During the last week of January, John, Mike and Richard, members of the Deanei Forest bushcare team, explored the Deanei Reserve ‘offtrack’. We discovered a rich and beautiful environment with some interesting links to Springwood’s bygone days.

A great place to explore

A surprise find … an elkhorn fern … Platycerium bifurcatum

A swamp wallaby … Wallabia bicolor … kept us company during the morning

In the lower parts of the Deanei Reserve, there is an old road leading to the headwaters of Fitzgeralds Creek.

Shortly after the early explorers Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth together with 3 convicts, 1 kangaroo hunter, 4 horses & 5 dogs, crossed the Blue Mountains,  William Cox constructed a road across the Blue Mountains.

In April 1815, Governor Macquarie traveled through the Blue Mountains and rested in Spring Wood ….. he was accompanied by artist John Lewin

Painting of early Spring Wood ….. (State Library of NSW Collection Item)

John Lewin’s painting of Governor Macquarie’s rest stop in Spring Wood

(research by Mike Purtell with John Papanidis)

An ongoing record of the Deanei Forest Bushcare Group activities.

For information about Blue Mountains Bushcare … click here.