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The Sydney Bushwalker.

A monthly Bulletin of matters of interest to The Sydney Bush Walkers, 5 Hamilton Street, Sydney.


No. 90. June, 1942. Price 3d.

EditorClare Kinsella
Associate EditorGrace Jolley
Busines ManagerAlex Colley
ProductionYvonne Rolfe
AssistantAlice Wyborn
SubscriptionsJo Newland

In This Issue:

Page
Personalities & IncidentsD. Hasluck 2
New GuineaH. Carruthers 3
Goobragandra CampsiteE. Garrad 6
The Voice of the Social Committee 7
Meet Muskel and DawnL.Greenacre 7
At Our Own Meeting 8
Federation Notes 9
ConservationAbores Australis10
The Southern CrossCanopus11
Photographic Exhibition 11
Letters from the Lads 12
Into the Purple 13
What Do You Think? 14
Some People Are So Helpful???14
News from Melbourne and U.S.A. 16
The Voice of the Walks Secretary 17

Advertisements:

Page
Goodman Bros. Photo Supplies Advertisement17
Paddy's Advertisement18

The Quest For Silence.

The point of noon is past, outside: light is asleep;
brooding upon its perfect hour: the woods are deep
and solemn, filled with the unseen presences of light
that glint, allure, and hide them; ever yet-more bright
(it seems) the turn of a path will show them: nay, but rest;
seek not, and think not; dream, and know not; this is best:
the hour is full; be lost: whipering, the woods are bent,
This is the only revelation; be content.

By Christopher Brennan.


Personalities & Iincidents Met On Across Country Trek.

By Dorothy Hasluck.

The lure of unknown tracks once more calling, Ray in whom names strike a chord of response was intrigued by the name “Dampier Ranges”. So forth she goes with a suggestion that we start from Moruya, follow the Georges Pack Trail to Bendethra and traverse the Dampiers to Cooma. I also being fired with the idea, Ray immediately set out to gain as much information as possible, but in spite of all her efforts very little was attained, of which more anon.

Arriving at Moruya we were met by very depressing accounts of the dangers that awaited us, dingoes being one, until we felt we were about to penetrate the wilds of Tibet or worse. However nothing daunted we set forth and at our first camping spot met our first two personalities in the shape of sleeper cutters. Whenever they finished work which seemed pretty frequent, they came along and just sat on their haunches saying nothing; reminding me very forcibly of the old man who when asked what he did all day said, “Sometimes I just sets and thinks and sometimes I just sets”. Well, these two just set as far as I could see while Ray and I cast round desperately for topics of conversation, all falling on the desert air; especially one on vegeterianism. That was the only time I saw any expressions on their faces, which looked as though they thought us escaped lunatics.

Through a change of plan we crossed the Dampiers instead of traversing them, thus reaching Can Eunice Station, where we were received with much kindness by Mrs. Griggs, a most interesting woman. On top of doing all the work, cooking for shearers, baking bread and making butter, she had achieved a very beautiful garden, was most artistic and very well read. In the course of conversation she mentioned that a Mr. Jack Woods had last year crossed Black Badger from Cooma and called at the Station. You can imagine Ray's disgust on hearing this, as she was in the habit of seeing the gentleman almost every day and hadn't even known he walked. Methinks he was a dark horse.

We left here with very warm feelings for the occupants and proceeded to the local P.O. as I wanted to send a wire, rather unheard of you'd think, when I was met with “Whatever do you want to send a wire for?” There was then a wild hunt for the one and only pencil, the mother finally deciding after about ten minutes that the child must have taken it. All the time a long harangue went on about the amount the Government charged for its services, the effect of which was rather lost on discovering that she had overcharged me. To cap all, after making out the form, with a grumbled “Why should I keep this?” she crumpled it up and threw it into the waste paper basket before the outraged eyes of we two business women.

Our next port of call was a small farm where we were to get directions for a short cut. Short, did I say? These people were most hospitable and we were very impressed by the self sacrifice of the wife, who though not in very good health and with a great deal of work to do, had put aside her petrol iron so that she might do her share in the saving of petrol.

The next day was very cold and bleak and on calling at a house some miles further on for more instructions, the woman with one look at our bare legs said, “O- come into the fire. God he help you”. She then told us to continue on until we came to the sixth house from where we could cut across to Parker's Gap, and thence on to Captain's Flat. We went on and on, the sixth house turning out to be twelve miles away. By this time the short cut had run into 22 miles so we decided to call it a day, as the Gap still loomed in the distant hills.

The country is full of surprises, for as we were wending our way through the bush the next day, we met a bullock team driven by a boy wearing a King's School badge. After a few hours walking we reached Cuptain's Flat, so called after a famous bullock which had died there. Amidst all the mining buildings and debris, there was one lone tree which Ray was quite sure must have been the tree the famous Captain had used to rub his back agninst, as never would it have been spared otherwise; the one spot of beauty amidst the desolation.

He concluded our trip at Canberra which was garbed in all the beauty of spring, forming a strong contrast to Nature's beauty through which we had trekked in the last fortnight.

These are just a few of the personal incidents which, to me, add greatly to the enjoyment of a trip. There is so much to be learned from contact with people other than those we are meeting every day, for it gives us a wider understanding, the lack of which is responsible for much of the hatred and strife in the world.


New Guinea.

by Hec Carruthers?

When I first knew I was on my way to New Guinea I tried to conjure up all the news I had heard and read about the place and could only remember something about head hunters. I recalled hearing Jock Marshall lecturing one night but I was very hazy as to what the country was like. Full of expectations of something tropical I watched the dim distant coastline gradually assume larger proportions and through the shimmering heat haze I discerned mountains in the distance.

On a very hot afternoon we disembarked and I was very much interested in the native population who seemed to be lying around in convenient patches of shade. The scene just looked like a bush walker reunion after lunch. The natives were only wearing ramis and showed well developed torsos. At first glance they looked like women as they have large mops of frizzy hair which is usually adorned with a tropical flower - the frangipanni is very popular. Their features are good and they are not what I pictured head hunters to be. When spoken to they usually giggle although a number of mission taught boys are always ready to do business such as washing of clothes or the selling of bangles, bananas, etc.

These chaps usually live in the native villages which fringe the shores. Some of these are very picturesque as they are framed in a grove of cocoanut palms. Pigs, dogs and piccaninnies roam around the huts and play together in the dust and mud. Their dwellings consist of huts built on poles and constructed from bambos and woven palm leaves. They are rather cool to live in and are waterproof even in heavy rainstorms. The women do most of the work in the camp and it is quite the usual thing to see a kikenny chopping the wood while the menfolk sit around yarning or smoking plug tobacco. The women mostly wear only a grass skirt in accordance with the tropical stories. So far the natives have been like bush walkers but when gear has to be carried it is always the woman who does the carrying. Rather a good idea I think. She uses a woven dilly bag which hangs over her back and is supported by a hand around her forehead.

On first appearance the countryside is very similar to our own State especially on the southern coastal area around Gerringong. Gum trees grow profusely and intermingle with pandanus palms and pawpaw trees. In order to provide shade the inhabitants have planted a very pleasant glade of casuarina trees. Further out from the town small peculiar shaped hills break up the coastal plains and present some fine sights. Rocky knolls are a feature of the landscape and combine with a mantle of green foliage in creating an impression of verdent pastures. From a high vantage point a fine view can be obtained of a large area which includes a few miles of coastline out from which lazy breakers form a line of white foam as they curl over the coral reef. Small hills in the immediate foreground lead up to a vast mountain range culminating in the mighty Mount Victoria which rises to nearly 14,000 feet and forms parf of the Owen Stanley Range. From this same viewpoint the whole countryside presents a mixture of greens as trees, bushes and grasses intermingle and provide homes for numerous wallabies and bandicoots. Away in the distance a line of dark green trees denote the course of the Lalaki River with its rapids and crocodiles.

Portions of this river are very similar to the Port Hacking with the exception that now and aguin cocoanut and banana plantations remind one that he is still in the tropics. Further upstream however, the whole countryside alters and the river rushes wildly over huge boulders and between towering and precipitous cliffs. That is in the mountainous region where some fine scenery rouses the bush walker blood and makes the photographer very enthusiastic.

It was in the mountains that Arthur Austin and myself spent a very pleasant time chatting over past experiances and admiring the scenery. It was the first time I had met Arthur for two years so we had a lot to say to each other. We did not boil the billy although we did enjoy a drink from a delightful mountain stream that splashed down some rocky walls.

It is amongst the mountains that the Laloki finds its source and there are a number of views that remind me of portions of the Kowmung. For the first few miles the river falls rapidly and rushes over rocky bars before plunging for 250 feet down to a narrow canyon where it roars as it twists and turns around massive blocks of conglomerate rock that litter the narrow defile. Patches of tropical jungle growth are seen occasionally as vines and tall trees intertwine and form almost impenetrable forests. The whole area is similar to our Macquarie Pass with massive rocky walls forming the sides of the valley.

Walking up here is not a very popular pastime as the heat does not encourage undue exertion. There are plenty of places worthy of a visit but off the beaten track the long grass hides pitfalls in the form of holes, rocks and logs. There are numerous cruks and springs about but it is not always advisable to drink the water as the natives cannot be trusted in their method of hygeine.

A few miles back from the town there are some high spots from where views of distant mountain ranges can be seen beckoning to the wanderer to come and explore. They look very interesting but so far I have not been able to go and have a look at them. Camping in this area is very pleasant and reminded me of some of our week end camps around the mountains. Our tent was situated in a very picturesque spot surrounded by trees and other tall chaps that grow in clumps. We enjoyed some very good cups of coffee while at this camp and I introduced the beverage to the boys, as we had fresh milk and American coffee the results were better than I expected. We were also fortunate in being able to obtain bananas, paw paws, tomatoes pumpkins and sweet potatoes, all brought in by the natives. It was quite the usual thing to see a native come to the tent with a bundle under his arm and say “noospaper”. He would immediately barter a few sheets of paper for his fruit or vegetable and he went away quite contented he could go and roll a few cigarettes and enjoy a quiet smoke for a few hours before running out of “noospaper”. These chaps can speak a little of our language but have some amusing ways of describing various things? Most of the Bushwalkers will remember the way they describe the cross-cut saw:- “Brother belong axe, pullem him come, push em him go, all time kai kai (cut) tree.” They are not always so roundabout in their descriptions and if properly educated and trained are quite brainy and useful. I have met a few who could speak as well as most white men and who were well educated and interesting. They are very few, however, most of the natives being simple folk who have a very amusing way of laughing at life.

Bird life around Port Moresby is very scarcc, the most common visitor being the noisy friar who certainly keeps up to his name, especially early in the morning when we are trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep. The old crow roams around, unmolested, and makes some very amusing noises at appropriate moments. He is protected in this area so he can afford to Ha! Ha! Haa!

This description of Port Moresby would not be complete without some references to our own conditions. Sleep is a very precious thing although hard to obtain. Owing to the hords of mosquitos, nets are essential. This means that we spend very hot nights in our nets and although stripped off we cannot stop the perspiration from pouring out of our bodies. Mosquitoes, flies and ants all present problems but we still manage to smile and take it all in the traditional Aussie spirit, so I must thank the Club for my previous training with my follow members of the old days and I am quite happy in the fact that experience gained in the Australian bush is standing me in good stead now that events have taken a serious turn.

Whether on the Blue Mountains of New South Wales or the Mountains of New Guinea, the spirit of comradeship still prevails and all our trials and troubles are well worth the while if ve can keep our country free from the yellow peril.


Goobragandra Campsite.

For two days we had walked by compass course across a blank space on a totally inadequate tourist map. We had tramped over trackless swamps, camped midst snow drifts, been confronted with a multitude of cattle tracks, but always on our left were the lovely towering Bogong Peaks that invited us to take our direction from them and seemed to be keeping a watchful eye upon us. Then we had come to the top of the “Zigzag”, an amazing cattle pass that winds in zigzag fashion some thousand feet or so to the river valley below. It was a stupendous moment. The map had given no indication of the glories of that river valley. The river itself, a silver thread, wound its way between green tree-clad hills to the far distance, where it became lost in the foothills of lovely misty blue peaks. Here and there were tiny dots that indicated homesteads, and occasionally the valley widened into fertile looking flats.

After a long time we descended to the river. An exciting helter skelter stream the Goobragandra, that races over rocks and rapids and swirls around the river bends in abandonment.

In the late afternoon we rounded a bend and were confronted with an obvious campsite. From our feet ran a brilliantly green tiny river flat, on the far side of which were a group of tall and stately elms, whose autumn tinted leaves were illuminated by the last rays of the sun. We had come from the bitter cold of the highlands to the comparatively balmy valley and as we made our camp in those lovely surroundings we all felt I think that we hnd found perfection indeed.

E. Garrad.


The Voice Of The Social Committee.

Says: Please note the following dates:

June 12 (Friday) 8 p.m.Reg Alder with musical background will show his color slides. Come along.
June 26 (Friday) 8 p.m.Annual Photographic Exhibition.
July 17 (Friday) 8 p.m.Mr. Neville Cayley will tell us about “Bird Camouflage” illustrated with slides.
July 31 (Friday) 8 p.m.Club Room Party. Don't miss it!!!

At Our Own Meeting.

In the abscnce of the President, Frank Duncnn took the chair at the meeting.

The B.S.C. Photographic Competition winners were announced. They were George Dibley, first, and Johnny Woods, second.

The main business of the evening was a discussion on Charles Jones' motion that the Club should send delegates to the Youth Parliament. A sub-committee, appointed by the General Committee reported in favour of sending delegates. The sub-committee was of the opinion that the Club could thereby further two of its objects, those of establishing a definite record for the wild life and naturnl beauty of this country, and of helping others to apprecicte those natural gifts.

In response to an invitation fron the Club, the Youth Parliament sent a speaker, Miss Morris, to address the meeting. Miss Morris explained that the Easter sessions of the Youth Parlinnent are modelled exactly on the procedure of Parliament. A number of Bills are presented and debated. At the last session the Bills dealt with Youth Employment, Youth Education, Physical Fitness and National Reconstruction. Last December the subject of “Youth and the International Situation” was debated. The Parliament has decided to give every support to the war effort and production, and is trying to get into active work. Some of its members are now engaged in collecting food and clothes into depots for the victims of the air raids. A Youth Drive has also been planned. The Parliament always applies to the Government in power for the implementation of the acts passed by it (The Youth Parliament).

The meeting discussed the Youth Parliament at some length. Wal Roots could not see how the Youth Parliament could further the objects of the Club. He thought that all our efforts might be needed for keeping the Club together, and that the Club might defer the question of affiliation till after the war. Ray Kirkby pointed out that amongst all the Bills debated there were none which directly concerned the Club. The main idea of the Youth Parliament was to consider social conditions. It would be hard to avoid having to further the objects of some political party. Our delegates might, however publicise the work of the Bush Walking movement. Marie Byles was in favour of sending delegates. She hoped that the movement might develop along the lines of the European Youth Movements. Walking and camping was an essential part of the activities of these movements and they were responsible for bringing large numbers of people to an appreciation of the outdoors. The question was, not “what could the Youth Parliament do for us?” but “What could we do for the Youth Parliament?” Alex. Colley said that the Parliament had a distinct political bias, and that the cause of conservation could be better furthered by an independent body. Other bodies, such as the N.R.M.A. and Parks and Playground movement had found the same. The delegates time could be better spent working through the Federation. Charles Jones, the mover of the motion to send delegates, thought it was extremely important to put the conservation viewpoint to youth. He pointed out that the Parliament was an excellent means of doing this. We might also gain members by this means. He thought we should be ashamed of ourselves if we could not, as had been suggested, find four delegates to give up their Easter trip and attend the Parliament.

The motion was then put to the meeting and carried.


Federatino Notes.

In reply to a Federation letter re the carrying of guns in the Kosciusko area, the Chief Secretary said that there was already draft legislation for the more rigid control of shooting in sanctuaries. If it could be proved that there were few noxious birds or animals in the Kosciusko Alpine Reserve, the case for prohibiting shooting in the area would be strengthened.

In reply to a Federation protest re damage to trees at the junction of Ulooloo and Kangaroo Creeks the Superintendent of National Park said “The spot in question is away in the gullies, and not often visited by the Park staff.”

It was resolved that any walker making a map should submit a copy to the Federation before making it public.

The Federation adopted the report of the Committee on the Marking of Tracks. This report will be made available to all clubs and sent to the Department of Lands, Park Trusts and other bodies. It is a very well reasoned and concise report and the “Sydney Bushwalker” intends to publish extracts from it in the next issue.

44 adults and 4 children were present at the Bouddi Natural Park working bee. 20 cypress trees were planted, 6 fireplaces erected, a 5 ft. well sunk, fences repaired, lantana cleared and a hut cleaned out.

The President, Mr. Oliver Wyndham, reported that, in response to the efforts of the Bushwalkers Emergency Committee, a reconnaisance and guides corps is being formed by the V.D.C. The Bushwalkers are to be allotted the Sydney area, which extends from Newcastle to Nowra and inland to Bathurst. 31 walkers have either promised to join the V.D.C. or work as auxiliaries.

The work will be purely reconnaisance work. Groups of walkers will be allocated to particular areas, and will be required to get to know the district well enough to be able to guide men either at night or day without the slightest difficulty. Girls will be able to help, but not officially. Rail warrants will be provided. ·


CONSERVATION '• (1) How Timber-Cutti~ destroys For~~· By ABORES AUSTRALIS. If in the course of our bushvJalldng we see a lovely group of j;rees, blue-gums, for instance, and hear that ti~ber-oillers are going to cut it, we probably get very indignant and do our best to stop the desecration, From a scenic point of view we can probably judge better than most people. But from the forestry point of view nost of us are pretty poor judges, What determines whether k tree ought or ought not to be cut if the forest wealth of the country is to be cons,:-rved and dev~loped? Obviously if a tree is tall and straight and has reached the full limit of its grovvth, it is a pro1)er .troe for the sawmill, and both the forester and the sawmiller will be ~g~ed. The trouble is that the sawmiller very often wants to cut trees that have n0t reached the full limit of their growth. These lovely tall trees with another 15 or 20 years of rapid growth are the very al)J?le of his eye. They are also the apple of the eye of tha forester, and under no circumstances should they be cut unless they are growing too closely together, and of this tho forester is the only judge. Among the younger trees a certain nUJ:lber ~ust usually be cut to allow the others to reach full growth. But ar.1ong the very young treJs or saplings the thinning must be done with very great care, for if the~/ are to grow tall, straicht and branchless, the forester's ideal, they must grow clos·c togethc:r. If too rJany are removed th-.:: renaind“'r 1idll develop branches and so become useless as future timber. Tall, straight and branchless, fully grown and porf~ctly sound ~ that is the ty)e of troo that nakcs good tinbor, Hovr..::ver r.mch from a scenic or soil-erosian point of vicm VJG think othe;r t:r:e..::s ought to be conserved, fron tho point of view of com.1.::rcial tir2ber -oroduction, they arc of little or no use. Are tho bushvJalkors' and th..; for-:stors 1 views th'-'r0fore liahlo to be in conflict? Possibly! But rrith u littlo give and take on each side thoro is no reason why they should, for forostry is dofined to includo:Com. 1ercial tinb.:;r-production, soil consc.rvc::.tion and erosion control, devclopncnt and consorvation of scenic values, recreation values, shooting, gaLle prosorvation, fishing, flora consorvation, prcs0rvation of wooded lands for the sake of having wooded lands in d~sirable proportion to other lands. It is true that in our State, wh.:::r.:; funds for forestry are SQ linitod, tho first plays thG largest part in the Forestry Departnent 1s plans, but its officers assort that tho others are not lost sight of. (Next month: aHow bush firos destroy our tiuber resources”). 0 ? ·————-··——————- 11. -·——· ·— by CANDPUS • . . There arc quite a few people who arc not sure which is the Southern Cross, and nany more who do not kno1i-r vrhcro to look for it. During the year the Cross nal:es a con::_Jlcte clockwise circle in tho s'k<J.,as, in f<J.ct, do all the other stars. The circle it describes touchos the South.::rn horizon and coues to a point nearly overhead, The centro of this ci:cclc is known as the South Celestial Pole. This is a. point of smJ.c significance to Bush 1_',Jalkers because it is alvvays in exactly the Sc'..l:le place in the sky and is diroctly south. To find this point dravJ an inaginary line fro1:1 the head to thc foot of the Cross and project it three and a half times its own length. At present the Cross is n~arly overhead in tho c~rly evening. It is sot in the Milky Way, and lying against it to the East is a p;:;ar shaped black space known as the “Coal So.ck11 • This is not a sort of bL:ck hole in tho sky, buta large mass of gas which obscuras tho stars beyond it. To the East of the Cross are the two pointers. The brighter of those, Alpha Contauri, is the second nearest star to th-:: ~o.rth. It is 4.2 light years away from us. To the ancients, boforo a Cross had any significance for mankind, tho two pointers and the two stars of the Cross nearly L1. lino vJi th them, woro imagined as th ..: : four feet of the Ccnto..ur, Chiron, who instructed Jason and the heroes in tho arts of peace and war. It ~~s soon on the horizon at Jerusalem at th-.: time of the Crucifixion, l:n~“c t!o.s not knovm as a separate constellation until at least the fifto0nth c'”':1tury. - - - - - - - - - - N 0 T E (l~D TO BE NOTED) ALL YE WHO PRIDE YOURSELVES IN THE POSSESSION OF 11 THOSE GOOD PICTURES” BRING THEM INTO THE LIJY[ELIGHT OF THE FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION - 11 THE S. B. rT. Sl\..LON11 , - THL':..T OTHERS },1li.Y ALSO ENJOY THEIR R':..RE BEAUTY. IF THEY ARE ONLY IN TB:E NEGATIVE STATE, BESTIR YOURSELVES TO ACTiuN AND PRO!JUCE THOSE DELIGHTFUL PRINTS THAT THEY lflAY HOLD PLACE IN THAT ANNUAL AND TntiE-HONOURGD :GXHIDITION - TO MiUill IT NOT OHLY .SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE BEST AND GREATEST YET. EXHIBITION DATE JUNE 26th 1942. FOR ANY PARTICULARS, COWPACT:- JOHN NOBill REG ALDER ROLEY COTTER BILL BURKE: 25-3-42. – - 12. .. —————.——– —- -· ——– -L-E-T-T-::G·-T·IS- –F-R-O-l-:I 4T··H-E- -L-A–D-S- • From the Middle East. Life over here has been very quiet of late. Horl: 1 which used to ke8j_) us uoving, has fallen off considerably, in fact the business is ?ractically in the bankruptcy stage, and all guard duties, with the exce~tion of the lines ·picquet, have bean taken off our hands by an infantry batallion, which has moved in, so our future in the Holy Land is r.mch brighter. The only fly in the ointment is our c.o•s. rather definite ideas on how the troops should occupy their time. He beliav~s in leaving us with practically no tine vvith w~1icll to get into nischief. NORRIE 1-:iACDONALD. From iTew Guinea. ThGJ“-J are some excell~nt walks about 28..:-h-42. UlJthis way also marvellous scenary, of course punctuated by native villages and the smell attached th0roto. There is little that I can say but th~ life has its moments and dog fights~aro quite exciting in the distanc·3 but not so hot when directly UlJ stairs. As for bombs, v:ell I hav0 b..;~:n close enough for my liking although you get used to thi.El and only curse them for p~rhaps making you dive for a tr~nch, and unlike Sydney it rains well up here and off tim.as the trench is half full of dirty water but who iJinds; many the times I have hugged mothor earth while she is enshrouded with about 611 of water not so hot. GEORGE LODER 7-3-42. From Ottav1a, Canada. I a1:1 nov1 in the final phase of my training, Astra-navigation, and have only a fevi weeks to go. HLife11 is a very widely circulated magazine over herli: and you may remember we entertained one of its camcrru1en at a Federation s. & R. week-end on the Ne:_1ean in the SUJ:~m.er 1940/41. I recentl;y saw an issue containing tho fruits of Hank's (that was. his name) sojourn in Australia and he had not entirely ov..;rlooked tho Federation, the pictures including one of a beautiful blonde S .D.ri. all complete v;ith rucksack. REC~~~~~T-~~ New Guinea. I have just net Arthur Austin who has returned 5-5-LJ-2. frou ovorseas, he showL:d ~e a couple of photo sheats that he had received and I was very interested, especially as I ~ecognised uost of the members. It brought back old memories especially when I saw Rene Browne vri th the outside in mugs. Tell Rene that we sure appreciate our ~ugs of tea up here and what nugs- 11Mugs as big as di?p0rs11 • (Ho.c.has sent a very vivid and interesting description of th~ country and life in New Guinea for publication in tho S.B.W. Magazine, so look out for it.) By the way, Hec is now back in Australia. Gunner Anderson is also back from Malaya via Pal<3t.1bang and Java. 1:2_. LETTERS AND NE'aS FROM THE ~DS: Bob Savage turned up at the beginning of last month._ He looked very well and fit, and a ring of interested listeners gathered around hin–to. ::·hear his descriDtions of the real thing on the other side, A lot of th1.ngs went off around .. hir.1 but he was lucky enough not to stop any of them. At present Bob is giving so1::1.e of the troops at home the benefit of his experiences, so as to avoid casualties when th:;y go into·.action, Irving Calnan came back from car::1p for a we;;k end. He relaxed by going on the week-end teqt walk and caught the l a.n. train back on Sunday norning. He cxpecte;d to get a good rest the next day, by r:wans which r.lUst rer.1ain a milit~ry secret. INTO THE PURPLE .::;…–'-:..–~”'—- We led you astray in the last issuc 1 b;y saying that Mrs. Dick Jackson, was formerly “Cora” Henderson. Personally we like the nane Cora, but it seens we can't wish it on to anyone-, and no doubt Mrs. Jackson would prefer her own naL1e which is Paula, so we apologise • . The Stork had a cross country trip to Orange a short while ago, with ~a heavy pack, Delivered the goods to Mrs. Hundt, whom we rene1:1ber as~wen Clarke. The baby, a daughter, is everything a baby should be, we hear. ResembJke-e Gw~n a e;rGat doal, :j..s naking good progress and will soon be: tu.lk:i ng. A neober was heard the othor night, wishing rathor wistfully, that aftor the War, he r1ight have· a Tank so that we could do some of the really rough country, that country which strangely enough appeals to so nany of our Walker~. We have qu~etcr ·.anbi tions for after the War, inclining rather to the idea of a Sa.L1pnn“trip down the Shoalhaven with a few honourable soul nat.;s. ——· We thought the high price of vegetables would have killed off our pet vegetarians and vvere therefore surpris.;d at the nUlJ.ber of them in the Club roon recently, looking so w.;ll that we sus~-~ct thew of paying surreptitious visits to the butcher. Six ne1:1bers, including thr.ee Col:J.oittec neobers, and two prospcctives went on Doreen Hclorich 1s test walk down th0 Grose, One of the prospectives brought a quarter pound of coffee which he brewed for supper and norning tea. The other :prospectiV'e served the coffee to the party. A g0od tine was had ·by alL 1~. ——————–~—·- …. '—— WHAT D 0 y 0 u THINK? Ginger Pu;p wants to know::.. Is anyone able to tell me why certain ridges on the mountains are called 11The Dogsn? New Member moans:– I h~ve noticed that many of the older memb~rs of the club do not turn up on Officin.l Walks, cspecin.lly Test Walks, n.nd-n.s f<.1r as I can tell they sim1)ly go for short saunters along comfortal;lle tracks VJ'i th their friends. I understand tha.t ours is a. wa.lking club and th.::roforo suggest that throe Test walks every yea.r shou*d be made compulsory. BL:t.ck Billy wri tcs: 1Ne 110ld UNs 11 loved our camp fires, loved the music we hQd thereat, Ballads of yJstor year, Gilbert & Sullivan, Schubert n.nd other tuneful mcmoric:s, .:tnd tho old c_lub songs which now seom o.lmost to have passed into th0 limbo of forgotten things. Do tho new folk h:tve simil.:”.r tastes? Do they t:non tho melodies wo lovod so well, and which blond so with the night song of the bush? For the c.:tmp fires are not quite v1ho.t they were, it seems to me. Wherein lies the change? Or am I out of step? F.:;d-U;p: Being a. keen walker my tvvo cl;.ildren ho..ve b0cn no obstacle on trips. I carry one in my arms etnd one on my back, although I hc..vo weak ankles. The arrival of tho third is disheo.rtening. 1_'1horo can I ptit it? Gln.d of any advice. COME PEOPLE ARE S 0 HELPFUL! A letter for thQ correspondence page – or is it? Dear Clare, In reply to yours of Tuesday n.nd returning to the subject of whether I should write the 11Social Gossip“ page, or the 11Nature Notes” for the Bush walker – I n.m still somevvha t in the dark QS to what you meant when you s:A.:i.d. thnt no.t.11re wns n morG suit2..ble topic for-me to ha.ndle. I think you s~id tha.t a. Social Gossip writer ho.s to write rather scando.lously to ma.ke a success of it - yes you did – you must remember; I w.::ts just stepping out of my bath or ra.ther your b.::tth :tnd a.s you handed me the towel - the perfect hostess alwnys - you poked me in the ribs and s.::tid 11You 111 never be able to write scandal A - you ha.ve ha.d too quiet a. life to have ever come across any“ and I sn.id “Phooey to you my dea.r, I ma.y be an elder member but Itm not ::..s prim as all that.” You see Clare, I could tell thn.t story about B. and her plutonic friendship with s. which G.told me on (' .-, Sundny night· ns I wus da.rnp_setting her hnir after a. walk a.nd then she quoted Menoken a.s hn.ving written thnt 11Plo..tonic Friendship wa.s merely sitting on the fence waiting to see which wa.y the ca.t jumped”, o.nd we laughed so much tha.t she. fell off the cha.ir n.nd I ha.d such a. job picking her up tAat vhen I told you, you sa.id, 111.'!ell tha. t just goes to show“, 2..nd I so.id 1'1.'1ha.t does it go to show? 11 n.nd you sa.id “It goes to show that Sundn.y evenings in Sydney a.ren't ns dull n.s some Americn.n soldiers nia.kc out. 11 · By thu wc.:y Cln.re, you ha.d better n.lter my nom-de-plume from 11 Clubma.n11 to 11 Clubwomn.n 11 - it might S<..'..Ve some silly idl.::~ cha.tter, · Then my dear you go on n.nd contradict yourself by sn.ying that if the gossip is .too sca.nda.lous, the people mentioned such ns “G” might object - but don't y0u see Cla.re, there is more tha.n one 11G11 in th.;; club, so no one would be quite .sure which one I referred to a.nd the one whom it wa.s wquld lie low or she'd give herself a.wa.y, nnd I think the oth~r one wouldn't sa.y it couldn't be her for fca.r people would think nothing 13Ver ha.ppened to her. It might be tnking n risk but. you co.n usunlly count on the duplicity of most women c.nd in some cnsos even triplicity. Then thoro's my idee. for a. list of forthcoming mn.rringes or impendi:n,g •.•-. Gl'Vents,– did I toll you whnt C so..id about some of those on tho list a.s hn.ving been iJ?pending for o.. terrible lone; time, nnd the husbands being n long t'i.me · forthcoming. I s.:i.id I thought thc,t she- wns ra.ther ca.tty for one so long in the tooth herself, a.nd she retorted thnt I couldn't be n.ccused of getting long in the tooth myself 1cnuse my dentures were wea.ring shorter if a.nything a.fter neo..rly two deca.des of const:;.nt use )–nice sort ·Of peo1Jle we meet in the club don 1 t we? On second t:·10ught:;; c~nre dea.r,I think you ma.y be right, I -re~lly don't knovv much gossip a.nd certc:inly noth;Lng scCl.ndn.lous, so I' 11 k·,ve a. try a.t the Nnture Study pa.ge insba.d. Here o..re. o.. few i.10tes for the first —– MONTH 1 S NA':rURE NOTES———by GLO\CJORl\1. The Species Hill us Bill;y ll.ntipodeus, unlilce its llmerica.n counterpa.rt is miga.tory in ha.bit a.nd offers a. fertile.field of resea.rch for Na.ture Lovers. It r s fa.vouri te haunts nre hills·, :more hills and occa.siona.lly bosky dells, At least once o. year o..nd usu:t.lly in the month of Ma.rch it swa.rms in la.rge num- . bers in lovely Sl')Ots in the bush a.nd perfort1S stra.nge. rites a.round the newly chosen queen, much o.s ho.ppens in the life cycle of bees. Such n. lSW<lrming wa.s seen this Ma.rch down Heathcote Creek, by one observer • It is omni verous, compa. table, O.nd· us~.:clly spotlessly clean in its ha.bi ts, while its song is “sometimes” very svreat o.nd free from ha.litosis. The mating sea.son extends from Ja.nua.ry until Xmas. During the rest of the yea.r - a. metter of five or six da.ys - it takes flight to its fa.vourite eyrie, sometimes spelt Era. o..nd there it t::.kas stock of its yea.rts efforts a.nd brea.th for the next. 16. N”lELBOURNE STARTS A “MIXED BUSH WALKING CLUB” Extrccts from n letter frpm Dot English: One Perce VJoodman, whom you mo.y h~W·8 met wo.lking with t:qe S .B.V>Jt s on occasion (he wns nt the Federation Reunion nnd ho.s been in nt the Club on a few occo.sions) ho.s started a. club here which is co.lled the Melbourne Bushwalkers. It's constitution is bn.sed on thn.t of the s.B.VJis, and Perce grows lyrical whenever he speaks of the S.B.Vl's n.nd their friendliness and good sense, etc. I nn throwing in my weight behind this Club, and mn.ybe the happy future will sec a. Club in Melbourne where boys and girls can walk and cn.mp together vvi th– out their world taking seven blue fits o.bout it. I went out visiting— o.nd — lending lights of the Melbo,urne Mens YJo..lking Club n.nd Melbourne VI omens r VJn.lking Club respectively. Of course when they wn.lk at week-ends they do not do trips together. I ventured to express the view that I t~ought it wo.s a. poisonous ideo. to segregate the sexes in a..prudish Mid-Victoria.n fo..shion, o.nd run afraid that tho one called·— took it ns n. personal slight. However' ona must be honest. I ho..d been warned not to venture my_disnpprova.l on the monn.stic system of tho llielbourne Wn.lking Clubs, but o.lns I couldn 1 t keep r.1y tongue still when the honour of the Bushwo.lkers was n.t stake. Forwo.rd the Lig:1t Brign.del n.nd other hunting ~xpressions! I co.n see o. lot of fun o..heo.d in tho futuro, 1.'Je n.rc toying with the idea of getting hold of o. Club room for regulo..r meetings, o.nd of st~rting n. monthly ma.gn.zine 1 botp of which I think nre ve~y strong factors in holding a club togcthur. - - - - - - - - 1.'Jho..t I miss most here :in Hew Orle.a.ns is the le'..ck of fo..cilities for outdoor exercise. New Orleo..ns is built on tho Mississippi delta. and there is nothing but swn.nps all o..round - you cannot vJo.lk a.t ·nll. Then the f'1cilities for swimming nrc VGry poor - a lukewarm nnd dirty lo..kc a.nd tv10 city pools o.nd tho.t is n.ll. No nic0 clco..n occo..n with white, s~ndy benches to sunbake ?n• . rJith SUJ:lmei_' co~ing pn in this moist, sub-tropicq..l climate you can ~ma.g~nc how I sho.l:). s~gh for our Sydney boo..ches, They say tha.t it is hot a.nd stcc.my and novor lets up nig·ht or do.y for vwcks on ei1d. Tho Gulf is a. hundrJd ::1ilcs a.vm .. y. only with


The tr0~ which moves some to tea.r& of joy,, is in the eyes of others a gree.n thing that s'tunds in the wa.y.- B~.;~.t to tho eyes of the ma.n inagina.tion n.ntur~· :Ls· Imag:in~t:i..Qn. i.t~lf. As n. .no.n is, so be sees.~~ –~—- )· ,. ———————————·— ——– —–_ J.:J_! OYEZ! OYEZ1 '0YEZl ·J:HE Uil.LKS SECR8TARY CRll.VES ATTEI~I_cgH In the spir:l t of “the Club :-Just carry on” n::tny me1:1bors ho.ve ~- . c volunteered to le::td walks, though in some co.ses.they ure o.tto.ched to b sonc orgo.niso.tion such o.s N.E.S., Red Cross etc. which·mco.ns tho.t they mo.y r r. be prevented at the last moment from le~ding th~ir wo.lks. This makes it imperative that those desirous of joining walk give reasonable notice to leo.der. If the le::tder tells you tLe na.y not be a.vo.il::tble, phone 1'Ja.lks Sccrct~ry (F.X.7019) during tho week. He.will tell you whether the walk is still on, or name the substitute leader. ANJ:IJ”-UAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION ————·——— on Friday, 26th Jun~ Ho.ve you planned your exhibit yet? If“ You haven't, let Tony Goodr;w.n o.dvise you. nega..tivos n.long, o.nd vm will. to.lk thea over. fine job of the onJ.argcl:lents. You know ………. TONY GOODI'Ii!J-J. GOODNiA.tiJ BROS. 20 Hunter Street, Sydney ( oppoei te nynya.rd) Bring your —————————–.,.—-·–·–·–·—-~_§_._ PANIC BUYING The Bushwo.lking fra. tcrni ty (through long con tc:.ct vd th the bush) is fur too lcvcl-hea.dcd to indulge in any such antisocial activity us Pn.nic Buying, but Pn.ddy wCillts the S .B.1.”!. to be avon core sclf-sa.crificing. He appeals to all good walkers to J:J.a.kc their procious ccu:1:2ing gear spin out to the utnost. Ma.terio.ls o.rc sco.rco o.ild likely to be sco..rcer; they n.rc reserved for n6cessitics o.nd conforts for the Forc~s n.nd Public Sa.fety bodies. Th~refore, if you ca.n make your old pnck or tent lo..st out n little longer, do so; Po.ddy will be plonsod to rop~ir it. Ncwconers to ':Jo.lking can still be: assured of getting nost of vhnt they require und the:y are wolcoue. 1PHONE: B.310l. PADDY Pii.LLIN, 327 GEORGZ S'J:REET, SYDNEY

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