Like the three famous explorers they depict, bronze busts of Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth have been on long journeys.
Commissioned by Businesses Supporting Bicentenary (BSB) founding member Tom Colless in early 2013 to mark the bicentenary of the first successful European crossing of the Blue Mountains, the artworks are reaching the final stage of a process that will see them installed by council in the towns named after them.
Large scale prototypes of the busts were first revealed by Wentworth Falls sculptor Terrance Plowright at a ceremony in Sydney's Hyde Park where the artist's giant bronze statue of Governor Lachlan Macquarie was unveiled.
At that stage the three heads were only "roughies", according to Mr Plowright, but special guest Wendy Blaxland, the great-great-great-great-grandaughter of Gregory Blaxland, was instantly impressed.
"He has made him [Blaxland] look very handsome, even more than Wentworth and Lawson I think," she said with a wink.
Mr Plowright then began the lengthy process of carving the final products, in painstaking detail, in his home studio in Wentworth Falls.
They were finished in bronze castings offsite and put into storage while the BSB, the council-led Bicentenary Crossings Committee, Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth Falls Chambers of Commerce and the region's tourism authority invited descendants of the explorers, local businesses and the general public to sponsor the project and be rewarded with their names engraved on the explorers monument of their choice.
The three busts have spent the last few months displayed inside the tourist information centre in Glenbrook.
BSB is now issuing a last call for all the donors to check their details are correct and is also offering a final opportunity to donate and have an individual, family or business name cast in bronze on the monuments.
A recent council report indicated that about $20,000 has been pledged through sponsorships so far, but more donations are needed to cover installation costs. The lion's share of donations were made by Mr Colless and fellow BSB member Phil Hammon.
Mr Hammon said he was pleased that many direct and indirect descendants of the explorers - and even convicts - have made donations and will feature on the commemorative plaques.
"There are quite a few, particularly for the Blaxland and Wentworth Falls monuments and we'll be indicating that on the list of names by placing stars," Mr Hammon said.
"There's still some space available for more engraved names through donations and every bit more will help.
"It's an opportunity to put something special in place to mark the crossings Bicentenary and the significance of what these three explorers achieved for many generations to come.
"It's also a chance to be a part of Blue Mountains history. And this is the last step we have to make to be able to tell council to go ahead with it."
To make a donation to the project or to check if your details are correct if you have already made a donation, contact Mr Hammon by 5pm on July 30 at phammon@bicentenary.com.au.