William Lawson journal of a tour into the country north of Bathurst, 8-24 November 1821

C 120 vol. 1

fonds

8-24 November 1821

825687

Microfilm : CY 1642 , frames 1-19

0.01 metres of textual material (1 volume) - manuscript

William Lawson, explorer and pastoralist. Lawson trained as a surveyor, but joined the New South Wales Corps in 1799. He later became a lieutenant in the New South Wales Veterans Company. In 1813 he accompanied Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth in the first successful attempt to find a route across the Blue Mountains. During his years at Bathurst Lawson undertook three journeys of exploration to find a practicable pass through the ranges to the Liverpool Plains. In this he was unsuccessful but his journeys helped to open up the rich pastoral district of Mudgee. Lawson attributed the discovery of the Cudgegong River to James Blackman but claimed that he himself discovered the site of Mudgee some ten miles (16 km) beyond the farthest point reached by Blackman. From 1819 to 1824 he was commandant of the new settlement at Bathurst, and made several further journeys of exploration in that area. He died at Veteran Hall, his grant at Prospect, in 1850.

Reference:
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/ (accessed February 20, 2008)

Lawson provides a detailed description of times and distances of the route of the journey, and some description of the terrain. Also includes a map of a track north of Bathurst with a scale in miles. With a covering letter from William Lawson to Governor Macquarie, dated 30 November 1821, enclosing the journal.

John Blackman is the son of James Blackman (1754-1842) and Elizabeth Harley (1765-1842).

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Research & study copies allowed: Author has been deceased for more than 50 years
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`Mitchell Library, Sydney' bookplate on the inside verso of cover