Case file · Folklore / legend
The Three Sisters legend
The popular tale of three sisters turned to stone by a sorcerer at Katoomba spread on tourist material from the late 1920s and 1930s, presented as an 'Aboriginal legend'.
1931 CE · -33.73, 150.31 · status: disputed
The account
Historian Martin Thomas argues the version was composed by a non-Aboriginal Katoomba local, Mel Ward. The Gundungurra traditional owners have their own story involving the formation, part of the Gurangatch creation narrative, and local authorities now consult them on public versions.
The sceptical view
The tourist story is best treated as settler folklore; the Gundungurra tradition is the authentic one.