SURVEYOR EVANS'S DISCOVERY OF THE LACHLAN AND MACQUARIE RIVERS AND THE
BATHURST PLAINS.
Delighted with the success which had rewarded the Blue Mountain
enterprise, Governor Macquarie took prompt action in following up this
conquest over nature's barrier. A new and very capable man was now ready
to enter the field. This was Mr. George W. Evans, who at that time
filled the office of Deputy-Surveyor. His name occupies an honourable
place in our early annals. It were to be wished we had fuller
particulars of this first effort of his in the exploration of the colony
than are now to hand. The following brief sketch embodies all that is
really known on this subject:--He was absent only seven weeks on his
first journey, and in 21 days had penetrated 98 miles beyond the most
advanced camp of his predecessors. This new explorer crossed the Nepean
at Emu Ford on the 20th of November, 1813, and, six days after, arrived
at the termination of the journey of the Blue Mountain pioneers.
Proceeding westward, he crossed a well-grassed but broken and rugged
country, which was subsequently called the Clarence Hilly Range. By the
30th he had reached the dividing ridge which forms the watershed between
the eastern and western streams. Soon after this he discovered, in a
well-grassed valley, the head waters of a stream that abounded in fish,
and hence received the name of the Fish River. He continued to trace it,
winding its course through a fine country, suitable for agricultural and
grazing purposes, till the 7th of December, when it was joined by
another stream, which he named the Campbell. To the river which was thus
formed by these tributaries he gave the name of the Macquarie, after the
Governor, but the natives called it the Wambool. Continuing on the lead
of the Macquarie, he followed it through rich alluvial land--the
Bathurst Plains--destitute of timber, but abounding in game. During the
whole journey Evans met with only six natives, but saw the smoke of
their encampments in many places. He returned to Sydney on the 8th of
January, 1814. After a short interval he was again sent out to the same
district, with a small party and one month's provisions. During this
second journey Limestone Creek was discovered and explored; but its
chief result was the discovery of another large river, which he called
the Lachlan, after the Christian name of the Governor. The Lachlan and
the Macquarie formed an enigma to the early geographers. Their sources
were in the same neighbourhood, but both flowed towards the interior and
kept diverging from one another during every mile of their known course.
The proper sequel to Evans's discoveries was the formation of a road
over the mountains to Bathurst Plains. This was done in the same year by
gangs of convicts under the command of one Cox, in an incredibly short
space of time, as tradition reports. This road, 100 miles in length, was
formally opened in May, 1815, by the Governor and Mrs. Macquarie, who
rode the whole distance on horseback. Bathurst was then laid out, and
has ever since continued to be one of the most flourishing places in the
colony, as might well be expected from a town which commands 50,000
acres of first-class land within a radius of ten miles.