Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Journal of an expedition across the Blue Mountains

Journal of an expedition across the Blue Mountains

11 May - 6 June 1813
Safe 1/22a
Manuscript journal

Explorer and pastoralist lieutenant William Lawson (1774-1850) was a wealthy land owner in Prospect, western Sydney. Like Gregory Blaxland, Lawson had a desire to expand his agricultural interests, but to do this, he required more land.

In the early days of the colony, it was widely believed that an abundance of fertile farming land existed on the other side of the Blue Mountains, however many failed attempts by other explorers proved they were difficult to cross.

In 1813 Blaxland invited Lawson to accompany him and William Charles Wentworth on an expedition to find a route across the Blue Mountains. Lawson's knowledge of surveying made him a particularly valuable member of the expedition. His journal, with its accurate record of times and distances, enables the route to be precisely retraced.

The proof is in the detail..

'...Wednesday morning 12th May at 9 oclock Struck our Tents and ascended the First Ridge of Hills.Steared S¼ SW¼ WSW¼ W½ NNW¼ fell in with a Lygoon ful of Large Bushes plenty of good water N by W 1¼ Miles NNW½ N½ at 1 oclock saw Groce Head bearing N by W about 7 Miles distance NNW½N by W½ W¼ WNW¼ Mr Blaxlands Horse fel with his load Encamped at 4 oclock at the Head of a deep gully The land we passed over this day very poor and scrubby,-

Thursday Morning 13th May 1813At nine oclock again proceeded W½ NW½ came into Forest Land supposed to be about 1000 Acres- with great Quantitys of Indigo growing much such land as Lane Cove- found several Camps of Native Huts- W by S½ NWx½ our progress Stoped by an extreem thick scrub obliged to alter our Course SE½ NNW½ Terminating in deep Rocky gullys impossible to proceed came back to NWx- NE½ NW¼ …'


William Lawson