The City of Lithgow (photos) is nestled at the foot of the Great Dividing Range about 2 hours west of Sydney.

The area west of the Blue Mountains was opened up to settlers when William Cox completed his road in 1815. John Grant named it Lithgow Valley after William Lithgow. The township of Hartley (photos)was the main link from Sydney to Bathurst opening up rich pastoral lands and the discovery of vast coal deposits. With the completion of the railway in 1869, and the vast coal reserves awaiting exploitation, Lithgow quickly established itself as an important township. There were many gold prospectors who ventured into the town however, their dreams were shattered and they sought employment in the many other industries that began to spring up.

The first steel ever manufactured in Australia was produced by William Sandford. The blast furnace ruins still remain today as evidence of the early iron foundry.Even with the demise of the industry after it relocated to Port Kembla, Lithgow still had other important industries such as the Small Arms Factory and the cement works at Portland. The Electricity Commission in the Wallerawang area still produces electricity for the many residents and beyond as well as the Mount Piper Power Station. Other industries included the Berlei factory, a softdrink factory and Ferrero's delicious confectionery company.

Lithgow is surrounded by many parks, tourist sites such as the ZigZag Railway, the Glow Worm Tunnel, Eskbank House and the Lithgow Pottery. There are many lakes nearby that provide recreation not just for Lithgow residents but people from all over the country. Smaller satellite towns such as Wallerawang, Portland (photos), Capertee, Glen Davis, Newnes ,Oberon, Rydal, Sunny Corner and Bowenfels, have much for the visitor to see and plenty for them to do. Lithgow and its surrounds has expanded into many rural facets with all types of animal production, apple orchards, general fodder and grain crops and the timber obtained from regenerated softwood forests.

The temperatures in Lithgow vary quite considerably. The winters are very cold and often it may snow. There are many cold, crisp frosts although most of the time, the bigger the frost, the clearer the skies during the day. The summers are hot some of the time although due to its dry heat and high altitude, a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius may not even work up a sweat. The visitor to Lithgow will not be disappointed. On the journey there or even passing through to a destination further to the west, to be surrounded by the blue hue of the mountains, clean and crisp air and beautiful green valleys, is only a taste of what Lithgow and its surrounding countryside has to offer.