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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

An Apollonaut travel guide

The place behind the view.

A mining railway, a family business and a World Heritage landscape offer several ways into the story of Scenic World.

The Three Sisters and sandstone cliffs above the forested Jamison Valley
On this page

A valley that was mined

In the 1880s a railway was built to haul coal and oil shale from the floor of the Jamison Valley to the escarpment at Katoomba.

From 1928 to 1945 it carried coal on weekdays and passengers at weekends, the beginning of the ride visitors know today.

A family attraction

When the mine closed in 1945, Harry Hammon turned the railway into a tourist attraction. The Hammon family still runs Scenic World, now in its third generation.

The Skyway followed in 1958, the Cableway in 2000, and the Walkway now leads visitors through the rainforest on the valley floor.

A World Heritage landscape

The Greater Blue Mountains Area was inscribed on the World Heritage List on 29 November 2000. From Scenic World, the views take in the Jamison Valley, Katoomba Falls, Orphan Rock and the Three Sisters.

This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.

Read at the source

Sources & further reading

Links lead to the original publishers.

The Apollonaut collection

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Wilmington, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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The white-columned portico and stone façade of Graceland, with a white lion statue on each side of the front steps Bookable

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The Space Needle beside the towers of downtown Seattle, with Mount Rainier in the distance Bookable

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Seattle, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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Two elephants beside a pool in a leafy enclosure at Australia Zoo Bookable

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From A$155

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Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$122

The moss-streaked towers of the castle at Paronella Park, rising above tropical plants Bookable

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Mena Creek, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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The Lake Michigan shoreline and Lake Shore Drive in the evening, seen from the observation deck Bookable

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Chicago, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$80

Blue Skyfari gondolas gliding above the wooded canyons and red-roofed buildings of the zoo under a bright blue sky Bookable

San Diego Zoo

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A giant panda sitting among green plants and eating bamboo at Adelaide Zoo Bookable

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Adelaide, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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San Francisco, USA · Art & culture

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The domed Zoo Center at the Bronx Zoo, with carved elephant heads beside its arched entrance, on a summer day Bookable

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New York, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The bluestone gatehouse of Kryal Castle, its name above the arched entrance between two round towers, photographed in 1996 Bookable

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The Big Pheasant, a giant painted pheasant statue rising above native shrubs at Tynong, under a blue sky Bookable

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The steel walkway of the Tahune Airwalk curving out over the forest, with the Huon River and wooded hills below Bookable

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The Field Museum’s long columned front and steps, with Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline beyond Bookable

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Chicago, USA · Art & culture

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A Tasmanian devil sitting on a flat rock in front of fallen logs and a rocky stream Bookable

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Cradle Mountain, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$55

The Dreamworld globe and sign above the park entrance, with wide curved steps in front under a blue sky Bookable

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From A$198

The wooden observation tower above the breeding marsh at Gatorland, with still water and green trees under a blue sky Bookable

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Coloured tube slides at WhiteWater World winding above yellow shade sails and a pool, with a roller coaster loop behind Bookable

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The Audubon Zoo entrance, with its green sign and painted animals above the gates, framed by tall palm trees Bookable

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Phoenix, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The Houston Zoo main entrance, with its large sign above a covered gateway on a sunny day Bookable

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London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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London, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

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London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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The long stone south front of Warwick Castle and its round corner tower, above the River Avon and a wide lawn Bookable

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The White Tower rising above the outer walls of the Tower of London, seen across the Thames under a blue sky Bookable

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

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