The Three Sisters is the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark. Located at Echo Point Katoomba, around 2.5 kilometres from the Great Western Highway, these three weathered sandstone peaks, formed over thousands of years ago are an iconic visitor attraction and is experienced by millions of people each year.
Around two hours from Sydney, The Three Sisters are part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and tower more than 900 metres high among the cliffs of the Jamison Valley.
The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone. Each of the Three Sisters stand at 922, 918 & 906 metres tall.
The Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni','Wimlah' and 'Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe.
These beautiful young ladies had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.
The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a major tribal battle.
As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed. As only he could reverse the spell to return the ladies to their former beauty, the sisters remain in their magnificent rock formation as a reminder of this battle for generations to come.
References
Image
Around two hours from Sydney, The Three Sisters are part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and tower more than 900 metres high among the cliffs of the Jamison Valley.
The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone. Each of the Three Sisters stand at 922, 918 & 906 metres tall.
The Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni','Wimlah' and 'Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe.
These beautiful young ladies had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.
The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a major tribal battle.
As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed. As only he could reverse the spell to return the ladies to their former beauty, the sisters remain in their magnificent rock formation as a reminder of this battle for generations to come.
References
Image
- http://www.bluemts.com.au/images/maps/AustraliaMap.png