02 May 1957 - Outline History of Glenbrook District

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Thu 2 May 1957 - Nepean Times (Penrith, NSW : 1882 - 1962)
Page 2 - Outline History of Glenbrook District

Outline History of Glenbrook

District

II. A. McLEOD MORGAN

(Hon. Treasurer of Royal

Australian Historical

Society)

Line 3.0.0I This is a further installment
Line 3.0.1of «the address under this title
Line 3.0.2given by Mr. McLeod Morgan
Line 3.0.3at a meeting held by Glenbrook
Line 3.0.4Fix this textC.W.A. in Glenbrook School of
Line 3.0.5Arts on April 4. Last week's
Line 3.0.6instalment dealt with the
Line 3.0.7original road (Cox's Road) over
Line 3.0.8the Mountains.]

Line 3.1.0About the year 1824, an alter
Line 3.1.1nate road was built as a means
Line 3.1.2of avoiding Cox's fearsome
Line 3.1.3ascent of Lapstone Hill. To-day.
Line 3.1.4the alternate looks about as
Line 3.1.5ficrce a.s Cox's original road must

have been.

Line 3.3.0The 1824 road is the route
Line 3.3.1reached by crossing the Western
Line 3.3.2Railway at Emu Plains Station,
Line 3.3.3and proceeding west on the
Line 3.3.4north side of the line, and zig
Line 3.3.5zagging to the top of the first
Line 3.3.6ridge to rejoin Cox's Road at the
Line 3.3.7site of the old "Pilgrim Inn,"
Line 3.3.8close to the present Blaxland

Station.

Line 3.5.0Just before looking at the his
Line 3.5.1tory of this inn, we might spare
Line 3.5.2a glance at two more writers who
Line 3.5.3travelled the road westward after
Line 3.5.4its 1824 improvement.

Line 3.6.0Rene Primvere Lesson, wrote
Line 3.6.1on January 1, 1824: "The road
Line 3.6.2rises in a gentle, easy slope, and
Line 3.6.3is well marked as far as Spring

wood."

Line 3.8.0An anonymous letter written
Line 3.8.1in 1824. stated: "The first ascent
Line 3.8.2of the Blue Mountains by this
Line 3.8.3new Lapstone Hill is excellent.
Line 3.8.4It would be perfectly practicable
Line 3.8.5to take over, as I said before, a
Line 3.8.6train of 24 pounders."

Line 3.9.0We should now take a glance
Line 3.9.1at the "Pilgrim Inn," stated by
Line 3.9.2some to be the first inn on the
Line 3.9.3Blue Mountains, and much has
Line 3.9.4been written on the subject. For
Line 3.9.5our purpose, the quotation of a
Line 3.9.6breezy page from "Inns of Aus
Line 3.9.7tralia" by Paul McGuire. should
Line 3.9.8be enough to outline its early
Line 3.9.9days:

Line 3.10.0"Lapstone Hill was a whole
Line 3.10.1day's pull for bullock waggons.
Line 3.10.2The Pilgrim Inn at its top was a
Line 3.10.3welcome sight to man and beast.

Line 3.11.0Ryan holds that it was the
Line 3.11.1first inn of the Mountains, built
Line 3.11.2by William Williams, who was
Line 3.11.3killed there bv a bullock (his
Line 3.11.4brother was killed bv a musket
Line 3.11.5ball glancing from the horn of
Line 3.11.6another bullock). But we think
Line 3.11.7that Williams' house was The
Line 3.11.8Lord Byron, which seems to have
Line 3.11.9switched names at some time
Line 3.11.10with The Pilgrim, and thus
Line 3.11.11raised a furor academicus which
Line 3.11.12has raged amongst the learned,

Line 3.12.0Venturing our heads, we pro
Line 3.12.1pose that The Pilgrim was built
Line 3.12.2by the livelv Barnett Levy, who
Line 3.12.3in 1826 sold his estate (Mount
Line 3.12.47,ion. with its brook Kedron and
Line 3.12.5Valley of Jehosaphat) here, and
Line 3.12.6its house of twelve rooms, 'ad
Line 3.12.7vantageously situated for an inn',

end let at £100.

Line 3.14.0Mrs. Hawkins (travelling to
Line 3.14.1Bnthur.st with her seven child
Line 3.14.2ren. mother, and husband) in
Line 3.14.31822 halted at a Pilcrim. About
Line 3.14.41830, it fathered Ted Evans, who
Line 3.14.5lonscored for N.S.W. against
Line 3.14.6Lill.vwhite's English team, and
Line 3.14.7took 5 wickets for 94 runs.

Line 4.0.0John Outrim Wascoe had It
Line 4.0.1from 1835-38, and in 1852 he ac
Line 4.0.2quired The Lord Byron (which
Line 4.0.3we think made way in 1912 for
Line 4.0.4Blaxland Railway Station exten
Line 4.0.5sions), and perhaps temporarily
Line 4.0.6swapped the titles to confound
Line 4.0.7historians. He certainly held a
Line 4.0.8Pilgrim in the 'forties and 'fifties,
Line 4.0.9when all the district was popu
Line 4.0.10larly known as 'Wascoe's'.

Line 4.1.0Sir Frederick Pottinger, the
Line 4.1.1baronet turned policeman, met
Line 4.1.2his end at The Pilgrim in 'C3,
Line 4.1.3when his pistol expoded. He was
Line 4.1.4en route to Sydney to explain his
Line 4.1.5conduct of the campaign against
Line 4.1.6the Ben Hall Gnng. In his fas
Line 4.1.7cinating "Wild Colonial Boys,"
Line 4.1.8Frank Clune suggests suicide.
Line 4.1.9But accident seems more likely.

Line 4.2.0Returning to the anonymous
Line 4.2.1letter writer of 1824. he had this
Line 4.2.2to say of Emu Plains: "Emu
Line 4.2.3Plains seems the very place for
Line 4.2.4a town, and it is wonderful for
Line 4.2.5what reason its eligibility should
Line 4.2.6have been so long neglected. In
Line 4.2.7a picturesque and fertile valley
Line 4.2.8of 8 or 10 thousand acres, the
Line 4.2.9succulency of whose soil would
Line 4.2.10produce anything and everything,
Line 4.2.11with a ncfale river running
Line 4.2.12through the midst, and at a con
Line 4.2.13venient distance from Sydney
Line 4.2.14and Parrnmntta—the town of
Line 4.2.15Emu, with its church and snire,
Line 4.2.16it.s courthouse and its smithy,
Line 4.2.17with a happy and ruddy peasan
Line 4.2.18try for milc.s around will soon. I
Line 4.2.19hope, succced to these miserable
Line 4.2.20stacks of wheat. The conveni
Line 4.2.21ence of a poet-township at Emu
Line 4.2.22would be very great to the whole
Line 4.2.23of the neighbouring country, but
Line 4.2.24especially to the Bathurst set

Line 4.3.0tlers and those individuals now
Line 4.3.1I'.ving in the mountains, and
Line 4.3.2with a resident .stipendiary
Line 4.3.3magistrate, mayor, landrost, pro
Line 4.3.4vost, ov whatever might be his
Line 4.3.5title, and a running post, which
Line 4.3.6is the best in thinly peopled
Line 4.3.7countries, the character and evil
Line 4.3.8associations so long connected
Line 4.3.9with Emu would soon be lost,
Line 4.3.10and the town become one of the
Line 4.3.11most important in the Colony.

Line 4.4.0"We now rode on for Sprinp
Line 4.4.1wood, and had an unpleasant
Line 4.4.2ride the lpst six or seven miles
Line 4.4.3in the dark, the road not being
Line 4.4.4here so good, many stumps be
Line 4.4.5ing left standing in the middle
Line 4.4.6on which my tired horse made
Line 4.4.7freouent, stumble. From Sydney
Line 4.4.8to Sprlngwood in one day is no
Line 4.4.9.ioke. to one not accustomed to
Line 4.4.10the saddle."

MITCHELL ARRIVES

Line 4.6.0About the year 1827, there ar
Line 4.6.1rived in Australia Major Mit
Line 4.6.2chell destined to become Sir
Line 4.6.3Thomas Livingston Mitchell, one
Line 4.6.4cf the greatest Survcyors
Line 4.6.5Cieneral and pioneers Australia
Line 4.6.6has ever known. With indefatig
Line 4.6.7able energy and demand for al
Line 4.6.8most "push button" efficiency
Line 4.6.9from his subordinates, he set to
Line 4.6.10work bringing survey data and
Line 4.6.11road routing up-to-date. He
Line 4.6.12tackled the hazardous and weari
Line 4.6.13somn Bathurst Road, and Mit
Line 4.6.14chell's Pass with the Lennox
Line 4.6.15Bridge, known to most Austra
Line 4.6.16lians. even those with only a
Line 4.6.17rudimentary knowledge of our
Line 4.6.18fascinating history. Mitchell
Line 4.6.19also by-passed the dreaded Cox's
Line 4.6.20route (with subsequent devi
Line 4.6.21ations bv Lawson and Lockyer)
Line 4.6.22down Mt. York, by forging his
Line 4.6.23pass at Mount Victoria, still used
Line 4.6.24to this day.

Line 4.7.0On the eastern side of the
Line 4.7.1Mountains, Mitchell chose a
Line 4.7.2route, and the 1824 road. Instead
Line 4.7.3of going "bull at a gate" straight
Line 4.7.4at a slope (this was considered
Line 4.7.5the be.st for the typical long line
Line 4.7.6of bullock teams'), as had the
Line 4.7.7two earlier roads in the vicinity
Line 4.7.8of the present Blaxland. How
Line 4.7.9ever, there was a difficult cross
Line 4.7.10gullv to be negotiated, and Mit
Line 4.7.11chell's progressive ideas favoured
Line 4.7.12something better than the old
Line 4.7.13style wooden bridge, subject to
Line 4.7.14the ravages of time, posts, and
Line 4.7.15Are. For this he must have a
Line 4.7.16competent stone-mason used to
Line 4.7.17such work.

Line 4.8.0The storv goes that he found
Line 4.8.1David William Lennox working
Line 4.8.2on a wall in Macquarie Street,
Line 4.8.3and asked him to come to the
Line 4.8.4survey office.

Line 4.9.0Thus Lennox's historic career
Line 4.9.1as the "Bridge Builder". In addi
Line 4.9.2tion to the famous Horseshoe
Line 4.9.3Bridge not far from here, he
Line 4.9.4built the Lansdowne Bridge near
Line 4.9.5Liverpool, still in use. one at Par
Line 4.9.6ramatta, the first Prince's Bridge
Line 4.9.7in Melbourne, as well as others.

Line 4.10.0With 20 selected men. he be
Line 4.10.1gan the arch in Mitchell's Pass
Line 4.10.2in 1832 and had it finished by
Line 4.10.3July, 1833. To get praise from
Line 4.10.4Mitchell was a compliment in
Line 4.10.5deed, and he said of the bridge:
Line 4.10.6"—a somewhat experimental
Line 4.10.7work, which Mr. Lennox execut
Line 4.10.8ed extremely well." So well,
Line 4.10.9that, like his Lansdowne Bridge,
Line 4.10.10it still carries traffic 125 years
Line 4.10.11later!

Line 4.11.0Born at Ayr, in Scotland, Len
Line 4.11.1nox arrived in Australia on the
Line 4.11.2"Florentia," August 11, 1832, so
Line 4.11.3that Mitchell had siezed on him
Line 4.11.4very promptly. Lennox died at
Line 4.11.5his home in Campbell Street,
Line 4.11.6Parramatta on 12th November,
Line 4.11.71873, at the age of 85.

Now that the Mitchell Pass

Line 5.0.0had been opened, lot us look at
Line 5.0.1n few more writings of westward
Line 5.0.2journeys. In 1835, James Back
Line 5.0.3house,' who walked the colony
Line 5.0.4with his friend George Washing
Line 5.0.5ton Walker, both members of
Line 5.0.6the Society of Friends, wrote:

Line 5.1.0"Alter breakfast at a respect
Line 5.1.1able inn, we proceeded (o the
Line 5.1.2station of the Stockade of the
Line 5.1.3Ironecl-gang on Emu Plains. The
Line 5.1.4huts in which they are lodged
Line 5.1.5are but temporary structures,
Line 5.1.6nnd the gang, which was large,
Line 5.1.7Is now reduced to seventy. The
Line 5.1.8superintendent, a young man
Line 5.1.9from Inverness-shire, accompan
Line 5.1.10ied us to the gang, with whom
Line 5.1.11we had a religious interview.
Line 5.1.12They have been employed In cut
Line 5.1.13ting a new road up Lapstone Hill
Line 5.1.14the ascent of the Blue Moun
Line 5.1.15tains, and are now completing it
Line 5.1.16with a bridge, , across a deep

gully," ',

Line 5.3.0Charles Darwin, the famous
Line 5.3.1naturalist, wrote in 1836: "Jan
Line 5.3.2uary 17. Early this morning we
Line 5.3.3passed the Nepean in a ferry
Line 5.3.4boat. The river, although at this
Line 5.3.5spot both broad and deep, had
Line 5.3.6a very small body of running
Line 5.3.7water. Having crossed a low
Line 5.3.8piece of land on the opposite side
Line 5.3.9we reached the slope of the Blue
Line 5.3.10Mountains. The ascent is not
Line 5.3.11steep, the road having been cut
Line 5.3.12with much earn on the side of a
Line 5.3.13sandstone cliff."

(To be continued)

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Outline History of Glenbrook District

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Outline History of Glenbrook District

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