Everything about Gregory Blaxland totally explained
Gregory Blaxland (
17 June 1778 –
1 January 1853) was a pioneer farmer and explorer in
Australia.
Early life
Blaxland was born in Fordwich,
Kent,
England, the fourth son of John Blaxland senior who was mayor 1767–1774 and whose family owned nearby estates for years. In July 1799 Blaxland married Eliza, daughter of John Spurdon.
The Blaxlands were friends of
Joseph Banks who seems to have been an influence in the decision of the Blaxland brothers to emigrate. Gregory Blaxland arrived in
Sydney, Australia in April 1806, followed soon by his brother
John Blaxland a year later as a free settler. In 1808 the Blaxlands were associated with the
Macarthur faction in the deposing of
Governor Bligh. Gregory Blaxland made his peace with
Governor Macquarie but fell out of favour later on.
Blue Mountains expedition
In 1813, he led the first known European expedition across the area of the
Great Dividing Range known as the
Blue Mountains, along with
William Lawson and
William Charles Wentworth, on a journey which would open up the inland of the continent.
Blaxland visited England and in February 1823 he published his
Journal Of A Tour Of Discovery Across The Blue Mountains:
» "On Tuesday, May 11, 1813, Mr. Gregory Blaxland, Mr. William Wentworth, and Lieutenant Lawson, attended by four servants, with five dogs, and four horses laden with provisions, ammunition, and other necessaries, left Mr. Blaxland's farm at the South Creek, for the purpose of endeavouring to effect a passage over the Blue Mountains ..."
Later the same year Blaxland was awarded the silver medal of the
Royal Society of Arts for some wine he'd exported to
London, and five years later he received its gold medal. In January 1827 Blaxland was elected by a public meeting with two others to present a petition to
Governor Darling asking that "Trial by jury" and "Taxation by Representation" should be extended to the colony.
Later years
Blaxland is also noted as one of the first settlers to plant
grapes for
wine-making purposes. He
was engaged during the next few years in wine-making. and other activities, but took no prominent part in the life of the colony. For the last six months of his life he was suffering a great deal with pains in his head which affected his mind, and he committed suicide on
1 January 1853. He was survived by his sons and daughters. He is buried in All Saints Cemetery in
Parramatta.
The township of
Blaxland in the
Blue Mountains is named after him, as is the
Australian Electoral Division of Blaxland.
Further Information
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