Three Sisters
The Blue Mountains is an awe-inspiring wilderness located just an hour’s drive from Sydney.
Three Sisters Blue Mountains
This incredible landscape, millions of years in the making, is full of towering peaks, lush rainforests, charming walking trails and unique wildlife.
There is an endless array of things to do in this most pristine part of Australia, but the most famous attraction, and the one that carries the most mystique, is that of the formidable Three Sisters.
Three giant rock formations nestled on the north escarpment of the Jamison Valley, the Three Sisters are as famous for their spectacular structure as they are the magical Indigenous tale that accompanies them.
Primary school kids across Australia have been told this story for decades, and knowing its morbid synopsis makes the visit to the landmark that much more special.
So, what is the story of the Three Sisters? And why does it add to the visit of this most majestic natural site?
A denied marriage leads to bloody conflict
Local Indigenous legend says that the Three Sisters are Meehni, Gunnedoo and Wimlah, three sisters of the Blue Mountains Katoomba Tribe. Legend has it that three sisters each fell in love with three brothers from the neighbouring Nepean tribe. The three brothers offered their hands in marriage to the three sisters, but this was prohibited by local tribal law.
The brothers, not satisfied with having their proposals denied, waged a bloody conflict against the Katoomba people in order to kidnap the Three Sisters and make them their wives.
The sisters are immortalised in stone
To save the sisters from capture (and possible death), a Katoomba elder cast a spell on the sisters that set them in stone. The solution should have been temporary, but the elder was soon killed in the fighting, thus immortalising the sisters in stone for all of eternity.
They are the Blue Mountains’ most impressive landmark
The Three Sisters, as well as being part of some of Australia’s most fascinating lore, is one of the country’s most beloved landmarks. No trip to the Blue Mountains could possibly be complete without hiking up to the Echo Point Lookout to catch a very special glimpse of this most marvelous attraction.
Be sure to remember the magical tale when you get up there – it really adds to the experience.
