Notes:
'Dear Mrs Collins...Love from B Hill' see verso image adjacent.
Format: postcard of hand coloured photograph, Harry Phillips photo and post card c. 1910.
Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons.
Date range: c. 1910
Repository: Blue Mountains Library library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Part of: Local Studies Collection
Provenance: Donation
Tags: waterfalls katoomba photographers postcards Australia tinted hand coloured vintage history
Notes: Dear Mrs Collins...Love from B Hill.
Format: postcard,H Phillips, photographer, printer and publisher, Katoomba.
Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons.
Repository: Blue Mountains Library library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Part of: Local Studies Collection, postcards
Provenance: Donation
Tags: postcards waterfalls photographers katoomba harryphillips collins hill 1910 Australia Blue_Mountains history
Notes: Gert to Jim verso
Format: postcard
Date range: 1913
Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons.
Repository: Blue Mountains Library library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au >
Part of: Local Studies Collection, postcards
Provenance: Donation
Tags: Australia NSW Blue Mountains postcards Katoomba waterfalls history
Notes : Looking east, showing the Consolidated Catalina PBY-5 on the swimming lake, Carrington Hotel chimney on the left of the Katoomba skyline.
The land was owned by Horace Gates owner of the Homesdale Guest House and Wentworth Cabaret who, in 1946, felt that a new attraction was needed to bring tourists back to the Blue Mountains after peace was declared. Accordingly he dammed Katoomba falls creek and had an ornamental lake and amusement park constructed offering ‘every facility for fun and food’.
The park was an instant success and in 1948 the shell of a Consolidated Catalina PBY-5 flying boat was added to the attractions which included speed boat rides, tea rooms, miniature train, Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, swimming pool and a Giggle House showing Charlie Chaplin films. Although many people believed the plane had flown there, it had in fact been dismantled and brought to Katoomba by truck, where it was re-assembled and anchored to a concrete block in the middle of the lake.
Up to thirty passengers paid two shillings to be taken out to the flying boat by punt where in the dark, stuffy interior, they viewed film of a flight over the Sydney area, heard the story of the Catalina and tried out the controls. While the film was showing, an assistant would stand on the wing rocking the plane to simulate flight while the speed boat would circle the lake providing waves and engine noise. Fun seekers emerged from this surround sound experience dizzy and gasping for air, many too ill to enjoy further amusements.
For many years the lake operated as Katoomba’s swimming pool and provided a fireworks display after the New Year’s Eve street parade, however as the town’s population increased, it gradually became inadequate and polluted.
Council purchased the land in 1952 with the purpose of turning the area into a public park and treated water swimming pool. In 1954 the Catalina, showing signs of age and wear, was pulled up onto the bank and left to the ravages of weather and souvenir hunters, until in 1958 it was sold to Sheffield Welding & Engineering, Auburn NSW, where it was dismantled and cut up for scrap.
Format: B&W photograph
Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons.
Repository: Blue Mountains Library library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Part of: Local Studies Collection
Provenance: Donation
Tags: katoomba catalina aircraft Australia Blue_Mountains history
Notes: The prices appear to be for copies of this photo by JJ McCarthy.
Format: B&W photograph verso
Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons.
Repository: Blue Mountains Library library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Part of: Local Studies Collection
Provenance: BMCC
Tags: photographers Whyte Jenolan caves McCarthy honeymooners Australia Blue_Mountains honeymoon history