In 1836, HMS Beagle arrived at Sydney Cove carrying the naturalist Charles Darwin. Darwin spent 18 days in New South Wales, where he attempted to gain a little understanding of the geology and natural history of Australia. Of particular interest, was one day he spent as a guest at the Wallerawang Homestead. While there he had his first encounter with unique Australian species such as the platypus and visited the Wolgan Valley, which left him struck by its sheer size and baffled by its formation.