P003030 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1997-11-27 human Rosanne Walker updated 2025-11-05 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003030b.htm person Lawson William AACR2 2 June 1774 16 June 1850 Place of Birth Finchley, Middlesex, England Place of Death Prospect, New South Wales, Australia Explorer Pastoralist William Lawson crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813 with G. Blaxland and W.C. Wentworth, thus opening up the interior to pastoralists. His knowledge of surveying made him a particularly valuable member of the expedition and his journal, with its accurate record of times and distances, enables the route to be precisely retraced.

Born Finchley, Middlesex, England, 2 June 1774. Died Prospect, New South Wales, 16 June 1850. Trained as surveyor, bought commission in the New South Wales Corps 1799, arrived Sydney 1800, Norfolk Island garrison 1801-06, commandant at Newcastle ca 1807, 1809, received a grant of 500 acres at Prospect, named Veteran Hall, lieutenant, New South Wales Veterans company from 1811, successfully crossed the Blue Mountains with G Blaxland and W C Wentworth (qq.v.) 1813, commandant of Bathurst 1819-24, took the first stock across the mountains 1815, escorted Freycinet's party of naturalists and botanists over the ranges 1819, made the first discovery of coal to the west of the mountains at Hartley Vale 1822, member for Cumberland in the first partly-elective Legislative Council 1843-48. Commemorated by the town of Lawson in the Blue Mountains and a portrait in the Mitchell Library.

 Blackman, James (1792? - 1868)

James Blackman worked with William Lawson tracing a from Wallerawang to Dabee in 1822.

 Wentworth, William Charles (1790 - 1872)

William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland, and William Charles Wentworth set out on a successful expedition to cross the Blue Mountains in 1813.

 Blaxland, Gregory (1778 - 1853)

William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland, and William Charles Wentworth set out on a successful expedition to cross the Blue Mountains in 1813.

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Lawson, William (1774-1850)

Trove

 'Lawson, William', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Lawson, William Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: Lawson, William (1774-1850), explorer and pastoralist Dunlop, E. W. Lawson, William (1774-1850), explorer and pastoralist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 96-97 Book: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000