Hartley, New South Wales

Hartley is a historical village in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, within the City of Lithgow local government area, located approximately west of the Sydney central business district. Hartley is located below the western escarpment of the Blue Mountains.It was once a major administrative centre on the Great Western Highway. It has since fallen into decline, replaced by other towns that are on the railway line. At the 2011 census, Hartley had a population of 299 people.HistoryHartley was formerly a judicial and administrative centre that had a busy courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1837 and was designed by prominent New South Wales Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis. The courthouse, which operated for over fifty years, dealt with a constant stream of robbers, thieves and convicts. Although Hartley fell into disuse, it survived as a perfectly preserved village that is a superb example of 19th century architecture. Because of its heritage value, it is now preserved as a historic site, administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales. Situated west of and south of, it is open to the public every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Sunday). The Hartley Historic Site, an area of, is listed on the Register of the National Estate.