Glenbrook, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

Notes:
Area code 2773

Glenbrook is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2016 Australian census Glenbrook had a population of 5,051 people.



Glenbrook lies between Lapstone and Blaxland at an elevation of 163 m (535 ft) and is approximately a 50-minute drive from Sydney. It plays host to trendy cafes and boutiques, while offering various tourist attractions, including weekend markets, recreational opportunities and native flora and fauna.



The suburb takes its name from Glenbrook Creek, which is on the southern side of the village and must be crossed to enter the Blue Mountains National Park. Glenbrook retains many historical homes and buildings throughout the village, although most homes are occupied and not open to the public.



History

Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson reached Glenbrook area and Lagoon on their trek across the Blue Mountains on 12 May 1813 and described it as "a large lagoon of good water full of very coarse rushes".



In 1815, William Cox constructed the first road over the Blue Mountains with a gang of convicts and the Glenbrook area became an important stopping point after a storeroom was built near the lagoon. Governor Macquarie also built a military depot near the lagoon to monitor traffic on the newly built road.



After years of use, Cox's road up Lapstone Hill ran into a few problems. It was very steep in sections and in rain became slippery. A new road and stone bridge was built and opened to traffic in 1833 "The Western Road", at what is today Mitchell's Pass, planned and built by Thomas Livingstone Mitchell. The Stone Bridge, Lennox Bridge completed in 1833 and designed by Scottish stonemason David Lennox is the oldest surviving stone bridge on the Australian mainland.



Glenbrook became a town in the 1870s as a result of the arrival of the railway. In 1867 a zigzag railway was built up the Lapstone Hill and on to Weatherboard "Wentworth Falls". A siding was also built at Glenbrook "Wascoe's Siding", named after an Inn from the local area, water from Glenbrook Lagoon was piped to supply the trains after traversing the Lapstone ZigZag. This Wascoe Siding became a passenger station in 1877. In 1878, Sir Alfred Stephen, Chief Justice and Privy Councillor, decided to give the station a proper name and called it Brookdale, but later it was officially changed to Glenbrook in 1879, named after the nearby creek and Gorge.[2] Glenbrook, which Sir John Jamison thought came from Regents Glen. A village sprung up near the station and was officially proclaimed Glenbrook, six years later.



The Lapstone ZigZag opened in 1867, a part of the ascent of Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1 in 30?33, which was built up the side of the range with comparatively light earthwork, although it includes the substantial seven-span sandstone Knapsack Viaduct. This was later widened to carry the old Great Western Highway, when the deviation around the little Zig Zag was built, but it is now part of a walking trail on the old railway/highway alignment, including a memorial to the engineer in charge of the construction of the Blue Mountains line and many other early railways, John Whitton.



In 1890 the second deviation of the railway up the Lapston HIll, by passed the Lapstone ZigZag altogether. A Tunnel was built through the Hill to Glenbrook station. The Glenbrook Tunnel was opened in 1890 but ran into trouble with water seeping from the nearby creek and the steep gradient making the climb hard for most trains., often getting stuck in the tunnel.



In 1913 the third deviation of the railway line up Lapstone Hill was completed with a new duel line tunnel at the Bluff Point, the old Glenbrook Tunnel was closed. As a result of the new line, Glenbrook station was relocated from next to the Gt. Western Highway to its current location next to the village of Glenbroook at the end of Ross Street, officially opened 11 May 1913.



The abandoned Glenbrook Tunnel has been used to store mustard gas during World War II, and grow mushrooms in recent times. The Eastern entrance can be still seen from a walking track at Lapstone.



On 28 January 1941, an Avro Anson of No. 1 Air Navigation School, Parkes crashed near Glenbrook during a medical evacuation flight from Parkes to the Sydney Airport.[8] All five crew members were killed.



In 1999, the town was associated with the Glenbrook train disaster.



Since 2005, the suburb has been the home of The Australian Gnome Convention organised by the local Rotary Club and held on Australia Day each year. Owners of garden gnomes display their garden decorations and compete for various awards to raise funds for charities.

Census

Matches 1 to 1 of 1

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Census		Person ID
1	Rainey, Albert George	1980	Glenbrook, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia	I35337

Census-Household Member

Matches 1 to 3 of 3

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Census-Household Member		Person ID
1	Kelly, Jean Mae	1980	Glenbrook, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia	I16625
2	Rainey, Alan William	1980	Glenbrook, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia	I35343
3	Rainey, Stephen	1980	Glenbrook, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia	I35475