Jenolan Caves House

Jenolan Caves House is a large, historic hotel, built in stages between 1879 and 1926. It is located in the remote Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve, Blue Mountains National Park, on the western edge of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, in New South Wales, Australia.

The building was designed in the Government Architect's Branch of the New South Wales Public Works Department, under the supervision of Colonel Walter Liberty Vernon (1846–1914). The four-storey complex was designed in the 'Arts & Crafts' style, of which Vernon was an advocate. Parts of the building show the influence of the 'Sussex Wealdon' style, in particular the half timbered upper facades of the later sections. The building is characterized by gables, tile roof and deep recessed openings with multi-paned windows. The building was constructed to provide accommodation for visitors to Jenolan Caves (previously known as Binda Caves or Fish River Caves), one of Australia’s most extensive limestone cave systems (karsts) that is open to the public.

Although long known to local Aboriginal people, Jenolan Caves was not discovered by European settlers until the early 1800s. The area was declared a protected reserve for tourist purposes in 1866. A local farmer, Jeremiah Wilson, was appointed 'Keeper of the Caves' in 1867. Visitors would write to Mr Wilson advising him of their intention to view the caves. Meeting them at Tarana railway station, he would convey them by horse-drawn vehicle, 54 kilometres (33 miles), through Oberon, and then walk them down the last 5 kilometres (2 miles) into the Jenolan Valley, because the descent was too steep for a vehicle. In an early Jenolan Caves guide book, the difficulties posed by the remote location were summed up by J. J. Foster, who said, "The want of good roads, and the dangers of these perpendicular mountains, also the great want of an accommodation house, mitigated for years against this district becoming a popular place for tourists, or a holiday resort. At the time, all provisions had to be carried there by the visitors, and it was necessary to camp and sleep on the rocks under the Grand Arch."

In 1879, Wilson built a small kitchen building. The following years, he was able to erect a single-storey, wooden building, roofed with corrugated iron. This first ‘Caves House’ contained 5 bedrooms and a large dining room. The kitchen remained separate, in case of fire - a common risk at the time. In 1886, the fee for an overnight stay was only 2 shillings ('1st Class') or 1 shilling ('2nd Class'). A horse could be stabled for 6 to 8 shillings per day. Or it could graze in the adjacent paddock for sixpence per day.

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