Glimpses of Blackheath 11

Last time we were standing on the pedestrian bridge crossing Blackheath Station looking down onto the historic platform and station building. If you look at that last image large, you may be able to see a mural on the near end of the station building. Walk down the steps onto the platform and move up to the building where you will see today's picture. VOILA!

This is a mural, painted by an artist named Vern Treweek and mounted in 2004 (according to the only website reference I can find) to promote the annual Blackheath Rhododendron Festival. It illustrates the "Legend of Govett" which runs, more or less, as follows (ahem): "Govett was a notorious bushranger. He robbed a bank in Blackheath, and was then chased by the police through the streets and out along the ridge. When he reached the cliffs, he refused to surrender, preferring to die than be captured. Govett spurred his horse on and leapt off the cliffs into the valley below."

Unfortunately this is a complete myth although in a kind of macabre way I almost wish it was true. We, Blackheathens have all done our best to enthrall unsuspecting visitors to the town with this story. We even have a statue of Govett leaping off the cliff in a local park. Be warned. This town lies for a living.

A few blips ago, I did mention that William Govett (poor maligned lad that he is) was actually an early colonial surveyer who planned the western portion of the Bathurst Road which comes directly through Blackheath. At one point, Govett evidently hiked to a local vantage spot overlooking the Grose valley and saw THIS which (being of Scottish heritage) he described as a "leap" (i.e. waterfall). Hence "Govett's Leap". Boring, but true.