SBW Magazine & History Project

Established June 1931

A monthly bulletin of matters of interest to The Sydney Bush Walkers, Box 4476 G.P.O. Sydney 2001. Club meetings are held every Wednesday evening from 7.30 pm at the Cahill Community Cenire (Upper Hall), 34 Falcon Street, Crow's Nest. Enquiries concerning the Club should be referred to Ann Ravn, telephone 798-8607.

(Bill Capon's Anzac Weekend Walk) by Morag Ryder

Saturday We met at 7 am, by Tianjara Falls, under a lowering grey sky, which kept sending down threatening sprinkles of rain. Assembled were:- Malcolm Steele, Phil Butt, Bob Milne, Carol Bruce, Daksh Bawaja, Steve and Wendy Hodgman, Jackie Bruin, Steve Lang, Don McIntyre, Ray Turton, Sandy Hines, John Williams, Ainslie Morris - and yours truly, who had been given a lift by Steve and Wendy.

Bill spread out the maps and showed us the proposed route, slightly shortened from his original plan. We noticed he was wearing an inside-out T-shirt, which-bore the fascinating legend:-

We set off about 7.30, directly behind Bill's car.

“What's that plastic bag on the roof?” asked Steve. It blew off. “Better see if there is anything in it,” said Steve. There was something in it - our leader's compass.

We collected Ray Turton from his alternative campsite, and parked near Blaydon's Pass. Having reunited our leader with his compass, we began the pack-tearing exercise of descending the pass. Half-way down the pass, we missed Ray, and learned that he had discovered another way down, which we promptly named Turton's Alternative. In the course of the weekend, we noted that he also did an Alternative Walk, about 100 metres to one side of the party.

A five minute stop at Boolijah Creek, then a breath-taking climb up Danjera Ridge to Harris' Hole. We passed up our packs, with Ainslie doing most of the work, then crept through the cavity. Phil jumped up and down on the chockstone, crying gaily, “Do you realise this whole thing is loose - I can feel it move under me.” We reassembled in drizzling rain, and after carefully studying the map, Bill set off at a smart pace through the scrub. Presently he began to grumble that the expected land forms were not appearing.

“Wait here,” he said, “I'll just take a look.”

We put on our parkas while he looked. Phil and Steve also looked - at their compasses. Not wishing to appear officious, they rather diffidently pointed out to Bill that we were travelling in exactly the opposite direction to which we should. Perhaps that fall from the roof of the car had upset Bill's compass.

Back we went, and presently arrived at the uppermost end of Danjera Creek. After some persuasion, Bill agreed to let us stop here for an early lunch. Despite the steady rain, Phil Butt had a fire alight by the time we had unpacked our lunch. Cheered and refreshed with hot tea and goodies, we soon arrived at the western escarpment.

Bill was sure he had the right spot, but the other two co-leaders were not. There were cries of:-

After considerable floundering up and down through the scrub while they debated, whether we were here or there, Bill gave a triumphant shout - the elusive pass had been found.

“Just go down and walk along beside the cliff to the right,” we were instructed.

In a few minutes we came to the overhang. And what an overhang. Large enough to sleep at least 20 people, with level floor and an old fireplace. The gold and cream walls soared above, gently curving overhead, lofty as a cathedral. Within minutes, Phil was throwing a tree trunk onto the blazing fire, and we settled down appreciatively to dry our dripping gear. Although it was only 2:30 pm, nothing short of a man-eating tiger could have shifted us again. After some futile mutterings of disapproval, Bill gave up the struggle to make us continue to the campsite. We spent a happy afternoon, drinking tea and watching a silvery curtain of rain falling onto the masses of Christmas bush which grew in the gully.

Bill decided to rectify his inside-out T-shirt, and put on a singlet for warmth. He got the T-shirt right, but somehow put on the singlet over the shirt, having it inside-out as well as back-to-front, with the maker's label flapping under his chin, He refused to alter this quaint attire, and spent the evening thus - sampling assorted ports with Don, interspersed with bouts of losing things.

Sunday By morning, the rain had stopped and the sky was almost clear. We waded through the sopping Christmas bush, crossed Bundundah Creek and Bill set about looking for The Passage of Time, to take us up to the next plateau.

“I'm quite sure it's here,” he cried. At least, I think I'm sure it's here.“

And sure enough, he found it. The deep, fern-filled slot had perfectly vertical walls, tinted eerie green with moss, giving it an underwater atmosphere. Rock orchids hung everywhere, some with buds, including a very small variety which looked like Dondrobium beckleri. On top, we had a brief pause to look back into the gully, and inspect the deep, narrow splits in the escarpment. Only a metre or so wide, but apparently plunging to the bowels of the earth. Not a place to walk at night…..

We walked at a brisk pace across Bundundah Plateau, where the ground was decorated with yellow Goodenias and golden pea-flowers (Daviesia?). John spotted some small ground orchids, cream and purple, which looked like Liparis Reflexa, but I could be wrong. Most interesting of all was an extensive thicket aurant, 6.30 pm. 87 Willoughby Road, Crow's Nest. B.Y.O.

as at 19th May 1983 by Peter Harris

1. Franklin and Gordon Rivers. 15 people remain 'brithe rivers, keeping a vigil. Taamanian Wilderness Society have engaged Mr. Michael Black Q.C. and will seek leave of the High Court to intervene on the side of the Commonwealth._ In effect this means that,the line-up will be TasAld Governments versus Commonwealth/Vic/N.S.W. Governments and T.W.S. Further T.W.S.' actian, in the South West has been held off pending a possible short Dlockade” in view of the High Court proceedings. The court will sit on Mon. 30th May and finish the following Friday. The judgement will take some weeks and the full reasoning behind the judgement could take months. It is hoped that the High Court will grant an injunction to stop the South West works. 2. Blockade Results. 196 persons haVe had their trespass cases adjourned indefinitely. 3. Mount Anne Leases. B.14.P., the “all Australian” company, has applied for a mining exploration permit over the Mt. Meuller area of South West Tasmania, 236 sq.km. to be exact, stretching from near Mt. Anne in the south to The Needles in the north. Anyone interested in making objection should phone Peter Harris (88,3637 home) for guidance, advice and objection to application forms. The reason for making massive individual objections is to impress upon B.H.P. the depth of feeling against further alienation of another part of the South West. 4: South West Destruction Update. Despite the clad hanging over the Gordon-below-Franklin dam, work is still continuing at a furious pace on roads, accommodation sites, transects, etc. The access road from Warners Landing to the proposed dam site is approximately 3 kilometers long and nearing the dam site. The road is very wide as it has been tiered in many places due to the steep traverse. The area at Warners Landing, cleared for pre-fab huts, is being enlarged and now includes two very deep sewerage pits. Machinery that has been taken up-river by barge consists of:- nine bulldozers, three trackscavators, one roller, fourteen four-wheel drive vehicles, six tip tructs, one mobile crane, one cement mixer and a host of chain saws.

by Barrie Wallace

One might well have expected some dire consequence of the President's irreverence in striking the ceremonial gang with the Bone. There were, however, no bolts of lightning, or showers of serpents but there again there wasn't any excess of silence or order as the 30 or so members subsided to a manageable level of chaos at around 2010 hours and the meeting began.

There were no new members and no apologies, so we _passed to the Minutes of the previous meeting. These were read and received, with no business arising. . Correspondence was limited to a letter from May and Paddy Pallin accepting honorary membership, and the minutes of the last Coolana meeting. , The Walks Report began with a no-go. It seems Gordon Lee's Kanangra abseiling trip (correctly programmed this time) was cancelled. Frank Taeker's 15916,17 April walk in the Budawangs attracted 16 people who all finished the walk in good weather. Bill Holland -reported 21 people and some rain on his Mountain Lagoon day walk on the 17th, and Brian Bolton's _Engadine to Bundeena walk attracted 29 starters.

Over the Anzac weekend Bill Capon and a cast of 16, not necessarily as a single party, visited a number of creeks in the Morton National Park.–They reported some problems with boots and ankles but I didinot get the details. Jim Laing's Mt. Gudgenby walk did not go, but George Walton had 25 people enjoYing a spot. of awimming on his day walk on Glenbrook Creek.

The following weekend 29,30 April and 1st May saw Barrie Murdoch making a brief visit to Kanangra Walls in steady rain. They camped Friday night and drove home on Saturday morning. John Redfern's walk to Pantoney's Crown encountered similar weather and lost 300 of the starters on the first mbrning. The remaining 4 people wo:lked, and even had some fine weather on the Sunday. The Search & Rescue exercise at Barrington Tops was also held that weekend.. Despite the thick, scratchy scrub and wet weather 'it' waS–17ted a good exercise. The day walks for that weekend were well supported, with 12 people on Joe Marton's Otford to Lilyvale walk and 14 people on Peter Christian's Kuringai Chase trip. Bill Hall's mid-week walk on the 4th May was led by Meryl Watman, with four starters.

. The weekend of 6,7,8 May saw Don and Jenny Cornell leading 15 starters on the Cox River in.fine, warm weather. Jim Percy reported 10 people on his Longnose Point to Bungonia Canyon and return. They reported a good walk, but the banks of the Shoalhaven were covertd in mud. Bill Hall.was out and about again on 8 May with 25 starters and good weather. Peter Miller had 10 people on a glorious day walk to Mt. Solitary on the same day, to bring the Walks Report to an end.

The Treasurer's Report showed that we began the month with $2314.12, spent $1178.86, received $870.50 and closed with $2005.86.

Federation Report brought news that the Federation Ball will be held on 23rd September at the Lane Cove Town Hall. Tickets will be $7.00 per head. There are reports of a cattle problem in the Kanangra/Kowmung area, and rumours of a petition to ban rock-c1imbing_in _the area around Katoomba. One of the member clubs cleaned up the Coal Seam Cave over the Easter weekend.

General Business brought a motion that we ask Federation to write to the South-West Tasmania Coalition proposing a levy on all members of supporting clubs to cover the debt incurred during the recent election. Than it was just a matter of announcements and the meeting closed at 2041 hours.

Two day walks on this programme should have been marked 0 as TEST-WALKS. These are:- 26th June - Leader: Roy Braithwaite 28th August - Leader: Hans Stichter Day walk on 3rd July - Leader: Errol Sheedy - correct phone no. 525-0316.

Produced by the National Parks Association of the Australian Capital Territory Inc, assisted by a Heritage Grant from the Dept. of Territories and Local Govt.

This pocketbook describes 60 species of trees of four metres or more that are known to grow naturally within the)boundaries of the A.C.T. It.is written for the non-specialist and has instructions on how to use a botanical key. For easy reference it is divided into three parts - Eucalypts, Acacias and other species, with trees that are similar placed side by side. Each species is treated separately and is fully illustrated, with a thumbnail map to show distribution. A key to all species,:-index.and glossary are provided. Price $4.00. To order send cheque/postal note (plus 41.00 to cover postage and packaging) to National Parks Assn. of the A.C.T. Inc, P.O. Box 457, Canberra City, 2601, and give your name and postal address.

Massage (Remedial) for those stiff limbs and sore backs (Swedish Crtificate). AppOintments 4 - 9 pm, Mondays and Tuesdays, at Lane Cove. Half hour treatment - $10. AINSLIE MORRIS. Phone 428-3178.

by Jim Brown

The saga of S.B.W. representations in the “Sydney Morning Herald” continues. But this time it is not a letter to the Editor. Oh, no! we have gone beyond that.

On Saturdays the Herald regularly publishes (on the Letters page) “Sayings of the Week”. This is usually devoted to pungent remarks by prominent personalities on political, religious or social questions of the day. Sandwiched between some scathing comment on the Sydney Water Board by the Minister for Water Resources, and a lament on paper dart throwing by the Dean of Engineering at Melbourne University, there appeared on Saturday, May 28th:-

“A lot of people seem to think life should be silent” (Mr Phil Butt, Dept of Industrial Relations, on the barring of throw-down crackers).

Beyond saying that Phil presumably does not subscribe to the slogan printed on many walls, railway cuttings, etc. - “Consume, Be Silent, Die” - I would not be game to comment. However, this does appear to be the big “Break Through”. Any day now we may expect to see S.B.W. feature articles and editorials, just as I foreshadowed in this valuable journal two months ago.

(P.S. Madam Editor, although, as I say, I am not game to comment on the “saying” reproduced above, I am in the process of writing a nonsensical account of “Bushwalkers and the Big Bang” which I hope you will be game to publish in the not too far distant.)

The subscriptions decided upon at the Annual General Meeting on 9th March and by Committee are as follows:–

These subscriptions are due and payable as at 9th March as above.

The Treasurer is at present on holidays overseas, but the President, Tony Marshall or John Holly will accept subscriptions in the Clubroom, or unfinancial members may send their cheques to the Sydney Bushwalkers, Box 4476 G.P.O. Sydney, 2001.