“Land of the Mountain Apple” they call it. That’s Bilpin. Fruit orchards thrive here in Bilpin. The soil is fertile. You can see roadside stalls lining the road. They sell homemade produce especially in summer.
Bilpin apples and Bilpin apple juice are well-known around Australia. The area is known for its cool climate and rich soils. This has created a situation where the two main attractions are the remarkable Waratah Native Garden and the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens. Both are only a few kilometres from Bilpin on Bells Line of Road.
But first some history. Opinions differ on whether Bilpin is in Dharug or Darkingung land. Gregory Blaxland differentiated between the plains natives, Dharug and the Branch natives of the mountains, Darkingung. Bilpin is an Aboriginal word. It may mean mountain. Pulpin was an Aboriginal guide in 1816. His name may also be a source of Bilpin’s name.
In 1823 Archibald Bell was shown the route from Richmond to Mount Tomah through what is now Bilpin. Darug men Emery and Cogy showed him. On a second trip in 1823 he found a way across to what is now Lithgow.
Children’s author Hesba Brinsmead was brought up in Bilpin. She wrote several books set in the region. One is Longtime Passing from 1971. She won the Children’s Book Council of Australia award for it. Meredyth Hungerford was another local author. She wrote “Bilpin: the Apple Country” and “Exploring the Blue Mountains”.
Bilpin Community Hall is the center of Bilpin life. It hosts a Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning. It also hosts the annual Spring Flower show. The Mount Wilson to Bilpin Bush Run in August aids the Bilpin Bush Fire Brigade. There is also an annual quilt exhibition.
Bilpin has a small school. It opened in 1927. In 2015 it had 67 students. It has vegetable gardens and a chicken coop. It has a partnership with the local Environmental Education Centre.
Bilpin Coaches picks up local children. It drops them off at Bilpin school each morning and afternoon. It runs additional services for other local schools. Hawkesbury Community Transport offers a bus service to Richmond weekly. This is for seniors and others with mobility needs.
Bilpin is now known as a tourist destination. There are roadside stalls and orchards where visitors can pick their own fruit. These include Pine Crest Orchard and The Bilpin Fruit Bowl. The Bilpin Fruit Bowl has the world’s largest fruit bowl. It’s a roadside attraction. The Bilpin Fruit Bowl has been in operation since 1985. It is family owned. You can even adopt a fruit tree. Their apple pie is out of this world. Their apple juice is excellent.
At the 2016 census Bilpin recorded a population of 665 people. The residents of Bilpin were somewhat older than is typical of the whole country. Their median age was 45 years compared to the national median of 38. 79.8% of people were born in Australia compared to the national average of 66.7%. 87.7% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 29.5%, Catholic 23.0% and Anglican 17.0%.
Bilpin on Bell’s Line of Road was originally named Belpin after Archibald Bell Jr. In 1823 he crossed the Blue Mountains. He was only nineteen.
The area had been occupied by the Dharug Aboriginal people for an estimated 40000 years before Europeans arrived. The first confirmed European explorer was Archibald Bell Jr. His route has become known as Bell’s Line of Road. When he returned to Sydney Bell reported the richness of the soil in the Bilpin area. This attracted settlers eager to grow fruit trees.
The area did not take off with any enthusiasm. By 1831 there were only thirteen families living along the entire length of Bells Line of Road. The discovery of gold around Bathurst in the 1850s saw prospectors using the rough track that is now Bells Line of Road as an easy crossing route to the goldfields. Although relatively close to Sydney Bilpin has remained a fruit and garden area. Today it is sparsely populated orchard and garden country.
Experience Bilpin. Enjoy a mountain climate along with spectacular scenery and quality honest produce.