Mid Blue Mountains History

This is currently in a degraded state owing to some 40 years of neglect resulting from the 1951 establishment of a highway corridor with vague plans for a highway widening. The centre could be considered as an urban precinct reflecting the life-style of a community between the Wars. Fires have destroyed many of the items reflecting an earlier period of Blue Mountains history and inappropriate alterations have spoiled others.

Honour Avenue Shops

The shops fronting Honour Avenue and adjacent to The Blue Mountain Hotel are examples of this despoliation. The original group was built in 1890 by a William Hart, and from 1892 - 1925, with the Post Office moving here from Badgery's Crescent, it became the major retail centre for Lawson and surrounding districts. In 1907 W.G. Staples moved here from his general store in Badgery's Crescent and this group of shops became known as Staples Post Office Stores.

PROGRESS ? COMES TO LAWSON.

Honour Avenue shops pre-1970's

The same group of shops shows the un-sympathetic addition of alluminium cladding begun in the 1970's.

corner of Honour Avenue showing the hotel on the right with the first of the shops on the left.

The Blue Mountain Hotel in 1920's.

Douglass Square showing the Honour Avenue shops on right.

Highway Shops

The butcher's shop (above) is particularly significant. The sign above the awning says "Rees Butcher", put there by a Thomas Rees who opened the first butcher shop in 1894 (on the current Fire Brigade site). When this burnt down he built the present shop in 1912 and this has been the Lawson Butchery ever since.