Road To The West

I so wish I had emigrated to Aus in 1983. To late now of course.

My ultimate Australian ancestor and his brothers were given grants of land near what is now Kurrajong on their return from duty on Norfolk Island. In 1820, they exchanged their land at Kurrajong for land near Rylstone/Kandos and set out along Cox's Rd over the Mountains to take up that land. The journey took many months with families, convicts and cattle, but they did make it.

Serves them right; for stealing the land.

Fantastic history of my beautiful home 💕

an alternate history is they just asked a few local black fellas how to cross the mtns
one may have even guided them . I dont know what the truth is ,
People often throughout history embellish the truth to make them look like heroes
and back then as if they would say they got help from a savage . ohhh the shame!
Awesome video all the same

in the modern term WHAT A SCAM EH ! no mention of the original people & or their farming of grasslands !!!

Thank you for this beautiful history of our nation … along with many other subjects this should be in our schools

they should make a movie about this or have they?

As I am living in the great Roy Pinchs house, his house was built in 1937. Loads of history indeed. People just say, eh needs a renovation. Considering this video of around the area, I expect it to be roughly around the same time the house was built, that the technology was present for videography.

you notice they don't name the convicts with them,they done all the hard yakka,poor bastards

This video makes me question our history !....no way did the do syd to blue mountains in 2 weeks....how stupid do ppl think we are ?? ...what food what water....bushes...tress...natives...what just a quick walk with the chaps....then we will build a road in 3 yrs....what with 30 convicts ???....what am i missing here ?

Don't get me wrong.
I enjoy this NFSA stuff, however,
they took the land....
No mention of first nations people.

Reminds me of the baloney whitewash Australian "History" I was taught at school.

Wonderful

The amount of venomous snakes and there just plodding on. Phenomenal. Such a harsh environment

This is a very good channel.
Nice to see the history of Australia in these short documentaries. :)

Wait this isn’t Cowboy Bebop

H

Good to see the history. Unlike the shoddy memorial in Portsmouth remembering the sailing of the First Fleet. The founding of a European nation is commemorated by a piece of street furniture with a difficult to read plaque.

Oz is a very popular country in U.K. Am convinced locals would allow something a lot better if Australia showed some enthusiasm!

Hey look there's a car and the great western highway.

wonderful story.

Did Wentworth fall or was he pushed?

my teacher linked this to me its amazing

Thank you for this great film. 🙌🏼🙌🏼

A lot of swaggies in the early days where knocked off for their kidney fat, it was considered a delicacy. Do your research if you doubt me, and it happened to a lot of indigenous young men from neighboring tribes.

What that is so cool like I want to be there now in 2019

Bad singing

Brilliant!. Thank you so much 👍😊

"the road was finished 2 moths ahead of time".... so a Labor government then?

LOL. Their view of Hartley. Already magically cleared!

This is great stuff. It is a shame Australians are not more interested and proud of their history, so it is essential that this is kept alive. It is a uniquely beautiful place.

In our politically correct times the 200th anniversary crossing recreation did not feature anything resembling the firearms being carried by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. I'm waiting for a modern version of Gallipoli that depicts the ANZACs and Turks without any weapons.

My ancestor built the inn at Hartley. I stayed there a couple of years ago. Beautiful old place.

My class mates loved this video, thank you so much, I used it A LOT

In 1984 the abc had a brilliant series called THE EXPLORERS written and narrated by the late bill peach .At 5 oclock that night camped at the ft of the first ridge at knapsack gully it wasn't by accident blaxlands exploration of the Warragamba river had made him certain not to do what others had done and follow river valleys that lead into shear sandstone cliffs. So they followed the ridges and reached mt Blaxland the farthest point of their journey . The explorers returned in 5 days a lot faster than their trip up . Governor Maquarie was silent on their return and was not mentioned of until 8mths later in the Sydney gazette. Each explorer was awarded a land grant but only Lawson took it up 1000 acres . Blaxland ended his strange life by hanging himself and wentworth  old ironbark became an humanitarium for peoples rights.

i hacked this comment so u can't like it

Cox's Road was built by Cox, 30 convicts, 8 soldiers, AND 2 aboriginal guides/hunters AND freemen (Richard LEWIS guide and foreman, a blacksmith, some wagoners and Lt Lawson as supervisor (joined at about half distance)).  - to give full credit (it is normally the 8 soldiers who get left out). The party was organised, selected, supplied; and motivated by Cox - full credit.

The innovation of BW&L wasn't to follow the ridge lines (they had a local guide and they follow a path up Lapstone Hill) the success was built on the fact they used depots to hold the horse while the men went ahead and blaze a trail (cut a path wide enough for the horse and their panniers to fit through).  This is why it took 20+ to get to Mt Blaxland and 7 days to get back (despite hunger and clothing, equipment and horses been worn out).

It is this blaze that allowed George EVANS and his farm manager Richard LEWIS (+ 4 others) to arrive at Mt Blaxland in good conditions and supplies enough to explore out to near present day Wellington. It was EVANS' reporting of "pastures as good as the best downs of England" that really got the excitement going in Old Sydney Town. Even so guards where placed on the road at Emu Plains and Hartley to stop and limited uncontrolled  early western/Bathurst development.

Thanks so much! I'm doing my school history research topic on Wentworth and the crossing of the Blue Mountains. This really helped!:)

Excellent video. Having walked the Cox's Road in 2013, this video brings a different dimension to the experience and 2013 celebrations of the crossing that was so important to the development of the colony

Very nice! I'm related to one of the convict builders Patrick Hanrahan so it was great to get the story.

Gracias.

Felicito a la NFSA Australia por estos videos maravillosos.

That was excellent!

You're welcome. Making otherwise forgotten films available to new and old audiences is exactly what we are trying to do. Thanks for your feedback and support.

I love watching these historical videos. They're so interesting and it's always fun to show my parents and grandparents to see what they remember from the videos. Thank you Film Australia!!! Mwa mwa mwa xoxoxo