 November 2000.
The World Heritage Area is made up of seven outstanding National Parks: the Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai, Kanangra-Boyd, Gardens of Stone and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks, as well as the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve.
