photo prompt © Jan Wayne Fields
The three men looked back at Gregory’s farm. Greg’s wife waved from the verandah, the smallest of his three children clinging to her skirt. He turned, brushing a tear from his eye. The pack horses were laden with six weeks of provisions and if necessary they had five dogs they could eat. The three convicts did the work whilst a fourth oversaw them. Upward they climbed through the rugged bush. The land to the west spread before them, a fertile vista, but the sheer cliffs didn’t allow them passage down yet they celebrated – they were the first to see the other side.
Thank you to Rochelle Wiseoff-Fields for being our hostess for Friday fictioneers and to Jan Wayne Fields for supplying the photo prompt.
My immediate thought when seeing this photo was of the explorers Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson who were the first men to successfully cross our Blue Mountains in 1813. They did not make it down the other side – a chap named Evans did that in December 1813 and the three explorers were awarded 1000 acres of land each on the west side of the mountain. Wentworth wrote in his journal:
A country of so singular a description could in my opinion only have been produced by some Mighty convulsion in Nature – Those immense unconnected perpendicular Masses of Mountain which are to be seen towards its Eastern Extremity towering above the Country around, seem to indicate that the whole of this tract has been formed out of the Materials of the primitive mountains of which these masses are the only parts that have withstood the violence of the concussion.
William Wentworth
whilst William Lawson wrote:
Reached the summit of the Highest land we have yet been, … and Encamped by a fine stream of water. Here we had a fine view of all our Settlements, our progress was here stoped by an impassable Clift from going either South or West- Mr. Blaxland Wentworth and Self left our Camp with a determination to get down some parts of this broken land. But found it impracticable in some places 500 feet perpendicular here we saw the course of the Western River and that broken Country at Natai the back of the Cow pasters. No doubt this is the Remnant of some dreadful Earthquake
William Lawson, 22 May 1813
and Blaxland:
They now conceived that they had sufficiently accomplished the design of their undertaking, having surmounted all the difficulties which had prevented hitherto the interior of the country from being explored, and the colony from being extended. … Their provisions were nearly expended, their clothes and shoes were in very bad condition, and the whole party were ill with bowel complaints. These considerations determine them, therefore, to return home.
Gregory Blaxland
Thank you to Wikipedia for these diary entries.
Earliest pictorial representation of the crossing from the Sydney Mail, 25th December 1880
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
That was an interesting slice of Australian history Irene. Thanks.
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Thank you. Both the prompt photo and the Blue Mtns share some similarities.
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What interesting Australian history – I learn a lot from you, Irene. Reminds me of the Lewis and Clark expedition in America, the first European Americans to cross the western passage from St. Louis to the Pacific. Of course, it had been crossed for centuries by Native Americans, and the young Indian woman, Sacajawea, assured their success. Sometimes it has to be enough to know you’ve gone the distance even if you can’t claim all due.
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Now I’ve learnt something from you Sharon. I have not heard of your explorers Lewis and Clark. I have no doubt our aborigines also had crossed many times but they did not think to take any with them (they were too busy killing them I fear.)
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Sometimes the most that’s granted us is to know there is another side
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That’s true but we always want to cross. Even the chicken did and the grass is always greener.
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I remember seeing the Three Sisters from the Lookout Point at Katoomba, spectacular view of a fantastic country.
Thanks for the memory, Irene.
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Happy to give you a memory.
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“if necessary they had five dogs they could eat” I like how this is stated in such a matter-of-fact way. I do like all the extra information that you put in. I driven past Blaxland and Wentworthville, now I know the context for the names 🙂
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Thank you. I’m glad the extra info gave you an understanding of the names .
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A neat story to introduce those intrepid men. Undertaking any exploration in Australia is fraught with danger.
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Absolutely – especially in those times. Just our bush and its wildlife must have been a challenge for those from England.
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Dear Irene,
And the thing that hit me was hoping they didn’t have to eat roasted dog. 😉 Thank you for sharing this piece of history.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Glad to share Rochelle. I don’t think any of the dogs suffered this fate. Apparently the fourth man was a skilled kangaroo killer so they probably had some roasted kangaroo. Cheers Irene
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An intriguing bit of history.
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Thanks Ian. Sometimes what you learn in primary school has never been heard of by the rest of the world. Glad to introduce a bit of our history.
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That was so interesting. The people who went out and explored our world were a breed apart.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks Susan. I totally agree – it takes courage going into the unknown.
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Thanks for this brief look into history.
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You’re welcome Alicia.
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The history and detail of those intrepid people never ceases to amaze and impress me. Terrific vivid description, Irene.
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Thanks Jilly.
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Lots of gritty detail that brings the scene to life for us!
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I’m glad it brought it to life Penny. Thanks for telling me.
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Reading your story, and then the explanatory notes, was a real treat. Thanks.
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I’m glad it was a treat Linda
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No, not the dogs! 🙂 Seriously, this was great. A moving story where you clearly show the coming hardship but also hint at the excitement of exploring new places. And the back story is very interesting, too.
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Thanks very much for your comment. The dogs made it home safely.
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Interesting story and learned some Australian history from it.
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Glad to share some Australian history Lisa. Thanks for reading.
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I enjoyed your story and the inspirational back ground information. Nice read.
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Glad you enjoyed it James. Thank you.
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This was a wonderful slice of history, Irene. Loved it (and your additions!)
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Thanks Dale.
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Great story and I’ve learnt something, thanks
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Glad you both enjoyed it and learnt something. thanks.
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Oh those journeys humans made… once we had things to explore, now it’s all marked and owned.
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Sadly you are right – or perhaps it was then too but we just ignored the rights of those that came before us.
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A quick reminder to me about early day explorers. Nicely done and leaves me daydreaming about the good old days.
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Glad to have given you a reminder and left you dreaming.
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To be the first one to look out on a vista would be a beautiful experience! Nice story!
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Thanks Nan. Yes it must be quite an experience to feel you are the first there. A bit like footsteps in the snow.
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Good story, interesting history.
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Thanks Dawn.
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Great historical angle.
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Thanks.
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Pingback: Blue Mountains Texture: Tuesdays of Texture | Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)
It’s interesting to see the explorers of Australia in similar situations as those in America.
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Yes in many respects our countries are similar with similar challenges. The big difference (which I think is why we have a different culture) is the way we were populated. You with religious groups and us with our convicts.
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That comparison leaves much to ponder, Irene. Especially when one considers which country has the mass shooting issues.
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I have my nephews here at the moment from Switzerland. They have come up with a solution that they say is the case in Switzerland where every male is issued with a gun after he does military service which he keeps at home. Apparently (I don’t know the truth of this) they have the gun but they can’t access ammunition for them. Perhaps that would keep the gun lobby in the US happy as they could have their gun but not the means to kill multiple people.
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I have often said that I think the only people in the US who should have guns are those who’ve served or gone through similar training. I like the Swiss approach! The 2nd Amendment that the Gun Bullies banter about once took that same approach — the “right to bear arms” meant every young man of a certain age had to muster and train twice a year, owning, maintaining and providing his own ammo.
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Something has to give somewhere – I guess it is just a way off yet.
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I don’t know how many more lives we have to give. 😦
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