Activity page8AInvestigation 4 Who actually crossed <strong>the</strong> Blue Mountains? See <strong>the</strong> filmWe know that Blaxl<strong>and</strong>, Lawson <strong>and</strong> Wentworth were involved in <strong>the</strong> crossing.But who were <strong>the</strong>y, <strong>and</strong> why did <strong>the</strong>y attempt <strong>the</strong> crossing?1 Your task is to look at <strong>the</strong> biographical information on <strong>the</strong> three explorers(activity pages 14–16) <strong>and</strong> complete this table about <strong>the</strong>m.‘virtual visit’from 05:50 to 08:45Aspect Blaxl<strong>and</strong> Lawson WentworthAge in 1813BackgroundPosition inNew SouthWalesPreviousexploringexperienceReason forinvolvementPersonalqualities(good <strong>and</strong>bad)When you have completed looking at <strong>the</strong> information on <strong>the</strong> three explorers that follows,answer <strong>the</strong>se questions:2 Do you think Blaxl<strong>and</strong>, Lawson <strong>and</strong> Wentworth were heroes?3 Add any information to your summary table on activity page 3A.4 Write a brief paragraph or do a comic strip sketch for your own history textbook (in box 4<strong>of</strong> activity page 3B) to explain to readers who Blaxl<strong>and</strong>, Lawson <strong>and</strong> Wentworth were.24<strong>Myths</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Mysteries</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Crossing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Blue Mountains
Activity page8BGregory Blaxl<strong>and</strong> (1778–1853)Gregory Blaxl<strong>and</strong> (1778–1853),settler, was born on 17 June 1778 atFordwich, Kent, Engl<strong>and</strong>. In July 1799he married Elizabeth; <strong>the</strong>y had fivesons <strong>and</strong> two daughters.The British government promised<strong>the</strong>m l<strong>and</strong>, convict servants <strong>and</strong> freepassages if <strong>the</strong>y emigrated to NSW, inaccord with its policy <strong>of</strong> encouraging‘settlers <strong>of</strong> responsibility <strong>and</strong> Capital’.Gregory sailed on 1 September 1805with his wife, three children, twoservants, an overseer, a few sheep,seed, bees, tools, groceries <strong>and</strong>clothing. When he reached Sydneyhe sold many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se goods verypr<strong>of</strong>itably, bought eighty head <strong>of</strong>cattle so as to enter <strong>the</strong> meat trade,located 1619 hectares <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> waspromised forty convict servants. Soonafterwards he also bought 182 morehectares <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong>.The Blaxl<strong>and</strong>s bought a stockyard<strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed <strong>the</strong>ir cattle grazing.When Macquarie arrived he addedto <strong>the</strong>ir l<strong>and</strong> grants; this, he thought,satisfied all <strong>the</strong> claims for governmentassistance to which Gregory wasentitled. He became very critical <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>rs for remaining ‘restless<strong>and</strong> dissatisfied’ <strong>and</strong> refusing to growgrain, despite <strong>the</strong>ir large numbers<strong>of</strong> convict servants; but Blaxl<strong>and</strong>was concerned with his livestock.By 1813 he had come to realise thathis flocks <strong>of</strong> sheep <strong>and</strong> cattle wereexp<strong>and</strong>ing beyond <strong>the</strong> resources <strong>of</strong>his coastal grant. Macquarie couldnot be persuaded to grant extra l<strong>and</strong>sto large flock owners on <strong>the</strong> coast,<strong>and</strong> Blaxl<strong>and</strong> thus drew <strong>the</strong> correctconclusion that <strong>the</strong> solution to <strong>the</strong>pastoralists’ l<strong>and</strong> problem lay indiscovering a route to <strong>the</strong> interior.In 1810 he had explored part <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Nepean River. Early in 1813 herequested Macquarie’s approval <strong>of</strong> anexploring expedition across <strong>the</strong> BlueMountains, <strong>and</strong> on 11 May he setout with William Lawson <strong>and</strong> WilliamCharles Wentworth.In 1814, like many o<strong>the</strong>rs almostinsolvent because <strong>of</strong> drought <strong>and</strong>depression, he tried to persuadeMacquarie to sanction a scheme for<strong>the</strong> exploitation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interior by alarge agricultural company. Macquariewould not agree nor would he allowBlaxl<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> interior for hisown flocks. Since Blaxl<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n hadto dispose <strong>of</strong> his livestock, it is notsurprising that he joined <strong>the</strong> colonialopposition to Macquarie.By 1820 Blaxl<strong>and</strong> had settled downon his Brush Farm estate. Here heconducted many experiments withcrops <strong>and</strong> grasses, unsuccessfullywith tobacco growing but mostsuccessfully with buffalo grass <strong>and</strong>viticulture. He had brought vinesfrom <strong>the</strong> Cape <strong>of</strong> Good Hope, founda species resistant to blight, took asample <strong>of</strong> his wine to London in 1822<strong>and</strong> won a silver medal for it. Whilein Engl<strong>and</strong> he published his A Journal<strong>of</strong> a Tour <strong>of</strong> Discovery Across <strong>the</strong>Blue Mountains in New South Wales(London, 1823).Thereafter Blaxl<strong>and</strong> disappearedfrom public activity <strong>and</strong> when hecommitted suicide on 1 January1853, his death was scarcely noticedin <strong>the</strong> press. Always a man <strong>of</strong> moody<strong>and</strong> mercurial character, Blaxl<strong>and</strong>devoted his colonial activitiesalmost entirely to <strong>the</strong> pursuit <strong>of</strong> hiseconomic interests, <strong>and</strong> his diariesdo not suggest great attachment to<strong>the</strong> colonial environment beyondwhat was suggested by <strong>the</strong> hope <strong>of</strong>personal gain.State Library <strong>of</strong> New South WalesJill Conway, Online Dictionary <strong>of</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> Biography, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/blaxl<strong>and</strong>-gregory-17955 Complete <strong>the</strong> biographical table in Activity page 8A for Blaxl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>Myths</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Mysteries</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Crossing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Blue Mountains25
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