The first written accounts of Dutch, English and French explorers of Australia’s western and southern coasts, in the seventeens and eighteens centuries, left readers in Europe with the firm impression of the southern continent as an inhospitable, dry and largely featureless land, barely fit for human habitation. Such views were greatly modified following the survey of Australia’s eastern coast by James Cook and the establishment of the first European settlements at Sydney Cove, in 1788, and in Tasmania, in 1803. While the newcomers found much of the terrain of the Eastern Uplands extremely rugged and, in the case of the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney, seemingly impregnable, the lower ground, notwithstanding its unfamiliar flora, was often described as having the appearance of English parklands. Colonial artist such as Augustus Earle and Joseph Lycett painted idyllic views of open, undulating grasslands, dotted by picturesque stands of trees, and coastal scenes depicting the local sedimentary strata. The first published references to the geological character of the new colony were mainly written by civil and military officials who lacked a scientific background. These writings expressed both awe and admiration for the massive rocky barrier of the Blue Mountains to their west, but were chiefly concerned with the search for essential and profitable earth resources. The first authoritative accounts of the continent’s coastal landscapes and geology reached European readers through the publications of scientists, naturalists and artists taking part in voyages of discovery. Most notable among these was that led by Nicolas Baudin in 1801-1803. The narrative of this voyage by François Péron and Louis de Freycinet, and illustrated with the drawings by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, gave readers a striking impression of the low, flat and desolate coasts of western and southern parts of the country, alongside views of the imposing coastal scenery and geological features on its eastern margins. The account of this voyage was translated into several European languages and excerpt from it appeared in the then popular travel literature. Following the first crossing of the Blue Mountains, some 25 years after settlement, inland exploration confirmed that most Australia was an essentially flat and featureless land. The widely read accounts of these hazardous journeys gave geologists the first intimation of the geologically very old nature of the Australian continent.