Spanning almost the entire east coast of Australia, the Great Dividing Range is composed of an expanse of hills and mountains. Directly west of Sydney, the Range is known as the Blue Mountains due to the eerie blue haze which is the result of evaporated eucalypt leaf oil. Although today the mountains are an attraction of natural beauty, for the early colonists of Sydney the Blue Mountains were the source of great frustration. The mountains were a barrier to the natural westward expansion of the colony and with more free settlers arriving, the need to reach additional land suitable for the grazing animals and growing crops was essential.
Early Exploration in the Blue Mountains
In 1789, the first official attempt to find a route through the mountains was set. Three days in, after traveling a mere 24 kilometers, the expedition party frustrated by sheer towering cliffs, were unable to proceed any further. Seven years later a well known explorer, George Bass, mounted an expedition but he too was perplexed and forced to return after 15 days. In 1802, a party led by George Barralier cut and hacked its way through the dense native growth and succeeded in penetrating deeper into the mountains than any previous expedition. Unfortunately for Barralier and his party, they too were unable to find a way through, having been stopped by sheer walls of sandstone. Today we know these cliffs as the Kanangra Walls.
The failures of these early attempts can be explained by the English/ European mindset of the explorers. By following the river flows they expected to find a way up through the hills and to the mountain peaks, however the rivers of the Blue Mountains flow through gorges and many of their sources are located in valleys surrounded by sheer cliffs.
Taking the High Road
In1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth teamed together in an effort to find new grazing lands beyond the mountains. Unlike many of the early explorers, Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth felt their best chance would be to find a ridge that crossed the length of the ranges.
After several false starts they found a ridge which continuously ran between the valleys and gorges. It was not an easy route and on many occasions they had to backtrack in order to find new ways forward. After 17 days they reached what is now known as Mount York. From this vantage they noted a valley with excellent pastoral grasses. It was however another three days of hacking through bush land before they reached the valley.
A Road Forged
Using the information gained by Blaxland’s party, New South Wales assistant surveyor George Evans was able to plot the route for a road over the Blue Mountains. By 1815, a track had been cleared but remained perilously steep and narrow in places. The new road gave access to desperately needed settlement opportunities and allowed stock to be moved into western New South Wales.
References:
Coupe, Robert. Australian Explorers: Unlocking the Great South Land. New Holland P:ublishers 1998. Pg 21 - 23
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