author
W. C. (William Charles) Wentworth
1790–1872
A bold early Australian voice, he helped turn exploration, journalism, and politics into tools for shaping a new society. His life stretched from the crossing of the Blue Mountains to the long fight for self-government in New South Wales.
1 Audiobook
Statistical, Historical and Political Description of the Colony of New South Wales and its Dependent Settlements in Van Diemen's Land With a Particular Enumeration of the Advantages Which These Colonies Offer for Emigration, and Their Superiority in Many Respects Over Those Possessed by the United States of America
by W. C. (William Charles) Wentworth
About the author
Born on Norfolk Island in 1790, Wentworth became one of the best-known and most influential figures in colonial New South Wales. He first gained lasting fame in 1813, when he joined Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson in the expedition that found a route across the Blue Mountains, opening the way to European expansion inland.
He was more than an explorer. Wentworth wrote, studied law, helped found The Australian newspaper in 1824, and became a leading public voice for colonial rights and self-government. Sources consistently describe him as a central political figure in nineteenth-century New South Wales, though also as a complicated one: energetic, ambitious, and not always democratic by modern standards.
He is also remembered for his role in public life beyond parliament, including support for the establishment of the University of Sydney. For listeners interested in the making of colonial Australia, his story brings together adventure, argument, and the messy beginnings of national identity.