Road To The West

Next month will mark the 200th anniversary of the historic crossing of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. This film is available on DVD: shop.nfsa.gov.au/product_info....
By 1813 the colony of New South Wales had experienced consecutive droughts and weak harvests. The population continued to grow and the colonists desperately needed to expand into more fertile farming land. Through re-enactments and historical stills this is the story of the first European crossing of the rugged Blue Mountains by the three explorers, William Charles Wentworth, Gregory Blaxland and Lieutenant William Lawson, each of whom had his own reason for being part of the expedition. Made by The Commonwealth Film Unit 1965. Directed by Alexander Ezard.

[@NFSAFilms]

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.

[@kennygee9848]

NFSA Films the history of roads in the western suburbs of Sydney australia

[@mattthistlewaite2210]

what is the first song called? in the video

[@beaksofeagles]

@@mattthistlewaite2210 Not sure who the singer is, the poem is "Colonial Experience" by Banjo Paterson.

[@mickgatz214]

Bravo! I love this channel. :)

[@evanb35]

Excellent work restoring this, and making it available. Bravo NFSA.

[@thomaselliott573]

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.

[@horationelson57]

A shame indeed. And only so few subscribers! My Australian forbears were infinitely more civilised than the barbarous rabble today(drug-addled; heavily tattooed and pierced like primitive savages; supposedly universally educated but tasteless and ignorant of matters of beauty and truth and goodness I detest (alas) my very own generation.

[@thomaselliott573]

@@horationelson57 They have appointed themselves as the masters of all they see due to their apparently infinite and unquestionable knowledge. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of the truth. Their egos have turned them into idiots.

[@theblytonian3906]

@@daviddou1408 STFU you woke stooge. Anyone who can think analytically is discriminative. It's healthy, natural and intrinsic. "Racist" is just a weaponised stereotype set to purpose by the Zionist occupied press and lobby as an unassailable sacred cow and shield to hide behind whilst it serves their Divide et Impera objectives creating division and disharmony in a nation where people once stood culturally unified as one community.

[@jimmyalderman543]

@@horationelson57 These ‘bogans’ aren’t real Australians in my opinion. Real Australians like Henry Lawson and such didn’t drink, heaven forbid they tattoo themselves or speak they way they do. I have a pretty broad Australian Accent but I try and articulate myself my, I’d never get blind drunk or treat my skin like the bogans do. I’m a country Australian through and through. Proud to be a descendant of First Nations and First Fleeters, and I’m deeply saddened that people aren’t proud to be Aussies, or have a twisted view of what makes you an Australian.

[@sonofthesoutherncross1836]

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

[@mistake0aj289]

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

[@NFSAFilms]

+Nyan Cat Great, glad you found it useful.

[@Aussiegirl265]

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

[@nuevaholanda1]

Felicito a la NFSA Australia por estos videos maravillosos.

[@lindypetersbell443]

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

[@sprintershepherd4359]

my ancestors must have known your ancestors . John Grant historically know as the Father of Hartley He played a pinical roll in exploration of the aera all the way out to Canowindra NSW He built the first house west of the Nepean river in Hartley , it still exists . its called Moyne after the county he lived in in Ireland . County Moyne . Tipperary Ireland

[@mickgatz214]

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

[@Neil221619]

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

[@haydenwittig8877]

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.

[@haydenwittig8877]

I will add that Governor Macquarie wished the exploration was done by a party set out by him, not ordinary farmers so he was upset these 3 farmers made him look silly.

[@haydenwittig8877]

@@daviddou1408 They wouldnt have known of earlier trails but they made sure they didnt make previous mistakes by following rivers, And they were right Blaxland especially he knew this.

[@Lia_R97]

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

[@11thirty3]

Thank you for this great film. 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@kiwaussiegirl]

Brilliant!. Thank you so much 👍😊

[@JohnSmith-sh1cu]

Thanks for sharing these videos. Interesting historical information on the Blue Mountains. Interesting to see some of the footage of the single deck interurban trains as well - as seen at 13:05 and now long retired (last ran 1996). The interiors of those that still had the old style lift windows looked exact as you seen here - they were some of the least upgraded trains on the network. Hopefully a preserved set will run again one day to re-create these journeys. For the record, the first officially entered service on 15 September 1958, exactly 60 years ago on "The Fish" run - Sydney Terminal to Mt. Victoria. These trains, along with the 46 class electric locomotives, which you also see in the video were purpose built for the extension of electrification to Lithgow.

[@NFSAFilms]

Great information, thanks John.

[@tacitdionysus3220]

On a sadder note, the passenger train hauled by a 46 class electric locomotive at about 15.00 is, or is similar to, the train involved in the Granville train disaster.

[@js1089ss]

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.

[@BrunswickHeadsRevisted]

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

[@MaxThornton111]

my teacher linked this to me its amazing

[@NFSAFilms]

Gracias.

[@nataliemaj]

Fantastic history of my beautiful home 💕

[@rogersponge6153]

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!

[@Charlieandersali]

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

[@graemesydney38]

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.

[@NFSAFilms]

Graeme SYDNEY Yes this film is certainly a somewhat 'abridged' version of those events. Thanks for the comprehensive detail. History, there is always more to it.

[@nickdryad]

Thanks for your contribution to the history. It’s impossible to believe that what we were taught in the sixties about Blaxland Lawson and Wentworth was accepted without question. We were taught that they discovered the path. The First Nation people travelled and traded up and through Dharug and Gundangurra country since forever almost.

[@fknucklewit]

That was excellent!

[@snf1772]

Wonderful

[@doubledee9675]

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.

[@mattsyson3980]

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

[@zurdoremi]

wonderful story.

[@brendanwilliams7291]

Good job, does anyone know what the songs are called in this video and who performed them? It just goes to show how Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth were determined and committed to opening up the road to the west.

[@davechristian7543]

they should make a movie about this or have they?

[@blakey8677]

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

[@Blackheathenly]

LOL. Their view of Hartley. Already magically cleared!

[@2partiesnotpreferred226]

The aboriginals didn't allow the land to become overgrown. Australia was likened to the man made parkland of England when they first arrived. It became over grown and unmanaged very quickly.

[@SteveSmith-zz4ih]

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.

[@brittenmusic6923]

Does anybody know the name of the Inn @ 15:40? I cannot make it out on the shingle. I thought it may have been Collits Inn?

[@trudi211]

It is the National Trust's Woodford Academy at Woodford. (open 3rd Saturday of every month).

[@time2kickarse]

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

[@johndelaney2957]

Did Wentworth fall or was he pushed?

[@tacitdionysus3220]

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.

[@Blackheathenly]

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

[@11thirty3]

Blackheathenly 😂😂😂😂 the labor party couldn’t finish a bloody sentence

[@lemur3007]

Wait this isn’t Cowboy Bebop

[@nkelly.9]

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.

[@2partiesnotpreferred226]

Yep the white man was always portrayed as hero's

[@maggypat]

please keep the Irish songs for the Irish

[@sprintershepherd4359]

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

[@annehat4833]

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 ?

[@annehat4833]

@@johnpeters4084 proper grammer is the least of our problems !.....history is being changed daily.....and most of the past history is nothing but poorly put together garbage !!

[@annehat4833]

Excuse me "grammar"....grandma !

[@jaggerzezula348]

H

[@flamingstag2381]

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

[@Thebibs]

Serves them right; for stealing the land.

[@blakey8677]

Bad singing