Mount Piddington

Summary

Mount Piddington (Aboriginal: Wirindi)[2] is a mountain in the Explorer Range of the Blue Mountains region, located south of the village of Mount Victoria in New South Wales, Australia.

Mount Piddington
A view from Mount Piddington, looking southeast
Highest point
Elevation1,094 m (3,589 ft)
Coordinates33°36′S 150°15′E / 33.600°S 150.250°E / -33.600; 150.250[1]
Naming
Native nameWirindi (Aboriginal)[citation needed]
Geography
Mount Piddington is located in New South Wales
Mount Piddington
Mount Piddington
LocationBlue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Parent rangeExplorer Range

It is accessible from the village via a loop road and is the starting point of several bushwalking tracks leading to caves, rock climbing areas, and the valley floor.[3]

The mountain overlooks the Kanimbla Valley, although views are somewhat obstructed by eucalypt trees.

History edit

Mountt Piddington is named after William Richman Piddington, former colonial treasurer under Henry Parkes, who owned land on the site[4] and "felled many trees on its summit in order that visitors might enjoy the view" some time before April 1871.[5][6]

The land owned by Piddington was bequeathed to the public and named Mount Piddington Reserve.[7] The area covered an area of 200 acres.[8]

In 1885, the government extended the reserve by 68 acres.[9]

In 1897, 7 acres of the reserve were resumed for "railway purposes".[10]

Rockclimbing edit

Mt Piddington (Piddo), is a significant area of traditional climbing in Australia.[11] It includes Janicepts (21), first ascended by John Ewbank in 1966, and freed by Mike Law in 1973, making it the hardest climb in the country at that time.[12][2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Mount Piddington". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 May 2015.  
  2. ^ a b SUMC. Kim Carrigan (ed.). Rock-climbs at Mount Piddington.
  3. ^ "Mount Piddington Lookout". Destination NSW.
  4. ^ McDonald, D. I. (1974). "Piddington, William Richman (1815–1887)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538.
  5. ^ "OUR BLUE MOUNTAIN ROAD". Lithgow Mercury. New South Wales, Australia. 26 June 1912. p. 1. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "SCENERY IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS". Empire. No. 6043. New South Wales, Australia. 28 April 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 15, 733. New South Wales, Australia. 25 August 1888. p. 7. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "COUNTRY NEWS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 18, 380. New South Wales, Australia. 11 February 1897. p. 6. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "RESERVE FROM SALE FOR PUBLIC RECREATION". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 398. New South Wales, Australia. 8 September 1885. p. 5879. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "AN EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 18, 384. New South Wales, Australia. 16 February 1897. p. 5. Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Mt Piddington". Blue Mountains Climbing School.
  12. ^ "Interview: Dr. Michael Law". Chockstone.