The story of this place
Mount Wilson sits 1,000 metres above sea level in the northern Blue Mountains and was settled by wealthy colonial families from the 1870s onwards, who planted extensive European gardens with oak, beech, maple and liquidambar trees. In April and May, these trees produce extraordinary autumn colour — reds, oranges and golds — entirely unlike anything else in the Sydney region. Cathedral Avenue, a kilometre-long corridor of English elms, is the centrepiece of autumn photography here. The private gardens occasionally open for public viewing. The surrounding national park provides native bushland contrast. Peak colour varies by 2–3 weeks each year depending on temperature.