Blue Mountains Canyons Nomenclature and History
by David Noble
This is an interim attempt to explain the names of some of the Blue Mountains canyons and give some historical details. No canyons north of the Wolgan/Capertee divide are mentioned or will be mentioned in any updates as it my desire that no information on canyons in that area appear in printed form. Any comments, corrections or amplifications would be welcome. It is of course biased towards the canyons I have personal knowledge of their naming and exploration. I would welcome some more information.
Southern Grose
Mt Hay Canyon also known as Butterbox Canyon. First descent probably by a Institute of Technology Bushwalking Club Party in the mid fifties (Bob Holmes et al). This was prior to a descent by the Catholic Bushwalking Club in 1958. The CBC had tried to go up the creek in 1952 and explored the area from below. On one trip, they forced a pass up Butterbox Point (This may have been the same pass found by Tom Williams (on a trip with Bob Sault and Dave Noble and others in Dec 77).
Arethusa Canyon Extensively explored by SBW parties from below (it was possible to climb up the last waterfall on tree roots) prior to first (?) descent by YMCA ramblers in 1946. Apparently, the Ramblers noticed a rope hanging down the first abseil, so they may not have been first down.
Carmarthen Labyrinth
Thunder Canyon First explored by a SUBW party of Col Oloman, Gerry O'Byrne and Peter Scott, Feb 1961 (VS&M Vol 11 1992)
Claustral Canyon First explored by a UNSWBWC/SUBW(?) party of Rick Higgins and Terry Thomas in1961- probably shortly after the Thunder canyon trip. They bypassed the waterfalls. The waterfall section was first attempted by a Kameruka Bushwalking Club party consisting of Barry Dunnett, Aat Vervoon, John Pettigrew, Bruce Powell, Dave Rhodes, Steve Sessionss and Dave Frost(1-2 Dec 62). They were stopped by lack of belay points on the last drop and had to climb up their ropes. They later walked up to the bottom of this section from below. The first full descent was made by another KBC party shortly after by Dave Rhodes, Jeff Boyd, Bruce Powell, Brian O'Halloran, Steve Sessions and Don Wilcox in Jan 63. They placed a bolt on the top of the then blocked up keyhole. (VS&M Vol 11 1992)
Raynon Canyon First explored by a Kameruka Bushwalking Club party of Barry Dunnett and Dave Lambert (The original leader Les Watters was unable to attend), 27-29 Apr 1962 (VS&M Vol 11 1992)
King George Brook First explored by a UNSWBWC party of Terry Thomas and others, (late 62?) (VS&M Vol 11 1992)
Cayley Canyon Explorers Brook was first explored by a SUBW party in Oct 63 (VS&M Vol 11 1992)
Wollangambe Wilderness

Froth and Bubble Canyon (also known as Bubble Bath Canyon) named because of foam in the canyon when it was visited by a SUBW party consisting of Brad Phillips, Chris Cosgrove and David Noble in January 87. The day before they had been in Bungleboori Ck - north branch and experienced a massive 5m flash flood. Later on the trip they climbed out of Bungleboori Ck and climbed into the lower part of the canyon from below. The same storm had left all the foam in the canyon. It was named "Froth and Bubble" by Dave Noble and "Bubble Bath" by Brad Phillips.
Crikey Canyon - Named after a comment by Tony Norman (SUBW) early in 1982 when he was looking for a creek in a small valley near the Valley of the Swamps - "crikey, mother of God!" when he saw the creek a long way below down a narrow hole. Bob Sault writes "Ian, Norm, Damien (Michael Dougherty) and I "discovered" Crikey Ck either in late November or early December 1981, and went down it with a larger party in early 1982". Shortly after, the first SUBW party to abseil into the canyon consisted of Ian Wilson, Mike Doherty, Bob Sault, Tony Norman, Anne Gray, Nick Melhuish, Doug Wheen, Russel Looby and Mike Morgan.(VS&M No 2 - 1983). They saw no signs of any previous party and had to throw logs down the canyon for some of the belay points.
Water Dragon Canyon - named by a Catholic Bushwalking Club party (Martin Doyle, Peter Demspey, Mick Gorman and Anthony Gwyther) that visited the canyon (6 Feb 83). Named "Waterdragon" by the party "because there was a Waterdragon lizard sunning itself at the top of the abseil which had given us such a memorable day" (The Waysider No 178 Mar/Apr 1983). (Wrongly named as "Crayfish" canyon by David Noble in early Wild magazine canyon guides. Corrected in his October 93 "Blue Mountains Canyons" booklet published as an insert to Wild 50 - Oct 93)
Why Don't we Do It On The Road - named by Tony Norman after (probable) first descent. Named after a song on the Beatles "White Album". "Norm" is a very keen Beatles fan.
Clatterteeth - first visited by a SBW party in 1964, leader - Ross Wyborn. (The Sydney Bushwalkers - the first 60 years)
Whungee Wheengee Canyon - named by an SUBW party (B Phillips, A Norman, A Long (and others ?) - mid 80's) who were most likely the first party to visit all the canyon. The canyon was so named to be deliberately confusing with Wheengee Whungee Creek near Kanangra Walls.
Arthurs Canyon - named by a Springwood Bushwalking Club party (Tom Williams, Dave Noble, Gordon Thompson, Adrian Stanborough and others), Easter 1976 on a Wollangambe Wilderness traverse. Named after the nearby complex pagoda ridge - which had been referred to by C Cosgrove and D Noble as "the Western Arthurs of the Northern Blue Mts"
Hole in The Wall Canyon - named by Bob Sault and Tony Norman (SUBW) after noticing the sudden emergence of this canyon into Bungleboori
Ck - north branch.
Four Dope Canyon.(SUBW) also known as "Birthday Suit Bertie Canyon" after Bob Sault's attire (or lack of it) during part of the canyon. (Doug Wheen: "Birthday Suit Bertie canyon has a certain ring to it") Named after a plantation discovered by the party at "Pot Hill" - the terminus of the Waratah Ridge road. Bob sault writes "The "Dope" in Four Dope Creek was as much to do with people being silly enough to go canyoning on a cold, rainy, unpleasant day. Doug drove that day, and was in the usual hurry to get back to Sydney for church." The first party down in October 1982 consisted of Bob Sault, Ian Wilson, Tony Norman and Doug Wheen (SUBW).(VS&M No 2 - 1983)
Banks Canyon - named by Bob Sault and Doug Wheen (SUBW) because it is unusual in having nearly all its canyon formation in the higher Banks Wall sandstone (the top layer of the Narrabeen Group - most canyons form in the bottom layer - the Burra Moko sandstone) Bob Sault writes "Like "Four Dope Creek", "Banks" canyon was a play on words. The "bank" was the side of the road that Doug crashed into on the way out (not the sandstone formation). It was only Doug and myself on that trip. We were originally going somewhere else, but Doug crashing the car made us unsure of its reliability, so we changed the trip to something nearby. We only had one handline between us, which suggests we had not intended on looking for new canyons that day. Doug completely wrote off the car in a separate accident a few weeks later I believe."
Dead Tree Canyon - named after a dead tree in the middle of an abseil in the canyon. First done the day after the initial trip down Crikey Canyon by Bob Sault and Ian Wilson (SUBW). (VS&M No 2 - 1983) Bob Sault writes "My recollection was that Ian and I were the first to do Dead Tree Canyon (perhaps it was the day after a trip down Crikey -- it was certainly on a Sunday after a day out canyoning in that part of the world). When I returned a number of years later, it was amazingly easier. There were several dead trees (still covered with leaves)choking the canyon the first time. The tree abseil was particularly unpleasant to fight your way through. Later that day, Ian just caught the last train from Bell, whereas I just missed it." Ian Wilson adds "The info on Dead Tree is correct - Doug dropped us off at the end of Pot Hill (Waratah Ridge) Rd after we had done Surefire I think."
Harmonic Convergence Canyon - named by Brad Phillips (SUBW) because he visited the creek (late 1980's?) on a day that there was an unusual "harmonic convergence" celebrated by assorted new age people.
Wolgan
Heart Attack Canyon - named after an incident on the Friday night of a trip. The first party (3 Jan 1976) down (C Cosgrove, T Willams, R Bradstock, B Allen, J Lucas - SUBW and Kameruka B.C.(The original leader Dave Noble was unable to attend due to an injury)) were camped on the steps of the then Bell Cafe because of a transport rendezvous mix up. They were awoken very early by a local wanting to use the public phone to call for assistance for a local heart attack victim.(Kameruka Magazine Vol 15 No 1 - Sept 77). The canyon had earlier been pointed out to Dave Noble, Tom Williams and others by Ted Daniels on the NPA trip of 1-3 Nov 74 (see Inverse Canyon below) from the ridge between this creek and Rocky Ck. Dave Noble and Keith Maxwell went down the canyon on 28 Feb 76 and went out via the now usual exit gully.
Inverse Canyon - named by an NPA party, 1-3 Nov 74, consisting of (I think) Ted Daniels, Tom Williams, Tom Sinclair, David Kelly, Vince Murtagh, Joe Mack and David Noble. They went up the creek from the bottom - hence the name.
Surefire Canyon - named after an early attempt to visit the creek(9 Jan 76). Tom Williams (Springwood Bushwalking Club) exclaimed when he was being picked up on the Friday night of the trip that he knew of a creek that was a "surefire canyon". The party (Dave Noble, Ian Hickson, Ross Bradstock, C Cosgrove (SUBW) and Tom Williams) were unable to do the canyon then because of heavy rain and the effects of several flagons of Royal Reserve port. Tom Williams, Dave Noble together with Tony Haigh (KBC) and Ted Daniels (NPA) finally did the trip down the canyon on 23 October 1976.(Kameruka Magazine Vol 15 No 1 - Sept 77). Ted Daniels recorded the descent on Standard 8 cine film. Later on the same afternoon there was a rare (partial) solar eclipse.
Ball Race Canyon - visited (24 Oct 76) by the party above after doing Surefire canyon they climbed onto the plateau to visit a canyon that Ted Daniels knew about. Named after the level of water in one of the sections of canyon. (Kameruka Magazine Vol 15 No 1 - Sept 77)

Tiger Snake Canyon (called "Bottleneck canyon" by some commercial groups) visited on a joint SUBW - Ramblers trip on 11 Sept 77. The creek was investigated from Deanes Creek. Bob Sault, Steve McDowell and Dave Noble had gone on ahead, found the canyon, but found themselves trapped in a chamber of the canyon by a stirred up tiger snake in a narrow part below. Keith Maxwell, Rose Adams and Hugh Patterson, who were downstream, helped the party escape by throwing articles of their clothing on top of the snake to confuse it. (The clothes were later retrieved with the aid of a long stick). A Ramblers party did the canyon properly from above on a later trip and also found the miniature canyon above.(Kameruka Magazine Vol 16 No 2 - July 78)
Thunderstorm Canyon - visited on a joint SUBW - Ramblers trip on 20 Nov 77. The party was Bob Sault and Dave Noble (SUBW), Bruce Bowers, Ian Crawford, Robin Owens and Chris Neilson (Ramblers). A thunderstorm took place whilst they were rigging up the ropes on the first pitch. (Kameruka Magazine Vol 16 No 2 - July 78)
Galah Canyon - visited on a joint SUBW - NPA trip in early 77. The party was Chris Cosgrove and Ted Daniels. Named after its close proximity to Galah Mt. (Kameruka Magazine Vol 15 No 1 - Sept 77)
Rocky Creek Canyon - visited on a joint SUBW - UNSWBWC trip on 4 Dec 76. The party was Bob Sault and Dave Noble (SUBW) and Nick Bendelli and Dave Firman (UNSWBWC). Named after the name of the creek it was in. (Kameruka Magazine Vol 15 No 1 - Sept 77). Between the first discovery of Surefire Canyon and Rocky Creek, there had been SUBW exploratory trips to the major tributaries of Annie Rowan Creek with mixed success. The more obvious Rocky Ck was ignored, temporarily, because stories indicated that it had been investigated and no canyons found. On the day it was found, the party had planned to climb out of Rocky Ck at the sidecreek that is now used as the standard entrance. They arrived at this point at about 5pm. Dave Noble and Bob Sault went all the way through the remarkable constriction (hoping to find some "Claustral type" abseils) and also went a fair way up Budgary Ck looking for a sister canyon before retracing their steps.
Contradiction Canyon - visited by a Springwood B.C. - SUBW party (Bob Sault, Dave Noble, Ross Bradstock, Tom Williams) on 26 Nov 77. Named because the members of the party kept on contradicting themselves in a Monty Pythonish manner on the way to the creek (no they didn't!).(Kameruka Magazine Vol 16 No 2 - July 78)
Breakfast Creek Canyon - visited by the above party on the way to Contradiction Canyon (26 Nov 77). Named because none of the local maps had a "Breakfast Creek" Most good maps have a "Breakfast Creek", a "Cedar Ck" etc. The party had visited the canyon just after breakfast - early surveyor Lt Col Clews had named nearby "Dinner Ck" after the place where he had dinner as well.(Kameruka Magazine Vol 16 No 2 - July 78)
Hartleys Mistake Canyon - A Kameruka Bushwalking Club party (Ted Hartley, Keith and Terri Seddon) visited this creek and the next one further upstream during a trip in winter 1977 in an attempt to get onto the plateau nearby. As both creeks were canyons, they didn't find their pass out and as a result were overdue. Keith Seddon named both creek "Hartleys Mistake Canyons". A party consisting of Keith Maxwell, Rose Adams, Tom Williams, Dave Noble, Stephanie Davenport and Bob Sault went down the canyon on 22 Oct 77.(Kameruka Magazine Vol 16 No 2 - July 78)
Bigfoot Canyon - the other Hartleys Mistake canyon. Named by Tim Hager (Catholic Bushwalking Club) who led a trip down this creek - probably in 1978.
Firefly Canyon - visited by a SUBW/Springwood B.C. party (Tom Williams, Lyall Closs, Dave Noble and others) late in 1979. They camped upstream of the canyon and noticed many fireflies in the area
Looking Glass Canyon - named by a Catholic Bushwalking Club party that used this creek as a (tricky) route to Twilight Canyon. One member Steve "Gus" Henzel (also SUBW) lost his glasses on a ledge in the canyon - and was later seen looking for his glasses - hence the name.
Newnes Canyon - also called "Starlight Canyon" by some commercial parties and "The Amazing Wallaby Tunnel" by John Atkinson (VS&M no 11 1992). The earliest reference I have seen refers to it as Newnes Canyon (Tim Hager, The Waysider 147 May/June 1977). The Atkinson party (John Atkinson, Bob Sault, Airdrie Long) were possible the first party to explore (from below) the tunnel section. They returned on a later trip and abseiled into the tunnel.
Bells Grotto - also called "Glow-Worm Tunnel Canyon". Presumably named after the Archibald Bell of Bells Road fame. It was used as an alternative walking route around the tunnel by passengers (to avoid the smoke on the way up). (The Shale Railways of NSW, Eardley and Stephens, ARHS, 1974)
Little Dingo Canyon- First visited by a Catholic Bushwalking Club party ( Martin Doyle, Michael Doyle, Greg Foley, Thomas Carroll, Mark Burton, Joe and Ted O'Gara and Michael Gorman. 29 Dec 79) Named "because the canyon was small and we heard the cry of a dingo earlier in the day" (The Waysider, No 160, Feb/Mar 80)
Kanangra Canyons
Danae Brook - named by Myles Dunphy (late 1920's). A species of Eucalypt grew on the plateau above the creek ( and near Mt Cloudmaker). These trees had a striking gold coloured bark. They were all wiped out by a bushfire in about 1929. In Greek mythology Zues appeared as a shower of gold in front of Danae, before raping her.(M J Dunphy - pers comms)
Carra Beanga Creek - named by Myles Dunphy (?). First descended by Rona Butler and Aart Vervoon, 1963/4 (KBC Walks Secretary report - 1964)