The Pandoras Pass, also Brennans Gap and Pandora's Pass is a mountain pass across the

Warrumbungle Range The Warrumbungles is a mountain range in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town is Coonabarabran. The area is easiest accessed from the Newell Highway which is the major road link directly between Melbourne, Victoria ...

, a spur off the Great Dividing Range, located in the

Coolah Tops National Park Coolah Tops is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, northwest of Sydney, established on 5 July 1996. It is managed by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Its World Conservation Union category is II. I ...

in northwestern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. At an altitude of above sea level, the pass provides a passage between and in the southwest and and the

Liverpool Plains The Liverpool Plains are an extensive agricultural area covering about of the north-western slopes of New South Wales in Australia. These plains are a region of prime agricultural land bounded to the east by the Great Dividing Range, to the so ...

in the north. The area was first explored by Europeans in 1823 by the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham. He discovered the pass on 9 June 1823 after searching for approximately from an easterly direction. The pass allowed an easy passage through the mountain range to the Liverpool Plains on the northern side of the mountain range. The exploration journey commenced from Bathurst in April 1823. Today the pass is a lightly used gravel road with the main traffic through the mountain range passing through other routes, such as the

New England Highway New England Highway is an long highway in Australia running from Yarraman, north of Toowoomba, Queensland at its northern end to Hexham at Newcastle, New South Wales at its southern end. It is part of Australia's National Highway system, an ...

to the east and the Black Stump Way to the west. Allan Cunningham07

European discovery

After receiving Governor Brisbane's approval for the exploration Cunningham left Sydney on 31 March 1823, crossing the

Nepean River Nepean River (Darug: Yandhai), is a major perennial river, located in the south-west and west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Nepean River and its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, almost encircles the metropolitan region of ...

on his way to Bathurst. Arriving at Bathurst he made final preparations for the journey and departed north on 15 April. He took with him five servants and "five strong packhorses" to carry their provisions. Cunninhams party passed through Dabee, now known as Rylstone, reaching the

Goulburn River The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine, Northern Country/North Central, and Southern Riverina regions of the Australian state of Victor ...

on 6 May 1823. Now the southern edge of the Liverpool Range was only to the north and he proceeded there. He reached Mount Macarthur (now Mount Moan) Cunningham now sought a passage through the range and decided to move east along the bottom of the range. After realising the range was becoming more difficult he "halted on the verge of a perpendicular ravine, being unable to advance another mile to the eastward by reason of the sharp water gullies between which lay steep ravines". He returned to Mount Moan, the fruitless journey east costing three weeks and three days. They proceeded north west again searching for a passage through the Liverpool Range. After a further six days Cunningham decided to mount the western range and take his bearings. The view he obtained filled him with delight; for, on looking round him and tracing the line of the main northern range, he saw a considerable depression in the range, and writes: "it was a very low back in the main ridge distant about , and although limited, afforded me a clear view of the open plains north of this extensive barrier." Cunningham named the pass Pandora's Pass, (now also known as Brennan's Gap) and that he "believed it would become the great route of communication between Bathurst and Hunter River and the Liverpool Plains." He returned via present day

Mudgee Mudgee is a town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It is in the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley north-west of Sydney and is the largest town in the Mid-Western Regional Council local government area as well as being th ...

to the town of Bathurst arriving there on 27 June 1823 after an arduous eleven weeks travelling.

Etymology

In his diary Cunningham described the difficulties and many privations of finding this pass, and he says 'and in spite of these little evils - a hope at the bottom', he then names it Pandoras Pass. This is a reference to the Greek myth of

Pandora's box Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod reported that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing physi ...

, this myth refers to a vessel which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item were released into the world. The one remaining item was hope.

Cunningham's diary

The following memorandum, written on parchment, was enclosed in a bottle, and buried under a marked tree in the Pandora Pass:

References

External links

Diary extract of Allan Cunningham - Gutenberg Australia Website
{{New South Wales mountains , state=autocollapse Mountain passes of Australia Central West (New South Wales)

European discovery

Etymology

Cunningham's diary

See also

References

External links