Liverpool Range - History

History

The Liverpool Range was named after Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time of its exploration by Europeans. The higher parts of the Liverpool Range reach approximately 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level, and the range formed a significant barrier to the expansion of settlement in the early period of British settlement in New South Wales.

The first route across the range was Pandora's Pass discovered by Allan Cunningham. This is located near the western end of the range, north from the town of Coolah and within Coolah Tops National Park. The crossing used by the New England Highway is Nowlands Gap (otherwise known as Murrurundi Gap), which crosses the range near its east end. The railway from Newcastle to Werris Creek crosses under this pass via Ardglen Tunnel.

The southern slopes of the Liverpool Range are drained by the headwaters of the Hunter River and its tributaries, such as the Pages River, which flows through the town of Murrurundi. The northern slopes are drained by the headwaters of the Peel River and the Mooki River. The Talbragar River and the Coolaburragundy River also rise on the range and flow south-west, joining near the town of Dunedoo.