The Blue Mountains, inland from Sydney, were a major geographical barrier in early colonial New South Wales. Their crossing in 1813 revealed broad grasslands that transformed the prospects of sheep farming and wool exports. The mountains also link two consequential colonial figures: John Macarthur, whose wealth grew with the pastoral expansion, and William Wentworth, an explorer of the route who became an advocate for political inclusion.

Setting and Crossing

Before the crossing, the Blue Mountains separated Sydney from extensive inland grasslands. In 1813, they were crossed by an expedition that included Wentworth, opening the country beyond to sheep grazing. The discovery mattered economically: the open land was well suited to sheep, and Macarthur, already engaged in sheep farming and wool export, became one of the principal beneficiaries of the expansion.

Pastoral Expansion and the Squatters

The newly accessible grasslands helped turn sheep farming into a source of great wealth. Macarthur and other sheep magnates grazed their flocks on land owned by the British government rather than by the graziers themselves. They became known as the Squatters, and their standing as a colonial elite gave rise to the book’s pointed description of their dominance as a Squattocracy. The land’s value thus grew alongside a dispute over who could occupy and profit from it.

William Wentworth and Political Rights

Wentworth’s connection to the mountains was both exploratory and political. As one of the leaders of the first expedition to cross them, he helped open the grasslands to the Squatters; later, he led ex-convicts and their children in demanding more inclusive institutions. He advocated an elected assembly, jury trial for ex-convicts and their families, and an end to transportation to New South Wales. His newspaper, the Australian, led attacks on existing political institutions. A town in the mountains was still named after him, preserving the association between the crossing and a figure whose political sympathies were with the people seeking rights in the colony.

Historical Significance

The Blue Mountains stand in the account at the intersection of geography, economic opportunity, and political conflict. Their crossing enabled pastoral expansion, but the resulting wealth did not settle questions of landholding or representation. The Squatters’ rise and Wentworth’s demands for equal participation show how opening access to new resources could strengthen an elite while also sharpening calls for more inclusive political institutions.