George Evans (explorer)

George William Evans ( born January 5, 1780 in Warwick, United Kingdom, † October 16, 1852, Hobart, Tasmania in Australia ) was an explorer in Australia. He was the first European who penetrated through the Blue Mountains out to the valley of the Lachlan River in the area of today's Boorowa and Cowra.

Life

He was the eldest son of William Evans, the secretary of the Earl of Warwick, and his wife Ann, née Southam. He received a short training as an engineer and architect and a training in survival techniques. In 1798 he married Jennett, of Captain Thomas Melville, who commanded the ship Britannia, the Third Fleet 's daughter. After the death of his first wife, he married Lucy Parris. He had twelve children, seven with his first and five by his second wife.

Expeditions

When George Evans on 16 October 1802 Port Jackson ( Sydney ) reached in Australia, he moved to Parramatta and there opened a store for shipping material.

Already in the following year he was appointed Philip Gidley King to the discovery commissioner of New South Wales in 1812 and as Deputy Commissioner discovery in Hobart. In March 1812, he discovered the coastline of Jervis Bay and came to Appin, which led to the colonization of the Illawarra district.

Evans crossed in 1813 on behalf of Governor Lachlan Macquarie successfully the Blue Mountains on the way to Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth had trod for the first time with the Blaxland 's expedition. He pushed further than the early explorers on the Mount Blaxland before addition into the interior. With four other men, he broke into an area that was settled by Wiradjuris, a tribe of Aborigines. This expedition began on 18 November 1813 they discovered the Macquarie River, which they named in honor of this governor. They turned westward from there and found fertile land. When she reported this Macquarie, he gave in 1814 William Cox commissioned to build a road up to the present Bathurst at the Macquarie River. One of his other expeditions led in May and June 1815 discovery of the Lachlan River, which he named after the name of the Governor Macquarie.

To further explorations joined on this expedition, which were mainly carried out with the Australian explorer John Oxley. With Oxley Evans undertook in the years 1817 and 1818 expeditions. In 1825 he was accused that he had with government contracts preferred people. When he accused the Governor George Arthur, he abdicated and went to Britain. In 1831 he returned to Australia and opened a business in Sydney and later worked as a teacher at the King School.