Crossing the Blue Mountains

Once in the mountains, the party witnessed first hand the challenges the road builders had tackled, as well as the scenic grandeur. Descending into the grassy plains on the western side of the mountains, they camped on the banks of the Macquarie River for a week. It was during this time that the Governor selected a suitable site for the erection of a town to be named Bathurst. The party returned to Sydney on 19 May 1815.

Major Henry Antill (1779-1852) and John Lewin both kept records of the trip, Antill a journal and Lewin watercolours. Lewin's paintings of the excursion capture previously unrecorded landscapes, and provide some wonderful behind-the-scene glimpses into the organisation needed for the excursion. 

Read Henry Colden Antill's complete Journal
View the full collection of John Lewin's paintings
View a chart of part of the interior of New South Wales by John Oxley, Surveyor General

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Celebrating the centenary of the crossing

To mark the centenary of the crossing of the Blue Mountains by Gregory Blaxland, William Wentworth and William Lawson, historian, writer and lecturer Frank Walker (1861-1948) wrote the official history, published in 1913 by the Blue Mountains Centenary Celebrations Committee.

To support his research, he amassed a large collection of maps, leaflets, brochures and newspaper clippings. Some of Walker’s collection is held at the State Library of New South Wales.