Jenolan Caves
The Jenolan Caves (Tharawal: Binoomea, Bindo, Binda) are limestone caves located within the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Blue Mountains, in Jenolan, Oberon Council, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The caves and 3,083-hectare (7,620-acre) reserve are situated approximately 175 kilometres (109 mi) west of Sydney, 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Oberon and 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Katoomba (74 kilometres (46 mi) by road). Dating back to 340million years ago, it is the oldest known and dated open cave system in the world.
| Jenolan Caves | |
|---|---|
| Tharawal: Binoomea, Bindo, Binda Fish River Caves | |
The Grand Column | |
Location of the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve, shaded in red, on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area | |
| Location | Oberon, New South Wales, Australia |
| Discovery |
|
| Geology | Limestone |
| Entrances | 300 |
| Access | Public; eleven show caves open daily |
| Lighting | LED |
| Website | http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/ |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Greater Blue Mountains Area |
| Location | New South Wales, Australia |
| Part of | Greater Blue Mountains Area |
| Criteria | Natural: (ix), (x) |
| Reference | 917 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 1,032,649 ha (2,551,730 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 86,200 ha (213,000 acres) |
| Coordinates | 33°49′14″S 150°1′17″E |
Location of Jenolan Caves in New South Wales Jenolan Caves (Australia) | |
Australian National Heritage List | |
| Official name | Jenolan Caves, Jenolan Caves Rd, Oberon, NSW, Australia |
| Type | Natural |
| Designated | undated |
| Part of | Greater Blue Mountains Area UNESCO World Heritage List |
| Reference no. | 106242 |
| Place File No. | 1/07/236/0007 |
| Area | 145 hectares (360 acres) |
| Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve New South Wales | |
|---|---|
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
The Imperial Cave at Jenolan Caves | |
| Nearest town or city | Oberon |
| Established | 6 December 1997 |
| Area | 30.83 km2 (11.9 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities |
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New South Wales Heritage Register | |
| Official name | Jenolan Caves Reserve; Binoomea; Binda Caves; Fish River Caves; McKeon's Caves; McEwan's Creek Caves; Bendo Caves; Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve |
| Type | State heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 25 June 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1698 |
| Type | Cave |
| Category | Landscape – Natural |
| Website | Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve |
| See also | Protected areas of New South Wales |
The caves are the most visited of several similar groups in the limestone caves of the country, and the most ancient discovered open caves in the world. They include numerous Silurian marine fossils and the calcite formations, sometimes pure white, are noted for their beauty. The cave network follows the course of a subterranean section of the Jenolan River. It has more than 40 kilometres (25 mi) of multi-level passages and over 300 entrances. The complex is still being explored. The caves are a tourist destination, with eleven illuminated show caves open to paying visitors.
The caves and conservation reserve are one of the eight protected areas that was inscribed in 2000 to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area. The Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve is the most westerly of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. The reserve forms part of the Great Dividing Range and was listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate in 1978. The Jenolan Caves are listed on the Australian National Heritage List. On 25 June 2004 Jenolan Caves Reserve (excluding the caves) were listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register with the following inscription:
Jenolan Caves Reserve is of state significance for its historical, aesthetic, research and rarity values. The caves and karst landscapes developed as important scientific and tourist destinations throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, and the Reserve is highly significant as the first public reserve set aside in NSW for the protection of a natural resource—in this case, the Jenolan Caves.
— Statement of significance, New South Wales State Heritage Register, 2004.