Hartley

Hartley, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale have melded together into a perfectly preserved township known as Hartley Historic Village on the western side of the Blue Mountains.

The small villages are made up of a number of colonial buildings that seem to be frozen in time – somewhere in the middle of the 19th century.

The village, which includes several historic inns, a courthouse, church and post office, provides a fascinating look into colonial architecture.

What is left today of the time when Hartley was a thriving community – a gold rush in 1856 saw the town double in size – is a remarkable remnant of the original town, hardly changed since the 19th century.

Nearby, Lithgow, Mount Victoria and Blackheath are worth a visit.