Born June 17, 1778, Hewington. Kent, England
Died January 1, 1853, North Parramatta, Australia

The first British settlements in Australia were located in the colony of New South Wales, on the continent’s fertile southeast coast. Explorers had tried to cross the Great Divide mountain range that separates that coast from the rest of Australia by traveling the canyons and passes that lay between the peaks and ridges. Their efforts had met with failure. Then in 1813 rancher Gregory Blaxland tried a different approach in his attempt to cross the mountains. With his farm—located near the main coastal settlement of Sydney—suffering from drought, he was looking for pasture land farther west. By traveling interconnecting ridges and not descending into the canyons, Blaxland and his party managed to cross much of the Blue Mountains, part of the Great Dividing Range. His trek encouraged further exploration and settlement...