Three Sisters

According to popular accounts, the Three Sisters legend tells of Wimalah, Meeni, and Gunedoo, three young women from the Katoomba tribe in the Jamison Valley. When they fell in love with men from the neighboring Nepean tribe, their relationship was forbidden by tribal law. The Nepean men attempted to capture them, causing a major conflict. To protect the sisters, a tribal elder transformed them into stone but died in battle before he could reverse the spell, leaving them permanently frozen as rock formations.

While this tale is frequently presented as an authentic Indigenous Australian Dreamtime story, research suggests it originated with Patricia Stone, a non-Indigenous teenager who reportedly created the "indigenous" names for the formations.

The Gundungurra people, who are the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, maintain their own distinct legend about the Three Sisters rock formation that differs from this popular version.

In recognition of their cultural significance, the Three Sisters were officially declared an Aboriginal Place in January 2014, becoming the 98th location in New South Wales to receive this designation.