Townsend of the Ranges

Surveyor Thomas Scott Townsend (18121869) is an elusive, almost legendary figure, closer to folklore than to history. His name is given to the country's second highest mountain, but the details of his career are obscure and his personal identity has remained a mystery. Yet, if you live in southern New South Wales or Victoria, there is a good chance that your town or district has been influenced by his work: he covered a huge extent of territory and worked furiously hard in a career that spanned