Mapping the Hanging Swamps of the Blue Mountains: An Atlas of the Hanging Swamps of the Blue Mountains
Researcher
Lead Researcher Louisa King, with cultural lead David King (Gundengarra)
Published
12 Mar 2025
Funding
Design Thinking Grant
The Atlas of the Hanging Swamps of the Blue Mountains was a research project conducted from August to October 2023 to document and enhance the understanding of the unique hanging swamp ecosystems in the Blue Mountains, particularly those near urban areas.
By investigating how swamps can be identified without visible standing water, understanding the indicators of their presence, and examining their ecological evolution, this project aimed to bring attention to these critical yet often overlooked ecosystems.
Led by a team of landscape architects and land-based practitioners, the project focuses on the high-altitude hanging swamps of the Blue Mountains. Our work fosters groundwater literacy and develops urban design solutions to protect and sustain these intricate and vital landscapes.
Through collaboration with local communities, we use advanced visualisation technologies to map the ecological and cultural significance of the swamps. This approach raises awareness of their role in water health, cultural heritage, and carbon sequestration. The research contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on upland swamp ecosystems, offering valuable insights into the complexities of mapping and monitoring these fragile environments.
The Blue Mountains and Newnes Plateau areas are home to 1,200 Highland Peat Swamps, ecologically critical wetlands that provide essential services such as carbon storage, water filtration, and habitats for endangered species. They are also culturally significant to the Gandangara people and non-Indigenous mountain communities. However, these ecosystems face threats from long-wall coal seam mining, invasive weeds, urban runoff, fire, and climate change.
The final outputs of the project highlight the swamps' crucial roles in carbon sequestration, ecological services, and cultural heritage, underscoring the need for their ongoing preservation.
