Crossing the Blue Mountains

Since Europeans first arrived in Australia the Blue Mountains were considered an impenetrable barrier. The first recorded official attempt at crossing them was made in 1796 by George Bass, a British Naval Surgeon. In 1801 Francis Barrallier made two attempts and came tantalisingly close to making it through. Finally, in 1813 an expedition led by Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth successfully negotiated this seemingly impossible challenge, and the westward expansion of New South Wales followed.