Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Part of Cox's Pass, New South Wales

Part of Cox's Pass, New South Wales

after 1814
SV1B / Blu M / 21
Lithographic print

In 1814, just a year after the Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson crossing, Governor Lachlan Macquarie commissioned the military officer and magistrate William Cox (1764-1837) to supervise the building of the first road across the Blue Mountains. Cox oversaw a team of 30 convicts, who took only six months to build 163 kilometres of road, which spanned from Emu Plains to the Macquarie River (near present day Bathurst.)

This lithograph was published in London in 1821, and depicts part of Cox’s road descending from Mount York to the Hartley Vale below. The artist, E. Purcell, based the scene on drawings originally done by John William Lewin. In 1815 the natural history artist travelled with Governor Macquarie on his inspection of Cox’s road and the western plains. Governor Macquarie was impressed with Cox’s work, and named this descent from Mount York, Cox’s Pass. Cox’s Pass is today a popular bushwalk.

The 30 convicts who built Cox’s Pass were reward freedom, and given a small grant of land.

William Cox was appointed Magistrate at Hawkesbury by Governor Macquarie in 1810. He was considered a generous man and regularly issued leave passes to convicts. These were colloquially known as ‘Captain Cox’s Liberties.’

William Cox received the first land grant west of the Blue Mountains. He called his 2000 acres, ‘Hereford’, and ironically used it to run sheep.

William Cox’s sons erected a stained-glass window to their father’s memory in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie described William Cox as ‘a sensible intelligent man of great arrangement.’

William Cox’s road had to be at least twelve feet wide in order that two carts could pass each other.