Mount Kosciusko

The Sydney Morning Herald

20 January 1892

Sir,

As some confusion exists as to the name and location of the highest peak in the Snowy Mountains or Australian Alps, and in view of several projected visits to the locality, the present is perhaps an opportune time to allude to the question.

In 1885 a visit was made to these mountains by Dr. von Lendenfeld, when he claimed to discover or identify the highest peak, at the same time stating that the peak previously supposed to be the highest, and known as Kosciusko, was not the highest.

He named the peak he professed to have identified as the highest Mount Townsend, but when making a visit to the locality in February of last year I found that the peak he thus claimed to have identified as the highest is identical with Mount Kosciusko, as it has appeared on all official maps for a generation past, the oldest one before me being a map of the county of Wallace, dated 1860, compiled in the Surveyor-General's office.

The peak which Dr. Lendenfeld and many others have mistaken for Mount Kosciusko, a conspicuously bold and rocky peak, not on the main range at all, but about three-quarters of a mile to the west of it, rising on a lateral spur, all the waters from which flow into the Murray River.

It is known locally by several residents on the Snowy River side as Mueller's Peak. On its summit is a well-built cairn of stones, placed there I understand in connection with the trigonometrical survey of Victoria.

It bears from Kosciusko about N.N.W., and is distant about 1 3/4 miles. By some rough observations I took it is only about 40ft. lower than Kosciusko.

Kosciusko itself is a long oval-shaped hill, with a dome-shaped summit, shortly after my visit in February last a trigonometrical station mark "M" was placed on its summit in connection with the NSW survey, this mark, as usual, is a cairn of stones, surmounted by a black circle or ball, formed of iron sheets. The hill, therefore, can now be readily identified.

It is about half-way between Mueller's Peak and the Ram's Head Peaks, the latter being a group of three high rocky peaks lying close together

The best and most direct route to the locality from Cooma is through Waste Point, the distance being 62 miles, 40 of which is along a good road for a buggy, the remainder having to be travelled on horseback.

I am &c., E. J. Halliday. Cooma, Jan. 16.