NewScape Director John Newman played a key role as in-house designer and project manager in the improvement of lookouts and walking tracks at the iconic Three Sisters precinct in Katoomba, undertaken during his tenure with NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. One of Australia’s most visited natural landmarks, the Three Sisters sits within a deeply significant cultural landscape, located along a historic pathway on the border of Gundungurra and Darug Country, with strong connections also to the Wiradjuri people.
A collaborative and respectful consultation process was central to the project, beginning with engagement across all three Aboriginal groups and continuing through more detailed consultation with Gundungurra Elders as the Traditional Owners of the site. These conversations informed both the physical upgrades and the interpretive approach, ensuring the project honoured cultural stories while improving the visitor experience. A 600-metre walking track linking Echo Point to the Three Sisters was enhanced with three viewing platforms and a series of animal sculptures, subtly embedded along the route to cue Aboriginal-led interpretation and storytelling.
The completed works represent a major capital investment in NSW’s most popular short walk, welcoming approximately 600,000 visitors each year. Upgrades included the renewal of three lookouts and regrading of the walking track to improve accessibility, while retaining the rustic character that defines the Blue Mountains walking track network. New lookouts and refined track gradients were carefully designed to sit lightly within the landscape, reinforcing the principle that nature — and culture — remain the stars of this remarkable place. The project was recognised with the 2017 NSW AILA Award for Tourism (Landscape Architecture Award), acknowledging its excellence in design, cultural engagement and visitor experience.
