Pandoras Pass
| Pandoras Pass | |
|---|---|
| Brennans Gap; Pandora's Pass | |
Road sign on Pandoras Pass | |
| Elevation | 788 m (2,585 ft) |
| Traversed by | Rockgedgiel to Pandoras Road |
| Location | Coolah Tops National Park, New South Wales, Australia |
| Range | Warrumbungle Range, Great Dividing Range |
| Coordinates | 31°43′S 149°55′E / 31.717°S 149.917°E |
| Topo map | Coolah 8834 |
Location in New South Wales | |
The Pandoras Pass, also Brennans Gap and Pandora's Pass is a mountain pass across the Warrumbungle Range, a spur off the Great Dividing Range, located in the Coolah Tops National Park in northwestern New South Wales, Australia.
At an altitude of 788 metres (2,585 ft) above sea level, the pass provides a passage between Dunedoo and Coolah in the southwest and Premer and the Liverpool Plains in the north.
The area was first explored by Europeans in 1823 by the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham. He discovered the pass on 9 June 1823 after searching for approximately 50 miles (80 km) from an easterly direction. The pass allowed an easy passage through the mountain range to the Liverpool Plains on the northern side of the mountain range. The exploration journey commenced from Bathurst in April 1823.
Today the pass is a lightly used gravel road with the main traffic through the mountain range passing through other routes, such as the New England Highway to the east and the Black Stump Way to the west.