For early colonists, the Blue Mountains were long considered an impassable barrier. This course traces the dramatic history of exploration, road-building and settlement from Parramatta to Bathurst. We explore ambition, engineering, landscape and colonial expansion, examining how crossing the mountains transformed the colony’s future. Suitable for anyone interested in Australian history, exploration and the stories embedded in landscapes.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• George Mackaness, Fourteen Journeys over the Blue Mountains (1813-1815) (Review Pub Dubbo 978)
• Almis Simankevicius, Macquarie’s Kingdom (Good Walking Books 2004)
• Greg Powell, Bushwalking through History - The Blue Mountains (Macstyle 1989)

COURSE OUTLINE

• Topography of the Blue Mountains
• Why did the Europeans want to cross them?
• Exploring the motivations behind these journeys.
• The best-known crossing.
• Preparation for a personal journey across the mountains.
• Governor Macquarie’s 1815 crossing.
• Aboriginal walks.
• Monuments.
• Cox’s Pass, Inns of Little Hartley.
• Hartley, Bathurst.
• Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson – later years.
• Vaucluse House, Sydney University.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Have a greater understanding of the historic crossing of the Blue Mountains and subsequent development.