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kaye.frost-smith | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> The Ghost Town of Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

The Ghost Town of Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley

Glen Davis is situated in the Capertee Valley, from which the Capertee River flows. The valley forms a canyon that is the widest canyon in the world (the Grand Canyon is deeper). From 1938 to 1952 the town was at the centre of oil-shale mining and refining and the production of fuel. In this period the town's population rose to 2500 but after the Oil Shale Works was closed, people and houses moved away. Today, Glen Davis is almost a ghost town, with only about 25 people still living there in a handful of houses scattered among a network of empty streets. The largest building in town is an imposing two-storey brick structure, sitting in splendid isolation in front of sandstone cliffs. It is now the Glen Davis Boutique Hotel. When it was built in 1939, the building was described as the finest hotel west of the Blue Mountains and we are not talking hotel as in country-town pub here but a substantial, elegant, art deco building. It has had various reincarnations, from hotel to Marist Brothers' retreat to holiday farm to its recent restoration as a 16-bed boutique hotel. It does not take long to drive or walk around the town itself but it is worth the trip. As well as visiting the ruins of the Oil Shale Works and learning some of the industrial history of the area, there is a landscape of astonishing beauty. Bill, the local guide who will take you on a tour, is very passionate and informative, and I came away after 3 hours knowing a great deal more about the works, and the hardships the people who lived there endured. There are no shops or petrol stations in the village, we shopped at Kandos before entering the valley. We stayed at Oska's Cottage.. a real cosy, comfy abode just perfect for a 3 day stay. The valley is also reknowned internationally for rare & endangered birdlife.
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Guest 06-May-2023 12:29
I use to work at the old hotel property for a man called LesEdwards who owned it at that time late 60s early 70s it was called Edline Stud I was looking after the horses they were trotting horses and there was also greyhounds Mr Edwards had stables at Glebe Sydney he mostly made his money from brewery trucks he owned trotting horses and raced as a hobby I was only 16 and was a the stable hand at Glebe but also spent time at the Stud farm at Glenn Davis the Store there was owned George Holland he didn't get on with Webb who had the property where the Shale mine is there was a dispute because Webb did not want tourist to come on his property but Holland wanted to make it an attraction for his personal gain having the only general store there he could be nasty and nosey at times There was an American company that tested up there for oil when I was there down near the start of the river but must have found nothing they were gone in a couple of weeks I remember a man called Trent who a property about half the way down the road from Capertee to Glenn Davis we would do some rabbit shooting to try and stop them from eating up the grass he needed for his sheep the old hotel had a lot of rooms but there was only 2 of us there
Guest 22-Oct-2018 11:45
Sad times when such a lovely place became a ghost town .
My family purchased and moved many houses from Glen Davis to other areas. Orange , Bathurst etc.
W.H. Webster of Orange.... great memories.
Tina Christopher 17-Apr-2018 00:43
Hi back in the mid to late 60,s at least on 4 occasions, my dad was an electrician Ron Harsh. We use to stay with Frank Grimshaw and his family, while dad did work for locals and fixed things they needed done. We lived at Miranda, Sutherland Shire Sydney. I remember going to the general store shop that was always closed that was owned by the Grimshaw. As kids we found Glen Davis to be a bit creepy and strangely quiet. I’m now 55. I’ve always wanted to come back and look around, even though the area frightened me. It now intrigues me 🙂 I many stories of our visits.Tina Christopher
Guest 24-May-2012 01:32
You've got it all kid, good man, relaxing times,your art and of course YOU. xxV
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