Major Mitchell Cairn - Mount William, Grampians National Park - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

I visited the cairn in similar conditions to which Mitchell did 9th ewindward side of the cairn was covered in ice and snow), but thankfully I didn't have to spend the night, and had a warm car waiting just below the easy walk to the summit.
The ordeal of Mitchell and his men underwent is best described by Mitchell himself, and an except from his Journal follows;

July 14.
ASCEND THE MOUNTAIN.
Being now close under the mountain, we dismounted and sent our horses back for the sake of food to the bank of [the near-by] river. The first part of our ascent, on foot, was extremely steep and laborious, although it was along the most favourable feature I could find. Above it the impediments likely to obstruct our further ascent were two high and perpendicular rocky cliffs; but I had observed before ascending those crevices and intervals between rocks where we might most easily effect an ascent; and through these we accordingly penetrated without much difficulty. The upper precipice consisted of cliffs about 140 feet in perpendicular height. Fortunately the ablest of the men with me was a house carpenter and, being accustomed to climb roofs, he managed to get up and then assist the rest.
CLOUDS COVER IT.
Having gained the top of this second precipice, we found winter and desolation under drizzling clouds which afforded but partial and transient glimpses of the world below. The surface at the summit of the cliffs was broad and consisted of large blocks of sandstone, separated by wide fissures. These rocks were inclined but slightly towards the north-west and, the bushes being also wet and curiously encrusted with heavy icicles, it was by no means a pleasant part of our journey to travel nearly half a mile upwards, either on the slippery rock or between fissures among wet bushes. At length however we reached the highest point and found that it consisted of naked sandstone. The top block was encrusted with icicles, and had become hoary under the beating of innumerable storms.
A NIGHT ON THE SUMMIT.
All around us was hidden in mist. It was now within half an hour of sunset, but the ascent had cost so much trouble, and the country this summit commanded was so interesting to us that I was unwilling to descend without trying whether it might not be clear of clouds at sunrise. We had not come prepared in any way to pass the night on such a wild and desolate spot, for we had neither clothing nor food, nor was there any shelter; but I was willing to suffer any privations for the attainment of the object of our ascent. One man, Richardson, an old traveller, had most wisely brought his day's provisions in his haversack, and these I divided equally among FIVE. No rocks could be found near the summit to shelter us from the piercing wind and sleet.
NO FUEL.
The thermometer stood at 29 degrees [1.5°], and we strove to make a fire to protect us from the piercing cold; but the green twigs, encrusted with icicles, could not by our united efforts be blown into a flame sufficient to warm us. There was abundance of good wood AT THE FOOT OF THE CLIFFS--huge trees of ironbark, stringybark and bluegum but, had we descended, a second ascent might have appeared too laborious on a mere chance of finding the summit clear; so we remained above. The men managed to manufacture some tea in a tin pot, and into the water as it boiled I plunged a thermometer which rose to exactly 95 degrees of the centigrade scale. We got through that night of misery as well as might have been expected under the circumstances, and we succeeded in keeping the fire alive although, while twigs were blown into red heat at one end, icicles remained at the other, even within a few inches of the flame. In order to maintain it through the night we divided, at eleven o'clock, the stock of branches which had been gathered before dark into eight parcels, this being the number of hours we were destined to sit shivering there; and as each bundle was laid on the dying embers we had the pleasure at least of knowing that it was an hour nearer daylight. I coiled myself round the fire in all the usual attitudes of the blacks, but in vain; to get warm was quite impossible, although I did once feel something like comfort when one of the men gave me for a seat a flat stone on which the fire had been blown for some hours. Partial cessations in the fall of sleet were also cheering occasionally; but the appearance of stars two hours before daylight promised to reward our enterprise and inspired me with hope.
July 15.
VIEW FROM IT AT SUNRISE.
At six o'clock the sky became clear, the clouds had indeed left the mountain and, as soon as it was day, I mounted the frozen rock. In the dawn however all lower objects were blended in one grey shade, like the dead colouring of a picture. I could distinguish only a pool of water, apparently near the foot of the mountain. This water I afterwards found to be a lake eight miles distant and in my map I have named it Lake Lonsdale, in honour of the Commandant then or soon after appointed at Port Phillip. I hastily levelled my theodolite but the scene, although sublime enough for the theme of a poet, was not at all suited to the more commonplace objects of a surveyor. The sun rose amid red and stormy clouds, and vast masses of a white vapour concealed from view both sea and land save where a few isolated hills were dimly visible. Towards the interior the horizon was clear and, during a short interval, I took what angles I could obtain. To the westward the view of the mountain ranges was truly grand. Southward or towards the sea I could at intervals perceive plains clear of timber and that the country was level, a circumstance of great importance to us; for I was apprehensive that between these mountains and the coast it might be broken by mountain gullies as it is in the settled colony and all along the Eastern coast. If such had proved to be the case the carts could not have been taken there; and I must have altered the plan of my intended route. Before I could observe the angles so desirable clouds again enveloped the mountain, and I was compelled to quit its summit without completing the work. The wind blew keenly, the thermometer stood as low as 27 degrees [-2.8°C], and in the morning the rocks were more thickly encrusted with ice.
DESCEND WITH DIFFICULTY.
The difficulty of our descent under such circumstances was therefore increased but no impediment could have arrested us then, the lower regions having so many attractive charms for such cold and hungry beings.
MEN TAKEN ILL.
That night on the summit materially injured the health of two of my best men who had been with me on all three of my expeditions. Muirhead was seized with ague and Woods with a pulmonary complaint; and although both recovered in a few weeks they were never so strong afterwards.

Group that erected the marker: Various Govenrnment Departments URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Mount William Road Mount William Grampians National Park, Vic Australia

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Date Logged Log   08/01/2010 Bmak visited it