What effects did Gregory Blaxland's exploration have?

Answer 1

Gregory Blaxland, along with William Lawson and William Wentworth, were the first explorers to successfully cross the Blue Mountains in Australia.

On 31 May 1813, they reached Mount Blaxland, from where they could see the the rich grasslands on the other side of the mountain barrier. Blaxland wrote in his journal that they "discovered what [they] had supposed to be sandy barren land below the mountain was forest land, covered with good grass". Beyond the mountains the explorers found a great expanse of open country, which they surveyed. Their exploration was important because it opened up the grazing lands of inland New South Wales, and allowed the colony to expand beyond the Blue Mountains. It meant that many, many more free settlers could come to New South Wales, because there was ample land and opportunity for all.

The route they traversed is basically the one still used by travellers today. In January 1814, colony surveyor George Evans recommended building a road which would follow the ridge track located by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. Soon after this, William Cox was commissioned to build the road to Bathurst. The original Great Western Highway covered 161 km and incorporated twelve bridges, and provided ready access to the west.