The bronze statue of Count Paul Edmund Strzelecki was presented to the people of Australia by the Polish People’s Republic on the occasion of Australia’s bicentenary. The monument depicts the explorer with his hand outstretched towards Mount Kosciuszko and is a tribute to an important figure in both Australian and Polish history. Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki was born in Poland on 20 July 1797. He arrived in Australia on 25 April 1839. From 1839 to 1843, Strzelecki explored and surveyed vast areas of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. While exploring in the Snowy Mountains region, he was the first Westerner to climb what is now known as Mount Kosciuszko. Strzelecki named the peak for the Polish leader and patriot, Tadeusz Kosciuszko.