26th May 1828 – John Oxley dies

On this day 26th May 1828, John Oxley, Surveyor General of NSW and explorer, took his last breath. ¹

Later that same year, in August, Allan Cunningham having reached an area now known as Cunningham’s Gap, reflected on his adventures and friendship with John Oxley.

He writes: In traversing a patch of forest-ground formerly walked over by Mr. Oxley accompanied by Lieut. Butler and myself, to the Pine Ranges, I could fain have recalled to life that lamented gentleman, who so long and so highly creditably to himself, filled the important situation of Surveyor-General in this colony, and many a pleasing incident connected with this excellent man, now recurred to my recollection. I passed over the ground and ascended the darkly brushed acclivity of the Pine Range by the same opening in the thicket we had, four years since, penetrated to the higher points, where grew those stately timbers, the monarchs of these forests, the new Araucaria [cunninghamii]. ²

1. Source: A Calendar of Events in Australian A History by K R Cramp[↩]
2. Find out more in Robert Heward’s Biographical Sketch of Allan Cunningham[↩]