Myths and Mysteries of the - Australian History Mysteries

Activity page11CCandidate 3: Francis Barrallier (1773–1853)Francis Barrallier, [assistant] to Governor King, led twoexpeditions into the foothills of the Blue Mountains in 1802.He discovered Burragorang Valley but was prevented fromtravelling further by a large waterfall.He was a refugee from the French Revolution, with aknowledge of engineering, surveying and navigation.Barrallier set off as an emissary from Governor King, toconvey the governor’s compliments to the (Aboriginal)‘King of the Mountains’.Leaving their depot, they descended to the Nattai Riverand followed it downstream to the Burragorang Valley andWollondilly River. Heading west, they climbed a ridge southof the Tonalli River, and climbed towards Southern Peak,returning to Nattai to await the arrival of new supplies.Re-supplied, they headed back up towards Southern Peakon November 22, reaching Mootik Plateau just south ofYerranderie, and making camp at Alum Hill on the 24th.From here, they followed a route via Bindook towards theGreat Dividing Range.On the 26th, two forward scouts returned to report havingfound: ‘an immense plain; that from the height they wereon the mountain they had caught sight of only a few hillsstanding here and there in this plain; and that the country infront of them had the appearance of a meadow.’What the scouts could not see was the Kowmung Rivergorge slashing through the ‘plain’.They hastened through Barrallier’s Pass to set up campnear Bent Hook (Bindook) Swamp. In spite of heavy rain,they were in high spirits, and after setting up bark huts,‘they congratulated themselves with having succeeded inaccomplishing the crossing of the Blue Mountains withoutaccident’.They were now on the eastern edge of the BindookHighlands. From here, it is an easy ridge-top journey to theGreat Divide, along what was to become the Oberon-ColongStock Route.Barrallier and his party eventually reached a pointapproximately 2km short of the Great Divide and withinsight of it. They did not recognise this, however, due to thenature of the terrain. Had they explored south, they couldhave reached Mt Werong in an hour, and seen the westwardflowing Abercrombie River. Having travelled as far as theirsupplies allowed, they returned the way they had come.Barrallier and his party had crossed the Blue Mountains,and come substantially closer to the Great Divide thanBlaxland, Lawson and Wentworth were to.www.yerranderie.com/explorer.htmCandidate 4: George Caley (1770–1829)George Caley, botanist and plant collector to SirJoseph Banks, went on regular collecting excursionsinto the Blue Mountains to gather natural historyspecimens.In November 1804, Caley and party set off for theCarmarthen Hills (Mt Tomah and Mt Banks), withthe intention of then continuing west or to ‘the mostpromising part of the country’. His companions were‘ticket of leave men’, minimum security convicts. Aftertravelling overland from Parramatta, possibly carryingtheir boat, they travelled up-river from Windsor tonear the junction of the Grose River. From there, theyclimbed 500 metres, in the hot sticky weather, toTabaraga Ridge near Kurrajong Heights.Caley would no doubt have noticed the Bilpin Ridge,along which Bell’s Line of Road would later be built,had he reached Tabaraga Ridge one or two kilometresfurther north. But Caley set a compass course forMt Tomah, and determined to stick to it as far asthe terrain would allow. The march took them overPatersons Ridge, through three ravines, then into aparticularly steep sided valley which Caley named DarkValley. They were unknowingly travelling parallel to,and a few kilometres from, the Bilpin Ridge.www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/discovery/caley.htmThis candidate might be considered the firstto cross the Blue Mountains because …Candidate 5: George EvansSix months later, George Evans was sent by GovernorMacquarie to survey the route found by the threeexplorers in May 1813. He led a team which followedtheir route to Mount Blaxland, and then continuedon, over the Great Dividing Range, to where Bathurstnow stands — so over 100 kilometres beyond theachievement of the three explorers. He thus becamethe first European known to have reached the richpastureland of the Western Slopes and Plains.www.infobluemountains.net.au/history/crossing_3ex.htmThis candidate might be considered the firstto cross the Blue Mountains because …This candidate might be considered the firstto cross the Blue Mountains because …Myths and Mysteries of the Crossing of the Blue Mountains37