Count Paul Edmund de Strzelecki, Polish-born geologist and explorer, whose 1840 expedition through southern NSW included the first European ascent of what he named Mount Kosciuszko. Photo: Australian Museum.
The Adelong Alive Museum is preparing to host a commemorative event on 14 March, celebrating a pivotal chapter in Australian exploration: Count Paul Edmund de Strzelecki’s passage through the region during his 1840 expedition.
Front and centre for the occasion is the unveiling of two sculpted plaques to be mounted on the museum’s internal verandah, one tracing the explorer’s journey through the region and another highlighting his scientific achievements.
Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, a Polish-born geologist and naturalist, arrived in Sydney in April 1839.
He didn’t muck around, spending several months exploring the Upper Blue Mountains, heading further west towards Wellington before he returned to Sydney.
Focused on geological research, Strzelecki teamed up with James Macarthur — who was motivated to assess the land’s pastoral potential — and set out from Sydney in December 1839 to explore the high country of southern NSW, including climbing the alps and what he would later name Mount Kosciuszko.
As he travelled, Strzelecki examined the country from the Shoalhaven River to Yass plains, visiting many properties before bearing due south at Gundagai — or Gundagay on the expedition map back then — towards the Snowy Mountains and southern NSW high country.
On 5 February, 1840, he arrived at Hannibal Macarthur’s station — Ellerslie — near present-day Adelong, country at that time characterised by large pastoral holdings. Ellerslie was later known as the birthplace of one of Australia’s most respected 20th‑century writers, David Campbell.
After a brief rest, Strzelecki would proceed to Welaregang Station near Tooma in early March, delivering letters of introduction and preparing for the mountain trek.
There, the party — Strzelecki, Macarthur, James Riley and Aboriginal guides Charlie Tarra and Jacky — reorganised and departed.
The expedition followed the southern bank of the river, crossing at Nowong Ford, and moved through open plains such as Gobollin, gradually ascending the foothills of the Australian Alps.
It would be physically demanding as they tackled steep ridges, rocky outcrops such as the Geehi Walls and dense timber, often marching in intense heat, with blankets, provisions and scientific instruments on their backs.
They sometimes climbed by moonlight to keep on schedule, negotiating treacherous slopes and rocky terrain.
Along the way, they observed remnants of Aboriginal camps above the timberline, highlighting the local knowledge that proved essential to their progress.
On 12 March, 1840, Strzelecki reached the summit of Kosciuszko, after first climbing Townsend.
There, he conducted barometer and sextant readings, collected botanical specimens including an “everlasting” flower for his fiancee in Poland, and documented the geological features of the mountain.
His careful observations helped establish one of the earliest scientific records of the Australian Alps.
Macarthur, meanwhile, supervised the camp and descent, ensuring the safety of the party and their supplies before the group progressed further south to Gippsland.
The plaques at the Adelong Alive Museum capture both the scientific and human aspects of the expedition.
The 14 March event from 3-6 pm promises a rich program of activities, with the official unveiling at the museum accompanied by David Campbell’s poem Strzelecki for Manning Clark.
A virtuoso Chopin concert by Christopher Malek will follow in the town’s Adelonia Theatre.
The event will also feature vibrant Polish song and dance performers, with support from the Polish diplomatic community.
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Australia has extended a public invitation to the unveiling.
Source: Strzelecki’s Ascent of Mount Kosciuszko — 1840, first arriving in Australia at Sydney, by Lt Colonel Hugh Powell G. Clews, Melbourne 1973.
