page_title: Katoomba, New South Wales
section_title: People and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Katoomba, New South Wales / People and culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Three sisters in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales
context_page_description: Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council. Katoomba is situated on the Great Western Highway 110 km west of Sydney and 39 km south-east of Lithgow. Katoomba railway station is on the Main Western line.
  Katoomba is a base for bush and nature walks in the surrounding Blue Mountains. At the 2016 census, Katoomba had a population of 7,964 people.
context_section_description: The area's scenery and art deco-style shops and houses attract an alternative subculture. Many poets, artists and environmentalists reside in Katoomba and the Blue Mountains generally, and the town hosts the Winter Solstice festival, Winter Magic, that features local talent, art and handicraft. The festival was established in 1994 to provide a local focus for the Blue Mountains-wide Yulefest. Yulefest is a long-running tourism initiative that promotes Northern Hemisphere-style Christmas celebrations during the Australian winter months June to August.
  Novelist and historian Eleanor Dark (1901–1985) lived in Katoomba with her husband Dr. Eric Dark from 1923 until her death. The couple's home "Varuna" is now Varuna, The Writers' House. In 1921, production house duo Raymond Longford and Lottie Lyell filmed The Blue Mountains Mystery in part around the town centre. Ursula Dubosarsky's 1991 time-travel novel Zizzy Zing is set in Katoomba in 1938, at the time of the Sesquicentenary.
  Poet and author, Steven Herrick wrote a novel, 'The Bogan Mondrian' located in modern-day Katoomba. His verse-novel, 'love, ghosts and nose-hair' is also set in the town.
  Blues musician Claude Hay is also a resident of Katoomba, having built his home and recording studio on the outskirts of town. Both of Hay's albums, 2007's Kiss the Sky and 2010s Deep Fried Satisfied were recorded in Katoomba, with the latter earning Hay critical acclaim and a No. 1 on the Roots Music Report Australian chart and No. 21 for airplay worldwide in October 2010.
  The scenic beauty and tranquillity of Katoomba and the surrounding Blue Mountains area have long made Katoomba a haven for Sydney-siders looking for rest and relaxation. Many celebrities and affluent locals have built or restored houses with magnificent views, especially in Leura, just to the east of Katoomba. As well as attracting a resident artistic community, Katoomba and its environs has also been the inspiration for art and music. For example, Australian artist Peter Kingston, a long-time campaigner for the preservation of Sydney's Luna Park, has produced many works inspired by Katoomba and surrounding areas including the etching "Brave and Cruel" which shows a dark figure leaving Leura Railway Station. Another example is The Mexican Spitfires song "Until" which includes lines reflective of the idea of Katoomba as a sanctuary from city life: "In distance I found strength/Katoomba gave me peace of mind."
  In addition to its alternative sub-culture, the area is home to a large number of culturally diverse families and has a significant Aboriginal population. Catalina Park, commonly known as the Gully, was declared an Aboriginal Place in May 2002. It is an ecological and culturally sensitive area with a long history of occupation by the Gundungarra and Darug tribes.
  The Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation, which is based in Katoomba, is a not-for-profit organization representing the Gundungurra traditional owners, promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country. Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation has had a registered Native Title Claim since 1995 over their traditional lands which include the Blue Mountains and surrounding areas.
  Katoomba is the home of local community radio station 89.1 Radio Blue Mountains. The local cinema is called The Edge, located on the Great Western Highway.
  Since 2014, Katoomba has hosted the biennial Vertical Film Festival. There is also a live entertainment scene in Katoomba, with a wide range of music on offer at various venues, and theatre.
caption: The Three Sisters, on the south edge of Katoomba
exif: {"Image ExifOffset": "26", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/500", "EXIF FNumber": "1000000000/178571429", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2009:05:17 15:51:01", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2009:05:17 15:51:01", "EXIF FocalLength": "500000000/3606607", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "500000000/3606607"}