Blue Mountains & Burragorang — Wall Map (1939)

Ridges like ribs, valleys pooled with shadow, and cave country tucked beneath the sandstone—this 1939 Department of Lands classic gathers the Blue Mountains and Burragorang Valley into a single, breath-steady portrait of wild New South Wales. Jenolan and Wombeyan Caves are called out with pride; Kanangra and Thurat Tops rise along the escarpment; the districts of The Boyd, Colong and Kowmung thread the story together. Part chart, part keepsake, it invites you to stand at the lookout edge—where distance becomes relief, and the country feels close enough to walk.

Why it captivates

• 🧭 Sandstone grandeur, clearly drawn — escarpments, valleys and cave districts rendered with confident, pre-war drafting.

• 🌲 Tourist-era romance — a map made for explorers and weekenders alike, pointing to caves, tops and storied valleys.

• 🗺️ Department of Lands pedigree — compiled and drawn in Sydney’s official mapping office for authority and legibility.

• 🏛️ Scholarly & beautiful — balanced lettering, neatlines and shading that read cleanly from across the room.

What you’ll see

• Comprehensive 1939 coverage of the Blue Mountains & Burragorang Valley, including Jenolan & Wombeyan Caves, Kanangra & Thurat Tops, and the districts of The Boyd, Colong & Kowmung.

• Relief and drainage rendered with careful hachure/shading for depth and orientation.

• Period finish preserved — clear titlework, neatline and a disciplined type hierarchy for places and features.

• A composition that rewards lingering—every study reveals another spur, creek line or named vantage.

A richer historical frame

On the eve of the 1940s, New South Wales was mapping for a public newly mobile—rail excursions, car touring, and cave country pilgrimages. The Department of Lands distilled that momentum into maps that were exact yet inviting, practical yet poetic. This 1939 edition stands in that tradition: faithful to terrain and place-names, composed for clarity, and alive to the romance of the ranges.

Choose your finish

Heavyweight Paper (160 gsm matte)

Best for: Framing under glass in studies and living spaces
Look & feel: Non-glare matte that preserves fine linework and small labels

Laminated (true encapsulation)

Best for: Classrooms, offices, visitor centres, shared spaces
Build: Sealed edge-to-edge between two 80-micron gloss sheets
Benefit: Wipe-clean, durable, moisture-resistant

Laminated + Timber Hang Rails (Ready to hang)

What you get: Encapsulated print plus natural lacquered timber rails top & bottom with a discreet hanging cord
Where it shines: Foyers, offices, schools, libraries—polished look with everyday toughness
Install: Arrives ready to hang (just add a wall hook)
Lead time: Please allow up to 10 working days for professional rail mounting

Archival Canvas (395 gsm HP Professional Matte)

Best for: Premium interiors, galleries, lodges, boardrooms
Print system: Pigment-based, fade-resistant inks for long display life
Presence: Textured surface adds warmth and museum-style depth

Canvas + Timber Hang Rails (Gallery-ready)

What you get: Canvas fitted with natural timber rails top & bottom, matching cord
Where it shines: Statement walls, curated displays, heritage spaces
Install: Ready to hang; single-hook friendly
Lead time: Please allow up to 10 working days for rail mounting

Sizes (W × H)

630 × 900 mm — tall, portrait presence that echoes the vertical drama of the escarpments

At-a-glance materials

Styling ideas

• Range-room statement: hang canvas with rails above timber cabinetry; pair with a small caption card naming favourite lookouts.

• Visitor foyer or library: choose Laminated + Rails for a robust, polished display that invites close reading.

• Study corner: frame the paper edition and add a warm picture light to reveal relief and cave districts after dark.

• Trailhead vignette: cluster with vintage cave tickets or postcards for a nostalgic touring wall.

Specifications

Who it’s for

• Walkers, cavers and weekend explorers mapping memory to country

• Councils, libraries & museums curating Blue Mountains heritage

• Collectors & interior designers seeking authentic pre-war cartography with rugged elegance

Let the ranges rise on your wall—ridge by ridge, cave by cave—through a faithful, beautifully produced Department of Lands classic. Choose Paper for frame-under-glass clarity, Laminated + Timber Rails for a polished, ready-to-hang public display, or Archival Canvas + Timber Rails for warm, gallery-style presence. Printed in Australia with premium stocks and pigment-based, fade-resistant inks, it’s made to live with—and to keep the Blue Mountains close, today and for years to come.