William Cox - Blue Mountains Road Builder and Pastoralist

BRAND NEW

William Cox (1764-1837) was soldier, road builder, and pioneering pastoralist i n the colony o f New South Wales. He made his name building the road across the Blue Mountains in 1814. In just over six months, his team of 30 convicts hacked out 163 kilometres o f road through appalling terrain, without serious accident. For this achievement he became part of early Australian history.

But whilst his sympathetic treatment of convicts contributed to this success, as Paymaster o f the New South Wales Corps he had earlier used the regimental funds to buy his first farms - resulting in dismissal from the army. When rehabilitated by Macquarie as a magistrate h e used his official position to favour his own interests. Whilst recognising that farming deprived the Aborigines o f their livelihood, he did little about it.

As a pastoralist Cox helped carry through the improvements which gave Australia its first significant wool exports. As a liberal thinker he was both a co-founder of the first Agricultural Society and championed emancipists having citizens' rights. By the time o f his death he had become a 'national' figure. In this first book-length biography Richard Cox - a great-great-grandson - reconstructs his ancestor's life, warts and all, and reveals how he and other pioneers thought and lived.

Price £25 (Free postage in UK)

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