Event next week to salute Polish explorer who named Mount Kosciuszko after Indigenous help

The member for Albury and the Polish ambassador to Australia will unveil the tablet on Tuesday, the 181st anniversary of when the exploration party departed Welaregang station between Tintaldra and Tooma.

It had been slated for the 180^th milestone last year but COVID complications scuttled the commemoration.

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The colonial trek was helmed by Polish-born Paul Strzelecki and included an Upper Murray Aboriginal guide Jackey who helped guide the party through the alps.

"On the afternoon of Thursday 12 March 1840 Strzelecki climbed the highest peak and named it Mount Kosciuszko in honour of Thaddeus Kosciuskzo, Polish and American national hero, champion of human rights and freedom for all," the plaque will state.

The marker is the brainchild of Kosciuszko Heritage Inc president Ernestyna Skurjat-Kozek who visited Welaregang from her Sydney home in December 2019.

"I said (to my husband) you can see the Snowy Mountains from here and why don't we acknowledge the place somehow and and have another tourist attraction in the area," Dr Skurjat-Kozek said.

Snowy Valleys Council mayor James Hayes welcomed the focus.

"Some of these explorers need a bit more recognition and Strzelecki is certainly one of those," Cr Hayes said.

"He's a bit underdone and it's very worthwhile unveiling this plaque as it will be in three years time when we've got the bicentenary of Hume and Hovell."

"The fact the expedition started at Adelong and then went up on this side, not a lot of people know about that."

Tumbarumba Historical Society president Ron Frew lauded the plaque's wise approach in mentioning convict and Indigenous members of the travelling party.

"It recognises the truth of the thing and all those people that assisted them and it's a very good historical account," Mr Frew said.

"It preserves the history of what happened."

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