Sandstone Explorers Part 3 - Celebrating 200 years of The Crossing of the Blue Mountains - Gregory Blaxland

Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth are three names synonymous with Australian exploration. They are credited with being the first Europeans to cross the impassable Blue Mountains and open up the fertile plains to the west of Sydney.

While this has always been the historical version of the opening up of the inland, by the time Gregory Blaxland had received approval from Governor Macquarie to mount an expedition to find a way over the Blue Mountains, a great deal of information had already been gathered from others who had tried and failed.

                                                                 Gregory Blaxland

Blaxland emigrated in 1805 with the promise of free passage, land and convict servants upon arrival. People like the Blaxlands were encouraged to emigrate because the government wanted 'settlers of responsibility and capital'.

Upon arrival Blaxland sold the provisions he had brought with him for a tidy profit and bought cattle which he grazed on land he located. He also bought land from D'Arcy Wentworth at Brush Farm near Eastwood.

Like a lot of the free settlers they did very well in the colony but always thought they should be entitled to more. And in 1808 Blaxland with his brother John signed the petition to arrest and overthrow Governor Bligh.

After further grants of land by Lieutenant-Governor William Paterson which were confirmed and added to by Governor Macquarie, Blaxland realised that this was still not enough for his ever expanding sheep and cattle flocks.

In 1810 this lead to Blaxland exploring the Nepean River and realising that the way to obtain new land was to explore the interior west of Sydney. He petitioned Governor Macquarie to form an expedition to cross the Blue Mountains and on 11th May 1813 he set out with William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth.

They made their way over the mountains following the ridges rather than looking for a way through the valleys and completed the crossing in 21 days.

In later years Blaxland tried to persuade Governor Macquarie to allow a scheme to utilise the interior for grazing his own flocks but Macquarie would not allow it.

Blaxland then experimented with a number of different crops including viticulture for which he won a silver medal for wine in 1822.

After the death of his wife in 1826 he returned to England taking with him a petition with support for trial by jury and some form of representative government. He also took another sample of wine for which he won another medal.

After returning to the colony he pursued his agricultural and viticultural interests until his suicide in January 1853.