William Wentworth

William Charles Wentworth (1793 - 1872) is most associated with the first expedition to cross the Blue Mountains, led by Gregory Blaxland. The discovery of a passage through the mountains opened up the vast Australian continent to exploration and settlement.

Wentworth, a native Australian, was born in New South Wales. Educated in England, he returned to New South Wales in 1810 and was granted land. He returned to England again to study law.

He founded the University of Sydney in 1852. He founded the newspaper The Australian with Robert Wardell. A paper with the same name exists today as part of Rupert Murdoch's vast News Corporation

He was an early supporter of representative government for New South Wales.

He died in England.