Major Mitchell's Road

In 1815, William Cox's team of convicts, built the first road over the Blue Mountains into the NSW interior. His purpose was little more than to define a trail by clearing trees and large rocks so that horsemen and adventurous wagon drivers might slowly make their way without getting lost. It was 163 miles long and bashed together in six months. By today's reckoning that would be considered a minor major miracle ... until one recalls the crudeness of the work.

The whole thing was rough to say the least and downright dangerous in places, especially after soil erosion from heavy rain and the damage caused by hundreds of horse or bullock drawn vehicles. By 1832 the road was becoming impassable and a severe threat to colonial expansion.

Government surveyor and engineer, Major Thomas Mitchell was commissioned to take more time and build a road which would better endure weather and hard use.

When (what is known today as) The Great Western Highway (see extra) was upgraded and widened about 15 years ago, a section of Mitchell's original "Telford" pavement was unearthed and preserved within the confines of a pedestrian precinct at the mountain village of Lawson.