Touring the colony | State Library of New South Wales

Touring the Colony Touring the Colony

‘I mean to View and Examine Accurately as much of the Country… as I possibly can.’
Lachlan Macquarie, 1811

Macquarie believed tours of the colony were necessary for the improvement of the country and to encourage settlers in their agricultural pursuits. In November 1810 Macquarie embarked on a series of visits by coach, ship and horseback to the outlying districts of the colony.

During his first tour, while inspecting the countryside, farms and towns in the vicinity of Sydney, he founded Liverpool and the five Hawkesbury towns of Richmond, Windsor, Wilberforce, Castlereagh and Pitt Town. In 1815 Macquarie made a grand vice-regal journey over the Blue Mountains along the new road built on his orders by William Cox.

Other tours of inspection took Macquarie to Newcastle, Van Diemen’s Land, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie, Lake George, the Goulburn plains, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra.

A characteristic of these tours was the impressive number of natural features, towns and streets he named after himself and Mrs Macquarie.

Lachlan Macquarie. Dispatch to Lord Bathurst, 24 March 1815 (Historical Records of Australia)

Macquarie declares his intention to visit the Bathurst Plains following the completion of the road across the Blue Mountains.

File size: 1.36 MB | Duration: 00:02:28

To listen to an audio recording, click the play button play button. To download the file to your desktop, right-click the title link and choose Save Target As...

Quick Links