Opening up the continent
1813: Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth cross the Blue Mountains
1813: Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth cross the Blue Mountains
National Museum of Australia
1800 1900
Theme
Colonial Australia
Environment
Indigenous Australia
Year level
4
5
9
Learning area
History
Geography
Use the following additional activities and discussion questions to encourage students (in small groups or as a whole class) to think more deeply about this defining moment.
Questions for discussion
1. The National Museum of Australia’s collection holds a commemorative medal showing Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson. The medal was produced for Australia’s 1988 Bicentennial Celebrations. Given what you now know about both the positive and negative consequences of the Blue Mountain crossing, how do you think this event should be remembered today?
National Museum of Australia
2. Windradyne was an important Wiradjuri leader involved in Aboriginal resistance to the new settlers. What impact did his leadership have on frontier conflict at that time? You might start your research at the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
3. Do you agree with the National Museum of Australia that the crossing of the Blue Mountains is a defining moment in Australian history? Explain your answer.
Image activities
1. Look carefully at all the images for this defining moment. Tell this story in pictures by placing them in whatever order you think works best. Write a short caption under each image.
2. Which 3 images do you think are the most important for telling this story? Why?
3. If you could pick only one image to represent this story, which one would you choose? Why?
Finding out more
1. What else would you like to know about this defining moment? Write a list of questions and then share these with your classmates. As a group, create a final list of 3 questions and conduct some research to find the answers.
National Museum of Australia, All Rights Reserved
In a snapshot
In 1813 Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wentworth and William Lawson were the first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains, part of what later became known as the Great Dividing Range. They were looking for new farming land for British colonists in Sydney. The crossing opened up the inland of Australia to pastoralism, but also began the long history of dispossessionas Aboriginal people began to lose their lands across the continent.
Australian bicentennial commemorative medal depicting explorers Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson
National Museum of Australia, All Rights Reserved
Can you find out?
1. Why did colonists want to cross the Blue Mountains?
2. Who were the first Europeans to make the crossing?
3. What happened to Aboriginal people once the settlers started to move onto their country?
2x
Why did British colonists cross the Blue Mountains?
Surviving the Australian climate was hard for early European colonists, especially pastoralists. Because of drought, insect plagues and the soil running out of nutrientsthey started to look for more farming land outside the original settlement of Sydney.
Local Gundungurra, Dharawal, Wiradjuri, Wanaruah, Darug and Darkinjung peoples used two main routes to cross the Blue Mountains, but most Europeans saw these routes as a confusing and scary maze of sandstone cliffs, deep gorgesand dense bush. Despite their fearsSydney colonists knew that finding a way through the Blue Mountains was their best chance to expand the new colony.
Research task
What was the first town to be declared on the other side of the Blue Mountains? Use Google Maps to find out how far this town is from central Sydney.
‘We have now commenced hostilities against them in consequence of their killing a great number of shepherds and stockmen, but afraid we shall never exterminate them, they have such an extensive mountainous country for them to flee from their pursuers.’
William Lawson’s son in 1824
i
Map of Blaxland's route across the Blue Mountains in 1813. Frank Walker, Journal of Gregory Blaxland
Land grant issued to Gregory Blaxland signed by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, dated 25 August 1812National Museum of Australia
The Plains, Bathurst, by John Lewin, about 1815.
Australian bicentennial commemorative medal depicting explorers Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson
Black Devereux Bowly clock. This clock was brought to Australia by the Blaxland family in the early 1800s. National Museum of Australia
Blue Mountain resorts poster by Percy TrompfCopyright courtesy Percy Trompf Artistic Trust, and Josef Lebovic Gallery, Sydney
A postcard showing Fern Tree Gully in the Blue Mountains
Victoria Pass, Blue Mountains, by Eliza Thurston,1861
View Gallery
Map of Blaxland's route across the Blue Mountains in 1813.
Frank Walker, Journal of Gregory Blaxland
View Gallery
Land grant issued to Gregory Blaxland signed by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, dated 25 August 1812
National Museum of Australia
View Gallery
The Plains, Bathurst, by John Lewin, about 1815.
Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales FL3312377
View Gallery
Australian bicentennial commemorative medal depicting explorers Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson
National Museum of Australia, All Rights Reserved
View Gallery
Black Devereux Bowly clock. This clock was brought to Australia by the Blaxland family in the early 1800s.
National Museum of Australia
View Gallery
Blue Mountain resorts poster by Percy Trompf
Copyright courtesy Percy Trompf Artistic Trust, and Josef Lebovic Gallery, Sydney
View Gallery
A postcard showing Fern Tree Gully in the Blue Mountains
National Museum of Australia
View Gallery
Victoria Pass, Blue Mountains, by Eliza Thurston,1861
National Museum of Australia
Although others before them had failed, colonists Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wentworth and William Lawson left Emu Plains on 18 May 1813 to cross the Blue Mountains. They were accompanied by James Burns, a settler who knew a lot about the bush and its Aboriginal pathways, as well as four convict servants.
Remarkably, they finished their journey in three weeks and became the first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains by crossing the ridges of the mountains instead of walking through the valleys. After the 1813 crossingBlaxland, Wentworth and Lawson were each given land as a reward.
Soon after George William Evans went even further than Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson and crossed the entire Great Dividing Range. In 1814William Cox supervised the building of a road over the Great Dividing Range by convicts. Once the road was completethe Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, travelled across the mountains to visit the Bathurst Plains.
Research task
Create a short biography (life story) of either Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wentworth or William Lawson. Include information about where they were born, their family, their occupation/s and what happened to them after the Blue Mountains expedition.
National Museum of Australia
A postcard showing Fern Tree Gully in the Blue Mountains
National Museum of Australia
2x
What did the crossing mean for the colonists’ relationship with Aboriginal people?
At first, relations between the colonists and the Wiradjuri people in Bathurst were mostly non-violent. But Governor Macquarie noted in his journal that the Wiradjuri people showed ‘fear at seeing so many strangers’. As the European population grew and spread out, however, violence between the colonists and local Aboriginal peoples happened more often.
Research task
When the Aboriginal people of the Bathurst region lost their lands after the Blue Mountains crossing, where did they move to? Why might this be a difficult question to answer? Do some research to find out.
Blue Mountain resorts poster by Percy Trompf
Copyright courtesy Percy Trompf Artistic Trust, and Josef Lebovic Gallery, Sydney
Macquarie’s successor, Governor Darling, took the unusual step of declaring martial law on 14 August 1824. At least 100 Aboriginal people died in the next four months in a violent campaign by colonists and soldiers. Violence between the colonists and Aboriginal people continued in the region throughout the 1820s and 1830s.
The pass through the Blue Mountains allowed many settlers to move into the interior of Australia, which began the spread of colonisation throughout the whole country.
Read a longer version of this Defining Moment on theNational Museum of Australia’s website.
What did you learn?
1. Why did colonists want to cross the Blue Mountains?
2. Who were the first Europeans to make the crossing?
3. What happened to Aboriginal people once the settlers started to move onto their country?
Related resources
FAQs
What is the significance of crossing the Blue Mountains? ›
The crossing enabled the settlers to access and use the land west of the mountains for farming, and made possible the establishment of Australia's first inland colonial settlement at Bathurst.
What did Wentworth Blaxland and Lawson do? ›Wentworth was sent to England for education, but returned to Sydney in 1810, keen to explore. He joined Blaxland and William Lawson in finding a way across the Blue Mountains, then went on to explore the South Pacific, where he was nearly killed by natives in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
What was discovered at the Blue Mountains? ›In the 1850's gold was discovered in the Bathurst district. This discovery resulted in a lot of travellers across the Blue Mountains.
How did Gregory Blaxland travel? ›In 1813 the Australian explorer Gregory Blaxland successfully crossed the Blue Mountains by following a ridge instead of taking a valley route. Rivers were found beyond the mountains, but they did not behave as expected.
What was the main reason for people visiting the Blue Mountains? ›Tourism. The Blue Mountains brings a swarm of tourists to its gates. The region is covered with stunning natural wonders, like large rock structures such as the Three Sisters, mysterious system of caves like the Jenolan Caves, as well as cascading waterfalls including the Wentworth Falls.
Who were the first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains? ›William Lawson is best known as a politician, explorer, and grazier who migrated to Sydney, New South Wales in 1800 and assisted in the first expedition to cross the Blue Mountains. He was born in Finchley, in Middlesex, England.
What was the most likely reason for Blaxland Wentworth and Lawson's decision to find a way across the Blue Mountains? ›Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson
Blaxland, inspired by the need for more grazing land for his flocks and frustrated by the Governor's refusal to grant him more coastal land, decided to attempt to cross the Blue Mountains.
Lawson's skill at surveying made him very useful to this discovery. He wrote down a record of times and distances so that their route could be retraced. Lawson's other explorations helped to open up the rich pastureland of the Mudgee district. He also made the first discovery of coal west of the mountains.
Why did Gregory Blaxland move to Australia? ›Within a few years Blaxland needed more pastures for his livestock. He could not expand his landholdings on the coast, so he decided to travel into the interior to find more pastureland. In 1813 he joined W.C. Wentworth and William Lawson on a journey into the interior of the Australian continent, or Outback.
How have humans changed the Blue Mountains? ›For decades, the Blue Mountains have been flogged by a number of human pressures, such as an outdated sewage system from the City of the Blue Mountains and pollution from coal mining. While the environment hasn't fully recovered, we're pleased to see successes in the recovery efforts.
What did Blue Mountain used to be called? ›
Blue Mountain Resort was originally named Little Gap Ski Area in 1977, in 1989 the name changed to better identify with the grand-scale of our mountain.
Did they find the girl in the Blue Mountains? ›Charlise Mutten murder: Stepdad Justin Stein charged after cops found barrel with human remains. Investigators reveal what led police to find the body of a missing nine-year-old girl in New South Wales' Blue Mountains in a barrel.
Who built the first road over the Blue Mountains? ›Two centuries ago, only one road ascended the Blue Mountains eastern escarpment, built over six months in 1814-5 by William Cox.
How old is the Blue Mountains? ›The story of the Blue Mountains begins some 300 million years ago. The landscape was mainly quartzite, heavily folded and faulted by earlier earth movements. It's this ancient rock, which can be up to 470 million years old, on which the Blue Mountains stand.
How did the Blue Mountains form? ›The Blue Mountains are said to be millions of years old, when the sea completely covered the region. Beginning when large clumps of residue dropped into the seawater to cover the floor, eventually compressing into hard sandstone and shale rocks.
Who were the first two Europeans who landed in the gold Coast? ›Prior to independence on March 6, 1957, Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The earliest Europeans to set foot on the land were the Portuguese in the 15th century (1471). On their arrival, they found so much gold between the rivers Ankobra and the Volta that they named the area “da Mina”, meaning “The Mine”.
Where did the Blue Mountains come from? ›The Blue Mountains landscape resulted from the erosion of bedrock as it was uplifted during about the last 15 million years. In some places, such as the north side of the Wallowa or Strawberry Mountains, faulting localized the uplift, visible today as abrupt and straight mountain fronts.
What was the first road over the Blue Mountains? ›As at 5 August 2015, The surviving remnants of Cox's Road, built 1814 to 1815, have state significance as the earliest road across the Blue Mountains and the first structure built by Europeans west of the Blue Mountains.
Who were the first inhabitants of the Blue Mountains? ›Back before the Europeans invaded the region, the Blue Mountains were inhabited by two major indigenous tribes; the Gundungurra and Darug Tribes. As well as the Burra Burra tribe, which inhabited the nearby Jenolan Caves.
Who crossed the Great Dividing Range? ›The range was traversed in 1813 by Gregory Blaxland, W.C. Wentworth, and William Lawson.
What did Henry Lawson mainly write about? ›
Henry Lawson, in full Henry Archibald Lawson, (born June 17, 1867, near Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia—died September 2, 1922, Abbotsford, New South Wales), Australian writer of short stories and balladlike verse noted for his realistic portrayals of bush life.
What inspired Lawson's stories? ›It was the journey undertaken in September 1892 by Lawson to rural New South Wales that provided the inspiration for much of the stories in the collection set for study. He was confronted by the arid, drought-blasted rugged landscape, and the equally worn and wearied people who somehow called it home.
Why is Henry Lawson so important? ›Henry Lawson is one of Australia's best known and most influential poets and writers. His works are famous for depicting life in the Australian bush. Among Lawson's best known works are The Drover's Wife (1892), While the Billy Boils (1896) and Joe Wilson and His Mates (1901).
How many people live in Blaxland? ›All private dwellings | 56,881 |
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Average people per household | 3.2 |
Median weekly household income | $1,222 |
Median monthly mortgage repayments | $1,950 |
Median weekly rent | $390 |
Blaxland History
The town's name was changed to Blaxland in 1914 after Gregory Blaxland - one of the famous explorers to first cross the Blue Mountains.
The division is based in the western suburbs of Sydney, and includes the suburbs of Bass Hill, Berala, Birrong, Chester Hill, Georges Hall, Lansdowne, Lansvale, Potts Hill, Regents Park, Sefton, and Yagoona; and parts of the business park and airport at Bankstown Airport; as well as parts of Auburn, Bankstown, Canley ...
Why are mountains important to human life? ›Mountains are the world's “water towers,” providing 60-80% of all freshwater resources for our planet. At least half of the world's population depends on mountain ecosystem services to survive – not only water but also food and clean energy.
What is the effect of this human activity to the mountains? ›Human activities like mining, livestock, energy production and tourism impact on Mountains. Human activities pollute mountains, change them, and change the complex interaction network of the species communities living there.
How do mountains influence human activities? ›Mountains also provide us with many important goods, including wood, pastures for livestock, drinking water and clean air. All are provided by mountain ecosystems, through complex processes, that are maintained by the community of different species and their interactions between them and with the abiotic environment.
Who is the missing kid in the Blue Mountains? ›Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenager missing from the Blue Mountains. Elizabeth Dyer, aged 14, was last seen leaving a home on Merriwa Street, Katoomba, about 5pm (Sunday 1 January 2023).
Who is the man missing in the Blue Mountains? ›
Michael Morell, aged 47, was last seen at Hillview Road, Katoomba, about 8.30am Wednesday (18 January 2023). When he failed to return home and could not be contacted, officers from Blue Mountains Police Area Command were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
Was Charlize Mutton found dead? ›Detective Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said a postmortem revealed the girl – who was reported missing from Mount Wilson on 14 January – suffered a gunshot wound. “Charlise ... suffered a fatal gunshot wound and that's how she died,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
What is the oldest paved road in America? ›Court Avenue is a small street in downtown Bellefontaine, Ohio, United States, located adjacent to the Logan County Courthouse. First paved in 1893, it is known for being the first street in the United States to be paved with concrete.
What is the oldest road in America? ›The National Road, in many places known as Route 40, was built between 1811 and 1834 to reach the western settlements. It was the first federally funded road in U.S. history. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson believed that a trans-Appalachian road was necessary for unifying the young country.
What is the oldest road in New Jersey? ›Old Mine Road is a road in New Jersey and New York said to be one of the oldest continuously used roads in the United States of America. At a length of 104 miles (167 km), it stretches from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to the vicinity of Kingston, New York.
How did the three sisters get their name? ›The Three Sisters play an important part in Aboriginal history and, according to legend, were once three beautiful sisters called Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo. The sisters fell in love with three brothers in the neighbouring tribe– something that was forbidden under tribal law.
What is a fact about the Blue Mountains? ›The Blue Mountains are about 10 times older than the Grand Canyon. The ancient rocks underneath the mountains are roughly 470 million years old. The sandstone plateau, signified by the Blue Mountains, took form around 50 million years ago following a forceful uplift.
Which city is known as Blue Mountains? ›Overlooking the hills of the neighbouring nation of Myanmar and the mighty River Chhimtuipui, is the highest peak in the state of Mizoram, Phawngpui, which is also known as the Blue Mountain.
What is the spiritual value of the Blue Mountains? ›For countless generations, Aboriginal peoples have shared the Blue Mountains land as their seasonal home, hunting ground, and ceremonial place, The spirit of the land speaks through the Ancestors, the water and trees, birds and animals, with memories passed on from one generation to the next.
What is the significance of crossing? ›The exchange of chromosome material results in variation in the offspring. It plays a crucial function in the evolution process. The creation of genetic maps is aided by crossing over frequency.
What is Blue Mountain in The Glass Menagerie? ›
Blue Mountain: Amanda's home when she was a young girl, before she married Mr. Wingfield. Blue Mountain is Amanda's rendition of the good ol' days, back when she was young and popular and loved and sought after. Laura's shyness prevents her from attracting suitors as Amanda had in her youth.
What are some significant or sacred indigenous sites in the Blue Mountains? ›- Glenbrook Aboriginal sites. Red Hands Cave. ...
- Yarramundi Aboriginal sites. Shaws Creek Aboriginal Place.
- Faulconbridge Aboriginal sites. Ticehurst Park.
- Hazelbrook Aboriginal sites. Horseshoe Falls. ...
- Lawson Aboriginal sites. Old Man Kangaroo.
- Wentworth Falls Aboriginal sites. ...
- Leura Aboriginal sites. ...
- Katoomba Aboriginal sites.
Mountains, then, speak of stability and security. God's people lift their eyes to the mountains, and they are reassured that the God who made the mountains will not let his people down.
What do mountains represent spiritually? ›It symbolizes constancy, permanence, motionlessness, and its peak spiritually signifies the state of absolute consciousness. In dreams, a mountain signifies danger, but climbing a mountain depicts inner elevation.
What are the four mountains of God? ›- Enoch.
- mountain of incense.
- mountain of Eden.
- mountain of the East.
- Lubar.
The answer to this question is Crossing over is important because it ensures genetic variability and contributes to genetic resortment which are the key factors to genetic diversity among offsprings that would otherwise lead to lot of abnormalities, genetic disorders.
What is crossing over answer in one sentence? ›Complete answer:
Crossing over is a process where there is exchange of genetic material or the segments during sexual reproduction between the non-sister chromatids of the homologous chromosomes.
Crossing over is important for the normal segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Crossing over also accounts for genetic variation, because due to the swapping of genetic material during crossing over, the chromatids held together by the centromere are no longer identical.
What mental illness does Laura have in the glass menagerie? ›Answer and Explanation: Laura shows signs of acute social anxiety and symptoms of a psychotic disorder. She confesses she doesn't hear her glass figurines arguing.
What disability does Laura have in the glass menagerie? ›Laura has a slight physical defect — a limp — but she has magnified this limp until it has affected her entire personality. Laura's oversensitive nature makes her think that everyone notices her limp; it becomes for her a huge stumbling block to normal living.
What does the menagerie symbolize? ›
The title of the play, and the play's most prominent symbol, the glass menagerie represents Laura's fragility, otherworldliness, and tragic beauty. The collection embodies Laura's imaginative world, her haven from society.
What are the cultural values of the Blue Mountains? ›Cultural Significance
Beyond the biological importance of the Blue Mountains, the area also contains significant indigenous cultural values. The traditional owners of the areas of the Blue Mountains include six Aboriginal language groups, and important rock art and engravings can be found throughout the region.
Exploring this vast and sacred Country with local Aboriginal guides not only provides an insight into the world's oldest living culture, but also reveals ancient secrets about connection to the land and how to care for it.
Why are mountains so significant to indigenous people? ›However, Aboriginal culture is greater than just these physical sites. Entire landscapes also hold significant cultural values. From an Aboriginal perspective land and people are inseparable. The mountains provided Aboriginal people with food, shelter, clothing, tools, utensils and medicine.