History Jenolan Caves

1 history

1.1 geology
1.2 indigenous culture
1.3 european discovery

history
geology

by measuring ratio of radioactive potassium , trapped argon gas, produced when potassium decayed, scientists determined age of clay in caves approximately 340 million years old, thereby making cave complex world s oldest known , dated open cave system. commonwealth scientific , industrial research organisation (csiro) in association university of sydney , australian museum lead efforts in scientific research caves.

indigenous culture

for thousands of years, jenolan area has been part of culture of local indigenous peoples. area holds significance gundungurra , wiradjuri peoples, knew binomil or bin-oo-mur, , variety of similar names. dreamtime creation story of gundungurra people describes how countryside came being, , involves struggle between 2 ancestral creator spirits – 1 giant eel-like creature, gurangatch, , other, mirrigan, large native cat or quoll. gundungurra people penetrated caves far subterranean water, carrying sick people bathed in water, believed have curative powers.

european discovery

there no known contemporaneous accounts of discovery of caves europeans – though charles whalan attributed first conduct visitors caves in 1840s. however, in charles whalan s obituary , other sources, credit caves discovery given brother, james whalan. though accounts written decades after initial discovery, , differ in details, accepted in 1838 (or possibly 1841), james whalan in pursuit of ex-convict , active local thief named mckeown, had stolen livestock, tools, clothing , flour grinder, tracked area. in pursuit, james whalan discovered cave system , reported existence brother charles – further explored caves.

the caves, known fish river caves, came under control of nsw government in 1866 – becoming second area in world reserved purpose of conservation. following year, jeremiah wilson appointed first keeper of caves . wilson not explored known elder , lucas caves later discovered imperial, left imperial (now known chifley), jersey , jubilee caves.

the caves open tourism early, there little protection visitors damaging formations until collection of souvenirs , writing of graffiti banned in 1872. in 1884 name jenolan caves adopted.

the road caves went via tarana, meant travellers south had take long, roundabout route of 90 miles (140 km) katoomba oberon, and, there, tarana. in mid-1880s, hotel keepers in katoomba wanted improve business constructing road caves town, steep, rough ground between caves , town major obstacle, , several attempts failed. however, representations made premier peter fitzpatrick of burragorang, connected mining operations near katoomba. in april 1884, william marshall cooper, surveyor of public parks state government, assigned job, , worked out horse-and-carriage track in 10-day trek katoomba caves. route was, remarked, 26.5 miles western hotel in katoomba. ... accustomed walking can comfortably in 12 hours... when proposed horse track completed, enjoyable ride of 5 hours. became known 6 foot track.

by 1885, parliament had approved a₤2,500 construction of cooper s bridle track, work starting @ difficult area, megalong cleft, zig-zag had cut, partly in solid rock, reduce grade 1:5.5. first recorded passage of completed bridle track katoomba jenolan governor, lord carrington, in september 1887. lord carrington made first official visit caves @ completion of journey, accompanied wilson.

in 1898 current jenolan caves house built, replacing earlier wooden accommodation house built jeremiah wilson, had been partially destroyed in 1895 fire.

j. c. (voss) wiburd became keeper of caves in 1903 , discovered (with fellow guide , friend jack edwards) 5 more caves within eighteen months: river, pool of cerberus, temple of baal, orient , ribbon caves. remained keeper until 1932, when left due government s policy @ time of compulsory retirement @ age of 65.

the chifley cave, known left imperial cave, renamed in 1952 in honour of ben chifley, recently-retired federal local member of parliament , former prime minister. cave first of caves lit electric light, 1880. in 1968, orient cave became first in world cleaned, due contamination mud previous access route , nearby coal boiler. soot boiler entering cave via new tunnel blasted 400 feet through orient cave in 1954 allow easier access (entering @ bat end). steam cleaning found damaging crystal formations, due rapid expansion , contraction caused heat steam, , these days water caves own underground rivers used if cave cleaning becomes necessary.

since 2011, csiro in association australian nuclear science , technology organisation began using new hand-held mapping system map of caves in three-dimensional detail.