Location
The picturesque Putty Valley winds its way between the hills and the surrounding bushland of the Wollemi and Yengo National Parks.
Just a couple of hours from the Sydney, it has places of such beauty unsurpassed in national wilderness areas throughout Australia. This is the largest wilderness area in NSW and forms part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area — a maze of canyons, cliffs and undisturbed forest.
Roads
Roads in the area are narrow with lots of bends. Kangaroos feed on the sides of the roads, especially before sunrise and sunset. Wombats come out of their burrows in the evening to feed. Drive carefully and be prepared to give way.
There is currently no access from Bakers Road north to the various trails to Rylston, Putty Road and beyond.
History
Pre-European settlement, the valley was home to the Darkinjung people. It is thought the name of Putty is derived from a word which sounded like “Booty or Parbooty”, and was understood to mean place of plenty. The area is rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage.
In the early 1800’s when the first north road from Windsor passed through the valley, the explorers Parr, Howe and Singleton in turn on their journeys north, noted the lush native grasses, plentiful waterways and abundant wildlife.
Hearing their reports, Governor Macquarie promised a land grant to one Hannah Laycock, pioneer beef provedore to the commissariat of Sydney. The land was named “Putty Farm”, and was settled by Hannah’s descendants.
Cattle grazing was the early industry of the valley, together with timber getting. Beautiful stands of cedar and turpentine were logged up to the early 20th century.
Today Putty Valley is settled by many small land holders with diverse interests including the traditional cattle grazing, horse studs and equitation, golf, tennis, bush regeneration, and above all an appreciation of this lovely natural environment.