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John Oxley & Major Thomas Mitchell Print Page Print this page

24-July-2017 (Tom Bird)
24-July-2017 (Tom Bird)

Photographs supplied by Tom Bird / John Huth

The obelisk marks the spot where the explorer John Oxley passed through the site of Forbes on 3rd May 1817, and Major Mitchell who through the sie of Forbes in 1836. 

John Oxley, Surveyor-General of New South Wales, set out in 1817 to discover the course of the Lachlan River. Following the river downstream past the present site of Forbes, he found that it flowed into marshland and, unable to proceed further, decided to strike out for the South Australian coast. Shortage of water forced his return to the Lachlan, which he rejoined below the marshes previously encountered, but only to meet more marshland further on. Oxley decided to turn back and, leaving the Lachlan, crossed the Bogan River and followed the upper waters of the Macquarie back to Bathurst.
 

Location

Address:Dowling Street, In front of BP Service Station, Forbes, 2871
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -33.381395
Long: 148.010439
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Exploration

Dedication

Front Inscription

Oxley passed through the site of Forbes on 3rd May, 1817 and camped at Salisbury.

 

Right Side Inscription
Mitchell crossed the site of the town of Forbes near this point on 26th March, 1836.
Source: MA,H, ADB
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au