Obelisk on Mount York near Mount Victoria in Blue Mountains, Australia - Encircle Photos

Obelisk on Mount York near Mount Victoria in Blue Mountains, Australia

Arthur Phillip, the First Governor of NSW (1788 – 1792), was impressed when he saw the vast, open land on the other side of the Great Dividing Range. He wanted to reach this promising agricultural land. A journal entry from his 1789 expedition called it the Blue Mountains. A former convict named John Wilson may have been the first to discover a pass in 1797. But during a subsequent attempt sponsored by Governor Hunter, Wilson could not prove his claim. Several other explorers tried and failed. Then the team of Gregory Blaxland, William Larson and William Wentworth hacked their way along the ridgelines for 21 days. On May 28, 1813, their expedition was successful. This obelisk on Mount York was erected in 1900 to commemorate the first crossing of the Blue Mountains. Three local towns are also named in recognition of the men.

Obelisk on Mount York near Mount Victoria in Blue Mountains, Australia

Mount York Lookout, Mount Victoria NSW 2786, Australia

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