William Lawson (explorer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Commandant
William Lawson
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ca. 1840s – watercolour on ivory figure
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| Member of Legislative Council of New South Wales | |
| In office 11 July 1843 – 20 June 1848 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 June 1774 Finchley, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 16 June 1850 (aged 76) Prospect, Colony of New South Wales |
| Resting place | St Barts, Prospect |
| Citizenship | British Empire |
| Relatives | Nelson Lawson (son) John Street (son-in-law) |
| Known for | 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains |
William Lawson (born June 2, 1774 – died June 16, 1850) was a British soldier, explorer, and politician. He moved to Sydney, New South Wales in 1800.
Lawson, along with Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth, was one of the first British colonists to successfully cross the Blue Mountains in 1813. He later became a large landowner and a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Lawson was born in Finchley, England. His father owned a successful business selling candles and soap. William was educated in London and trained to be a surveyor.
In 1799, he decided to join the British Army. He bought a position as an ensign (a junior officer) for £300. In November 1800, he arrived in Sydney, Australia.
Working on Norfolk Island
Soon after arriving in Sydney, Lawson was sent to work at the penal colony on Norfolk Island. This was a place where convicts were sent. He worked under Major Joseph Foveaux.
While on Norfolk Island, Lawson also started to own land and raise sheep. He met Sarah Leadbeater, a convict, and they had a long relationship. They married in 1812 and had eleven children together.
Involvement in the 'Rum Corps'
In 1806, Lawson returned to Sydney and became a lieutenant. He became friends with important officers like Captain John Macarthur. These officers were part of a group known as the 'Rum Corps'. This name came from their involvement in trading rum in the colony. Lawson became part of this group.
In 1808, there was a big disagreement between the officers and Governor Bligh. Lawson was involved in this conflict, which led to Governor Bligh being removed from power. For his part, Lawson received a large piece of land at Prospect.
Leading the Newcastle Convict Colony
In 1809, Lawson was put in charge of the convict settlement at Newcastle. This settlement was at the mouth of the Hunter River. He had briefly held this role before in 1807.
At Newcastle, Lawson was responsible for many convicts, including some important political prisoners. He made sure these prisoners worked hard.
Returning to England
When Governor Lachlan Macquarie arrived in late 1809, the leadership that had removed Governor Bligh was changed. Governor Macquarie ordered Lawson to release the political prisoners. In January 1810, Lawson was replaced as Commandant of Newcastle.
Lawson was then sent to England. He stayed there until 1812.
Exploring the Blue Mountains
Lawson came back to Sydney in 1812. He was put in charge of soldiers stationed at Liverpool. He also started building a large house on his land at Prospect, which he called Veteran Hall. It was finished in 1821.
Lawson was interested in raising sheep for wool. He began exploring to find more land for sheep farming.
On May 11, 1813, Lawson began his famous journey to cross the Blue Mountains. He went with Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth. Lawson kept a detailed journal of their expedition.
On May 31, 1813, the group reached the furthest point of their trip. They called it Mount Blaxland. From there, they saw a large area of land that would later be known as the Bathurst Plains.
First British Settler West of the Blue Mountains
In February 1814, Governor Macquarie offered 1,000 acres of land to each of the three explorers. This land was in the Bathurst Plains region. In 1815, Lawson accepted the offer. He took 100 cattle across the Blue Mountains. He set up his property near the Fish River, close to the Macquarie River.
This made Lawson the first British person to establish a large farm west of the mountains. He named his property Macquarie.
Leading the Bathurst Region
By 1819, Lawson was the most important landowner in the new areas west of the mountains. Only a few other colonists had been allowed to settle near Bathurst.
Governor Macquarie realized that more settlers would come to the region. He needed a formal leader for Bathurst. So, in September 1819, he made Lawson the commandant (leader) for the Bathurst region. Lawson was still an army lieutenant at this time.
As more British people took land, there were conflicts with the local Wiradjuri people. In 1819, some Aboriginal people were killed near Lawson's property. One of Lawson's horses was also speared. As commandant, Lawson was in charge of the soldiers in the area.
Exploring the Mudgee Region
While he was Commandant of Bathurst, Lawson went on four more expeditions in 1821 and 1822. He was looking for good grazing land to the north. He was guided by a local Aboriginal man named Ering (Aaron). Lawson was one of the first white men to travel along the Cudgegong and Talbragar Rivers.
He met about 40 Aboriginal people at Mudgee. He wrote that the area had some of the best grazing land he had ever seen. He also named the nearby Goulburn River.
Lawson later claimed 5,000 acres of land northwest of Mudgee. He started another large property on the Talbragar River.
The Bathurst Conflict
As British settlement expanded, conflicts with the local Aboriginal people continued. In 1822, one of Lawson's workers was killed. In 1823, an Aboriginal group led by a man named 'Jingler' obtained weapons. Lawson then ordered a patrol of armed settlers and soldiers. He also placed soldiers at the properties of important colonists.
Lawson tried to have good relations with some Aboriginal groups. However, the violence increased. In late 1823, the authorities replaced Lawson as Commandant of Bathurst with Major James Morisset.
By mid-1824, the conflict with the Wiradjuri people was very serious. Many Aboriginal people and some white settlers had been killed. Lawson's properties were attacked, and his sheep were destroyed. His son, William Lawson Jnr, felt that the situation had become a war. This period of conflict is known as the Bathurst War.
In July 1824, Lawson and other colonists asked for more soldiers to control the situation. In August, Governor Thomas Brisbane declared a special law called martial law in the Bathurst region. He ordered Commandant Morisset to take action. In September, Morisset organized a large military group of soldiers and armed settlers. They swept through the areas around Bathurst and Mudgee. Lawson provided horses and led one of the groups. The Bathurst War ended later in 1824, and the Wiradjuri leader Windradyne sought peace.
A Powerful Landowner
After the Bathurst War, Lawson left the British Army. He focused on getting more land. Throughout the 1820s and 1830s, he acquired many large areas of land. By the 1840s, he was one of the biggest landowners in the colony. He was a powerful squatter, which meant he had claimed and used vast amounts of land. He owned 150,000 acres, 84,000 sheep, and 15,000 cattle. He also became important in horse racing.
He finished his large house, Veteran Hall, at Prospect. He remained very active in managing his properties in the west. Sometimes, there were conflicts between Lawson's workers and Aboriginal people as more land was taken.
His sons, William Junior and Nelson, also became large landowners. The Lawson family became part of the wealthy landowning class.
Lawson's wealth came from using assigned workers. These workers were convicts who were assigned to work for landowners. Lawson strongly supported bringing more workers from other countries when convict transportation ended.
Political Career
Lawson became a well-known colonist. In 1843, he entered politics. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council for the County of Cumberland. He represented the interests of the large landowners. He remained a member of parliament until 1848. He usually voted to protect the special status of the wealthy landowners.
William Lawson died at his estate, Veteran Hall in Prospect, on June 16, 1850. He was buried at St Bartholomew's cemetery.
Legacy
The town of Lawson in the Blue Mountains is named after him.
After Lawson's death, his house, Veteran Hall, was eventually taken over by the water board. Most of his land is now covered by the waters of Prospect reservoir. The house was taken down in 1926.
His son Nelson Lawson took his place in the New South Wales Legislative Council. His daughter Susanna Caroline Lawson married John Rendell Street, who founded the important Street dynasty.
In 1963, Lawson was honored with Blaxland and Wentworth on a postage stamp issued by Australia Post. The stamp showed the Blue Mountains crossing.
Additional Resources
- Historical Records of New South Wales, vols 4–7
- Historical Records of Australia, Series I, vols 3–8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
- H. Selkirk, ‘Discovery of Mudgee’, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 8 (1922)
- C. H. Bertie, ‘The Lawsons’, Home (Sydney), 1 January 1932
- E. C. Lawson, Lawson of Veteran Hall (microfilm, State Library of New South Wales)
- "William Lawson, Explorer And The First Of Our Squatters". The Farmer & Settler (New South Wales, Australia) L (12): p. 17. 10 December 1954. https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117409591.
- Bonwick transcripts, biography, vol 3 (State Library of New South Wales).
See also
In Spanish: William Lawson (explorador) para niños
