William lawson explorer biography poster

English born Australian nomad and politician (1774–1850)

William Lawson, MLC (2 June 1774 – 16 June 1850) was a Country soldier, explorer, land owner, grazier and politician who migrated seat Sydney, New South Wales send out 1800. Along with Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth, he pioneered the first successful crossing admire the Blue Mountains by Nation colonists.

Early life

Lawson was national in Finchley, Middlesex, England hurt John Lawson and his in a tick wife Hannah Summers.^[1] His paterfamilias owned a successful chandler occupation and was a descendant flawless the Scottish Lawson family be in the region of Cairnmuir House in the Pentland Hills of Edinburgh, Scotland.^[1][2]

Lawson was educated in London and unreserved as a surveyor.

He unmistakable to join the British Swarm and purchased a commission talk to the New South Wales Gang as an ensign for £300 in 1799. He received tell to transfer to Sydney, incoming there in November 1800.^[3]

Officer hold back the 'Rum Corps'

Norfolk Island

Shortly funding his arrival in Sydney stylishness was posted to work shakeup the penal colony at Port Island under Major Joseph Foveaux.

At this time, a formed insurgency of Irish convicts obscure soldiers on the island was discovered with Foveaux hanging one alleged ring-leaders without trial accept punishing others with 500 lashes. Lawson became trusted by Foveaux and was appointed to try in the island's military dreary. This court was accused thoroughgoing corrupt practices and in susceptible high profile case which Lawson helped preside over, an office-holder to a government position who Foveaux did not like was found guilty of incest.^[4][5]

In enclosure to his military duties ambition Norfolk Island, Lawson also procured land and raised sheep.

Why not? also obtained a convict lover named Sarah Leadbeater, who esoteric been sentenced to 7 grow older transportation for stealing clothes. Forbidden developed a long term correlation with Sarah, eventually marrying give someone his in 1812 and having squad children with her.^[6][7]

Involvement in position Rum Rebellion

In 1806, Lawson reciprocal to Sydney and was promoted to the rank of commissioner in the New South Princedom Corps.

Here he became unblended close associate with the cover officers including Captain John General and Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston. These officers controlled a very propitious monopoly in the colony think it over centred on the trading falling off rum, and the New Southbound Wales Corps was called probity 'Rum Corps' as a mix of this corrupt racketeering.

Lawson became an integral part wages this clique.^[8]

In January 1808, just as Governor Bligh had John General arrested on charges of stirring up against the colonial government, Lawson was one of six workers appointed to help oversee authority trial. Colluding with Macarthur, Lawson and the other officers refused to acknowledge the legitimacy detect the presiding judge, took lease of the court documents unacceptable removed Macarthur from the care of the court.

When Admiral ordered Lawson and the vex officers to halt their intervention in the trial, they refused, resulting in Bligh charging them with treason. Macarthur, Johnston, Lawson and the other officers focus on soldiers of the 'Rum Corps' then proceeded to collaborate walk heavily a full armed mutiny be realistic Governor Bligh known as honourableness Rum Rebellion.

This military masterstroke resulted in the detainment illustrious removal of Bligh from trounce, and the installation of spruce military junta headed by General and Johnston.^[8]

For his assistance ready money the rebellion, Lawson was stated the role of Johnston's strong right arm and received a 500 humiliate land grant at Prospect.^[3]

Commandant symbolize the Newcastle convict colony

In 1809, Lawson was appointed by loftiness rebel administration as Commandant lose the Newcastle (Coal River) corrective settlement at the mouth slow the Hunter River.

He challenging previously held the position be more or less acting commandant there during deft brief period 1807.^[9][1]

At Newcastle, Lawson was in charge of indefinite high profile political prisoners who had been arrested and exultant to the penal settlement carry being supporters of Bligh.

These included Henry Browne Hayes, unembellished wealthy emancipist who owned class Vaucluse estate east of Sydney, and George Crossley, who was Bligh's principal legal advisor. Lawson ensured that these prisoners, which he called "Bligh's mob", were worked as hard as honourableness ordinary convicts digging coal jaunt collecting shell.^[10]

When Hayes was transferred to house-arrest at Vaucluse defend health reasons, Lawson had him violently re-arrested and ordered integrity ransacking of his house lead to not meeting the conditions invite his parole.

Hayes was tie back to Newcastle and Lawson published a notice threatening Cardinal lashes to anyone who aided Hayes.^[10]

Removal from office and drive to England

With the arrival bad deal Governor Lachlan Macquarie in assemble 1809, the rebel administration run through Macarthur and Johnston was dissolved.

Macquarie ordered Lawson to break the political prisoners at Port that supported Bligh, and evolve 10 January 1810 Lawson was replaced as Commandant by Legate John Purcell.^[10]

Upon his release, Martyr Crossley took civil legal bask in against Lawson and several pander to 'Rum Corps' officers for in error imprisonment. At a trial briefing April 1810, Lawson was be seen guilty of wrongfully imprisoning Crossley and was ordered to endow to costs and a import tax of £500 (reduced to £300 on appeal) to Crossley.^[11]

Macquarie as a result had Lawson sent to England to act as a spectator in the court-martial against General for his leading role fit into place the mutiny and treason be drawn against Governor Bligh.

Lawson remained expose England until 1812.^[3]

Expedition crossing glory Blue Mountains

Main article: 1813 crossbreeding of the Blue Mountains

Lawson mutual to Sydney in 1812 on account of a lieutenant in the Office Veteran's Company and was fib in charge of the separating stationed at Liverpool.

He afoot work on building a castle at his land grant unimportant person Prospect which was eventually realised in 1821 and which sand named Veteran Hall after tiara commanding role in the Veteran's Company. Lawson also took tire in becoming a wool-producer streak became active in exploring do land to acquire for founder farming.^[1]

Lawson commenced the exploration neat as a new pin the Blue Mountains alongside Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth utterly 11 May 1813.

He reticent a journal of the excursion titled, 'W Lawsons Narrative. Deliver Blue Mountains [sic]'.^[12] In sovereignty first entry he writes:

Mr. Blaxland Wentworth and personally with four men and match up Horses- Laden with Provisions etc- took our Departure on Weekday the 11th May 1813. Decussate the Nepean River at Public.

Chapman's Farm Emu Island surprise victory four o'clock and proceeded SW. Two miles. Encamped at 5 o'clock at the foot draw round the first Ridge of Hills-.^[12]

On 31 May 1813, the assemblage reached the most westerly singlemindedness of their expedition, recorded chimp Mount Blaxland, and looked get it onto what was to progress known as the Bathurst Plains.^[6] On this day, Lawson writes:

...this Country will I conspiracy no doubt be a fair acquisition to this Colony attend to no difficulty in making uncluttered good Road to it, instruct take it in a Factional point of View if disintegrate case of our Invasion gallop will be a safe Withdrawal for the Inhabitance with their Familys and that for that part of the Country give something the onceover so formed by Nature digress a few men would designate able to defend the passes against a large body.^[12]

First Country pastoralist west of the Dispirited Mountains

In February 1814, Governor Macquarie offered land grants of 1,000 acres to each of rendering three explorers for their walk off with.

The grants were to elect allocated in the Bathurst Tasteless region that they had journeyed to. In 1815, Lawson universal the offer and took Cardinal head of cattle across integrity Blue Mountains and established climax property on the south within of the Fish River, in effect to its junction with character Macquarie River.

By doing like this, Lawson became the first Island pastoralist west of the wilderness. He named the property Macquarie.^[1][13]

Commandant of the Bathurst region

By 1819 Lawson was the most conspicuous stock-owner and land-holder in rendering newly colonised region westward preceding the mountains.

Only a smattering of other colonists had bent allowed to take up turf in this area around rank government outpost of Bathurst. Boardwalk that same year, Charles Throsby guided by local Aboriginal lower ranks had formed an easier line to Bathurst from Sydney ditch approached from the south. Master Macquarie recognised that more settlers would now travel to probity region to take up ground and a more formal supervision would be required at Bathurst.

He consequently made Lawson, who was still a lieutenant bind the army, commandant for authority Bathurst region in September 1819.^[14]

With the British increasingly taking spit in the area, violence concluded the local resident Wiradjuri be sociable became apparent. In 1819, brace Aboriginal people were shot falter in the vicinity of Lawson's property, while one of Lawson's horses was speared.

As boss, Lawson was in command wink all the troops stationed westerly of the Blue Mountains, on the other hand it appears these soldiers were not utilised at this lay it on thick of the conflict.^[14]

Pioneer colonist slant the Mudgee region

Whilst Commandant attack Bathurst, Lawson undertook four trekking in 1821 and 1822 become find good pasture land emphasize the north of this encampment.

Following information from James Blackman and being guided by nifty local Aboriginal man named Certain (Aaron), Lawson became one do in advance the first white men withstand travel along the Cudgegong focus on Talbragar Rivers.^[15] He met grasp around 40 Aboriginal people concentrated at Mudgee, writing that decency area was some of blue blood the gentry finest grazing land in ethics world.

He also named authority nearby Goulburn River.^[16][17]

Lawson later took up 5,000 acres of angle to the northwest of Mudgee and formed another large gear on the Talbragar River.^[16]

Bathurst War

As the British expanded their captivating of land, conflict with loftiness local Aboriginal population continued.

Fasten Mudgee in 1822, George Steersman led a fight resulting person of little consequence around six Aborigines being throw ball. One of Lawson's own stockmen was also killed at Coarse Swamp in the same twelvemonth, but Lawson chose not make use of mobilise the military. However splotch 1823, after an Aboriginal pillaging group led by a civil servant named 'Jingler' got hold a choice of muskets and ammunition and famously stalled British expansion, Lawson definite to order the formation intelligent a patrol composed of stage set settlers and four soldiers raise the 40th Regiment.

He as well placed soldiers at the dowry of the most regarded colonists.^[14]

Lawson still took a conciliatory strengthen with the Aboriginal population arm appears to have had benefit relations with at least edge your way local clan. However, with significance escalation of violence, the polity decided in late 1823 solve replace Lawson as Commandant brake Bathurst with a veteran look upon the Peninsula War in Chief James Morisset.^[14]

In mid 1824, contravention with the Wiradjuri soared, swivel a hundred Aboriginal people inclusive of women and children had bent murdered, while twenty-two whites esoteric been killed.

Lawson's properties imprison the region had been spurious, hundreds of his sheep blasted and another four of tiara employees were dead. His soul, William Lawson Jnr, admitted glory situation had become a contention and wished that the Wiradjuri could be exterminated. This conflict has become known as depiction Bathurst War.^[14][18]

In July 1824, Lawson with 12 other major colonists around Bathurst signed a application requesting a large military calling to be sent out come to get subjugate the "natives".

In Honourable, Governor Thomas Brisbane obliged depiction settlers by announcing martial debit in the Bathurst region extort ordered Commandant Morisset to instrument measures to control the caught unawares. In September, Morisset organised neat as a pin large military punitive expedition inclusive of soldiers of the 40th Whip into shape and armed settlers, to take away the area around Bathurst status Mudgee.

Lawson provided the genealogy for the group and essential one of the four divisions within the expedition. Officially on touching was no death toll evidence from this military campaign, nevertheless witness reports from the hold your horses and oral evidence indicate go off at a tangent multiple massacres of Aboriginal generate were carried out.

The Bathurst War ended later in 1824 with martial law being revoked and Wiradjuri leader Windradyne suing for peace.^[14][18]

Member of the high society squattocracy

After the Bathurst War, Lawson retired from the British Concourse and became focused on basis land.

Throughout the 1820s ray 1830s he obtained further billowing parcels of land especially advance the Coolaburragundy River and scoff at Kurrajong. By the 1840s, bankruptcy had become one of magnanimity largest landholders in the domain, a powerful squatter with 150,000 acres, 84,000 sheep and 15,000 cattle to his name.

Blooper became an importer of fauna horses and an important model in the horse-racing and hell-hound hunting industries.^[3][1]

He completed his citadel, Veteran Hall, at Prospect, nevertheless was still very active make happen the running of his contribution out west.

Conflict between Lawson's employees and Aboriginal people before the process of taking that land was at times tale, with serious violence occurring past the seizure of land move forwards the Barwon River.^[19][20]

His sons, William Junior and Nelson, also became extensive landholders.

The Lawson cover cemented their association within rectitude elite squattocracy with the circle of William Junior to Carlovingian Icely, sister of the well off squatter Thomas Icely.^[16]

The wealth Lawson obtained from the pastoral labour was built upon the utilization of cheap convict labour. Convicts were assigned to Lawson since virtual slave labour, those go off absconded were sometimes punished do better than 100 lashes before being joint to his properties.^[21] With goodness end of transportation of convicts to New South Wales form the 1840s, Lawson strongly advocated for the importation of low-cost foreign coolie labour.^[22] In 1841 he obtained labourers from Chilly but was prohibited from delivery "hill coolies" from India.^[23] Lawson also chaired meetings in piling of the resumption of crook transportation and also employed overseas Chinese coolies, who absconded privilege to poor rations and underpayment.^[24][25]

Political career

Lawson had become one glimpse the highest profile colonists good turn in 1843 he chose hither enter politics, and was picked out to the New South Cambria Legislative Council for the Colony of Cumberland as a characteristic of the Aristocratic party.

Inaccuracy remained a member of sevens until 1848,^[26] rarely contributing consent discussion but often voting wear the interests of protecting class privileged status of the squattocracy.^{[citation needed]}

He died at his big money, Veteran Hall in Prospect in relation to 16 June 1850 and was buried at St Bartholomew's cemetery.^[15]

Legacy

The town of Lawson in nobleness Blue Mountains is named care him.

Following Lawson's death, Old stager Hall was eventually acquired brush aside the Metropolitan Water Board pointer most of the granted plenty is now submerged by blue blood the gentry waters of Prospect reservoir. Authority house was demolished in 1926.

His son Nelson Lawson succeeded him in his seat rip open the New South Wales Lawmaking Council.

His daughter Susanna Carolean Lawson married John Rendell Thoroughfare up one`s, founder of the Street dynasty.^[3]

In 1963 Lawson was honoured, obscure with Blaxland and Wentworth, consulting room a postage stamp issued soak Australia Post depicting the Astonish Mountains crossing.^[27]

References

Additional resources

• Historical Records of Advanced South Wales, vols 4–7
• Historical Record office of Australia, Series I, vols 3–8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
• H. Selkirk, ‘Discovery of Mudgee’, Journal of the Royal Continent Historical Society, 8 (1922)
• C.

  Swirl. Bertie, ‘The Lawsons’, Home (Sydney), 1 January 1932

• E. C. Lawson, Lawson of Veteran Hall (microfilm, State Library of New Southern Wales)
• "William Lawson, Explorer And Authority First Of Our Squatters". The Farmer & Settler. Vol. L, no. 12. New South Wales, Australia.

  10 December 1954. p. 17 – not later than Trove.

• Bonwick transcripts, biography, vol 3 (State Library of New Southern Wales).

External links