The Blue Mountains is a mystical, wondrous natural landscape, dotted with lush forests, tranquil falls and astonishing views.
Whilst visitors can spend days there enjoying everything this untouched natural wonderland has to offer, one of the most popular attractions is easily the Three Sisters.
Located on the north escarpment of the Jamison Valley, the Three Sisters are an unusual rock formation that came to be over 200 million years ago! While the Three Sisters formation may have been the result of land erosion, it is forever etched in Indigenous Australian legend as the outcome of a bloody battle over the hands in the marriage of each of the Three Sisters.
Kids from across Australia are told the story of the Three Sisters from a young age, and knowing the incredible lore makes the journey there that much more special.
So let’s learn the story of the Three Sisters and how they came to be stuck in time forever.
It started with a marriage proposal
Local Indigenous legend has it that the Three Sisters are Gunnedoo, Meehni and Wimlah, siblings who lived in the Jamison Valley as part of the Katoomba tribe. The three sisters were said to have fallen in love with three brothers from the neighbouring Nepean tribe. However, marriage to the three brothers was forbidden by local tribal law.
Unhappy with this outcome, the three Nepean brothers decided to capture the three sisters and take them back to their tribe for marriage. A bloody tribal war ensued, and to save the three sisters from capture and carnage, a local Katoomba elder placed a spell on the sisters, turning them into stone.
Unfortunately, the elder was soon killed in the fighting, and no one had the power to bring the sisters back to their human forms. Thus they were rendered in time, and are the Three Sisters you see in the Blue Mountains today.
It is one of the many stunning views in the Blue Mountains
The Three Sisters is undoubtedly one of the Blue Mountains’ main attractions, and the local legend only makes it more worthwhile. While you’re there, be sure to check out the region’s other spectacular viewing sites, including the beautifully peaceful Wentworth and Katoomba Falls, or the thrill seeking fun of Scenic World, complete with the world’s steepest incline railway and a scenic skyway – the perfect way to fight a fear of heights!
Related article: Experiencing the Three Sisters from Echo Point
Cameron Ward
Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia
Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.
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