Who is Bundanoon?

Bundanoon is a country town of approximately 2,500 people,

with a strong sense of community.

There are well over 65 businesses in Bundanoon, 50 of which

have commercial premises, ranging from a butcher to several

nurseries, from health retreats to cafes and restaurants. From

service stations to bicycle hire. Only ten of these businesses

will be affected by the bottled water changes.

Bundanoon has retained its village atmosphere with a

streetscape that reflects its heritage as a bustling resources

centre (timber, stone and coal) and tourist location in the

early part of last century. These days the town plays host to

Australia’s largest Scottish gathering with the annual

Brigadoon festival. It also attracts over 1,500 mountain bike

enthusiasts for the Highland Fling bike races. As well as

seasonal events like the Garden Ramble and Winterfest.

Tourism is the mainstay of the town

Bundanoon takes its name from a term used by the local

aborigines to describe the spectacular deep gullies that drop

from the sandstone escarpments of the wild Morton National

Park, whose boundary gate is just 15 minutes walk from the

Post Office. The natural beauty of Bundanoon’s environs

continues to attract people a century on from its hey day when

68 guest houses graced the town.

Where is Bundanoon?

Bundanoon is located in the Southern Highlands of NSW,

Australia. It is approximately 150 km South West of Sydney,

about a 2 hour drive away. Immediately to the south-east of the

village is NSW’s fourth largest public precinct in Morton National

Park. To the north are lush rolling hills of rural countryside. At

672 metres above sea level Bundanoon experiences all four

seasons, complete with occasional snow.

What other community initiatives is the

Bundanoon town involved in?

The Bundanoon community is very proactive in a diverse range

of activities which are seen to be of benefit to the town as a

whole. The Bundanoon Community Association acts as an

umbrella organisation for many of these projects. There is a

volunteer group, known as the Green Team, who undertake

projects such as weed eradication, foot track maintenance,

mowing, planting, mulching, as well as preparing a map of walks

in the area. The team’s work is supported by proceeds raised

from another initiative, the Garden Ramble.

The Bundanoon History Group manages an extensive collection

of photographic, written and oral history material. Winterfest is a

two week long arts festival. The community also produce and

distribute free-of-charge a not-for-profit publication known as the

Jordan’s Crossing Gazette, (referencing the town’s earlier name).

There is a vibrant Arts group putting on numerous productions

and Bundanoon is recognised as a cycling ‘hub’.

There are many other volunteer community groups in the town,

but of relevance from a sustainability aspect are two initiatives:

'Transition Bundanoon', which seeks to help the town become

resilient in the face of challenges like climate change and peak oil.

'Don’t Bore Bundanoon' committee, who are actively opposing

the application by a non-Bundanoon business, Norlex, to

commercially extract water from a bore within the village.