Bilpin, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Bilpin
state = NSW


caption = View of Bilpin
lga = City of Hawkesbury
postcode = 2758
est =
pop = 843 (2006 Census)
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov =
fedgov = Division of Greenway and Division of Macquarie
dist1 = 90
location1= Sydney CBD
near-nw = "Blue Mountains National Park"
near-n = Blue Mountains National Park
near-ne = Mountain Lagoon
near-w = "Blue Mountains National Park"
near-e = Kurrajong Heights
near-sw = "Grose Valley"
near-s = Blue Mountains National Park
near-se = Kurrajong Hills

Bilpin is a small town on the historic Bells Line of Road in the City of Hawkesbury local government area in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, New South Wales. It has a population (incl. Warawaralong) of 677 (Census 2001).

Bilpin is known as "Land of the Mountain Apple". Fruit orchards and beautiful gardens thrive in the fertile soil and the road is lined with small fruit stalls, especially during summer. Bilpin apples and Bilpin apple juice are well-known around Australia. There was a mention of Bilpin Apple Juice in the ABC TV mini-series, "Changi". Bilpin is now known as a tourist destination, with roadside stalls and orchards where visitors can pick their own fruit. It is close to Mount Tomah Botanic Garden.

History

The town was originally named after Archibald Bell, Jr., - Bilpin = "Bell's Pin", (pin as in pinnacle) an adventurous man who crossed the Blue Mountains at the age of nineteen in 1823. The famous children's author, Hesba Brinsmead, was brought up in Bilpin and wrote several books set in the region, including "Longtime Passing" (1971), for which she won the Children's Book of the Year award. In her book, she suggests that Bell was assisted by the local Aboriginal people (the Dharuk tribe) to find the way across the mountains. It has been suggested also that the traditional corroborree ground existed on the land behind Bilpin Oval.

Activities

Bilpin Community Hall is the centre of Bilpin life. It hosts a Farmer's Market on every Saturday morning between ten and twelve, as well as the annual Spring Flower show; the Mt Wilson to Bilpin Bush Run in August (which aids the Bilpin Bush Fire Brigade); and an annual quilt exhibition.

The Bilpin Arkadian Players are a local theatre group which performs there and there's also a Bilpin playgroup and mobile preschool which meets there. Several community groups such as the Bilpin District Women's Association, Gardening Club, Quilting Club and Farmers' Association also meet regularly. Bilpin has a small school nearby which was opened in 1927.

The 2001 census found that 677 people live in Bilpin. Bilpin Coaches picks up local children and drops them off at Bilpin school each morning and afternoon. Westbus no. W1 leaves Bilpin at 7:11 am weekdays dropping school students at Colo High School, Richmond Station, and St Pauls' Grammar School. The Westbus W24 leaves Richmond Station at 4.05pm and returns to Bilpin. Hawkesbury Community Transport also offers a bus service weekly for people needing to get down to Richmond to do their shopping.

ee Also

*List of Blue Mountains articles

External links

* [http://www.bilpin-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/index.html Bilpin School]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/28/1069826000126.html Hesba Brismead]
* [http://www.bilpinbushrun.com.au/ Mt Wilson to Bilpin Bush Run] - held each August