What were William Wentworth's beliefs?

Answer 1

Wentworth was the son of a doctor and a convict woman. He started as a young radical, wanting an independent Australia and social equality. As he grew older, became more prosperous and got land, he became conservative, supported the squatters and even strove for a colonial aristocracy with hereditary lordships and knighthoods. A radical change indeed. Biographical Background: William Charles Wentworth was born on 26 July 1790 on the 'Surprize', a ship transporting convicts to Australia. As a "Currency Lad", one of the first children born into the colony of New South Wales, he enjoyed his status as different from the "English ascendancy," and was an outspoken nationalist, determined to gain civil rights for those who, like himself, were very much in the minority. He was an advocate of Australia becoming self-governing.

Wentworth, along with William Lawson and Gregory Blaxland, was the first European to cross the Blue Mountains which, for twenty-five years, had prevented the expansion of the colony at Sydney Cove. Many others had tried to find a way through, but been turned back by dead-end ravines and vast expanses of impassable rocky cliffs. Discovering a way through the Blue Mountains opened up the huge interior of Australia for settlement and further exploration.

Wentworth was the only one of the three explorers to make a significant name for himself in the new colony. He commenced 'The Australian' newspaper in 1854 and founded the University of Sydney in 1852.

Answer 2

William Wentworth was a prominent figure in early Australian history and a strong advocate for democracy, freedom of the press, and emancipation of convicts. He was also a proponent of self-government for the Australian colonies and played a key role in drafting the Australian Constitution. Wentworth believed in the inherent rights and equal treatment of all individuals, regardless of background or social status.