Community Groups

Practising social distancing before stricter rules came into place It’s been just over three years since a group of locals, supported by The Big Fix, began work on a neglected piece of land generously made available to the community by Mountains Christian College. The dream was to create a small demonstration Farm for Blackheath village.

On January 4 the Blackheath Area Community Alliance organised an uplifting Community Afternoon Tea to thank our Emergency Services and provide support to one another after the Fires. We all know it’s not over yet but we also know we’re here for each other. View the video here:

  Popes Glen Creek rises in Memorial Park, close to the town centre of Blackheath, then flows east for about 4km through Popes Glen Bushland Reserve and into the Grose River. Over decades this beautiful interface between the town and the Blue Mountains National Park had suffered the effects of polluted urban stormwater inundating a natural system, and had become …

Sopranos sing ’Thank you for the Music’. In a 2015 study, singing in a choir was demonstrated to be one of the quickest ways to bond a group of strangers, and community singing was identified as an ideal way to improve broader social networks, especially in an era when so many feel isolated or alienated. The fact that Blackheath has …

Photo of Lindena Robb by Jennie Curtin   Do you ever ask yourself how Blackheath became such an extraordinarily friendly place? What accounts for all those smiling faces on the street, the small courtesies from strangers, the frequency with which a driver gives way to others or the way the village welcomes visitors? The climate and the beauty of the …

Once upon a time (or so the story goes …) Australians collected water in water tanks; grew their own food; sat on their front verandahs waving at passers-by; connected regularly in their neighbourhoods to share skills, resources and produce; got what they couldn’t grow at their corner store; and told themselves that they and their mates were strong and resilient. Then, …

Susanne visiting Blackheath Community Farm (From left: Jenny, Vanessa and Susanne) After three decades pushing boundaries as a behavioural scientist, focused on what motivates people to change, Wentworth Falls resident Susanne Rix has now developed the first Blue Mountains Edible Garden Festival and Trail – from Little Hartley to Glenbrook. As one of the first in Australia to explore the positive impact …

Photo by Margaret Ryan Imagine an initiative that helps to reduce the devastating environmental impact of plastic while also building community, teaching new skills and upcycling materials. Boomerang Bags is doing all that and more, and it’s arrived in the Mountains. Boomerang Bags first began on the Gold Coast in 2013. It addresses the problem of plastics at a grassroots level by engaging communities of volunteers to make cloth shopping bags out of upcycled materials. The …