Bushwalk Australia

Who are the legendary pioneers of Tasmanian Bushwalking. Can you list any of them?

I suppose Gustav Weindorfer would be an obvious start, and I can list a couple more.

• Gustav & Kate Weindorfer
• Fred Smithies,
• Jack Thwaites,
• Peter Drombrovskis,

Olegas Truchanas. If it wasnt for him Dombrovskis never would have been who he is.
Keith Lancaster.
Reg Williams, Olegas's walking partner.
Dave Noble.
Deny King. King of the SW
Leo Luckman.

I suppose it we broaden this a little to include early track cutters, then I can add:

• Robert Ewart - Ewart Lake
• Paddy Hartnett - Hartnett Falls.
• Bob Quaile - Quaile Falls

And Alexander Mckay
Francis Mcpartlan
James Sprent
Charles Gould
Wentworth Hardy

ILUVSWTAS wrote:And Alexander Mckay, Francis Mcpartlan, James Sprent, Charles Gould, Wentworth Hardy

This wildcare article written by Fred Lakin, has some info on a couple of these guys.

Good link.

Trampled Wilderness is a good read for anyone interested in things like this and early track cutters.

Keith Lancaster
John Daniel (Keith's walking partner)
Ozzie Ellis
Gustav & Kate
Fred Smithies
Jack Thwaits.

Regards Overlandman

ILUVSWTAS wrote:Trampled Wilderness is a good read for anyone interested in things like this and early track cutters.

Yes, excellent read. And, if folk are quick, available on Ebay.

Tony Moscal a self taught botanist spent great lengths of time combing the bush in the South West and other places. He was quite a tough and tenacious bloke.

Henry Hellyer?

RSD wrote:Henry Hellyer?

Hell yer!

Edward George Innes - District Surveyor who cut the original 'Mole Creek Track' (Innes Track) from Mole Creek to Mt Black near Rosebury in the 1890's. Interesting read here http://www.mininghistory.asn.au/wp-cont ... x-bell.pdf

Wouldn't necessarily call them 'bushwalkers', but you'd probably have to include Sarah Island convicts Alexander Pearce and James Goodwin for their west to east crossings of the Southwest in the 1820's - were they the first?

Well they werent the last !!!!

Perhaps Woorady, Timmy, Truganini and 'King' William Lanne.

I'd suggest they all have some significance in Tasmania, and they had their legends too....

I've only been to Tassie twice, meet one of those above both times. The second time without knowing us, put me, my sister and father up for the night. Saved us from spending another night in a 2 person tent.. A true legend in my books.

Just about finished reading "King of the Wilderness", Deny King's biography. Pretty amazing story, and definitely worthy of the title legend from what everyone has said of him.

I need to study the names in this topic closer. I've heard of nearly all of them.
I was wondering who would be the current list of living legends?

Dave Noble has been mentioned and I know he's still around and walking.
I ran into Chris Binks this morning, he gets out & about, went to the Walls last week.
Would love to do a walk with him one day.

Not so much legendary pioneers of Tasmanian bushwalking as the first post suggests, but pretty cool what they do none the less.
Who else is still out there walking, with such a wealth of experience and knowledge?

Kevin Doran

Louis-Philippe Loncke

Greetings All,

Newbie to the site - really interesting thread here, amongst really interesting bits. Anyhow a couple of more contemporary names from up north would possibly include the life members of the NWWC David Duff (Dec) Ray (Taddy) Tadmen (dec) and Dick Burns (penguin cradle trail amongst other things ).

Cheers

Could we have a vote, as with the system used when we vote in the photo competitions?
Legends: Cutters, Photographers, The Moderns etc. (..fine young Cannibals?)

Surely TB Moore's been missed. Sub-heading: great soloists. His dogs Spero and Wanderer are western rivers. See his Wiki bio.

Too many names in the end. That's what bowls over new visitors to Tassie. So many characters, never encountered in mainland school histories. Like another country.

Don't forget Jessie luck man (wife of Leo).
In terms of Southwest, Deny and his old man (Charles) helped do an enormous amount for opening up the south west to bushwalkers. Jack Thwaites and Keith Lancaster are legendary.
I think in modern times you would have to also put Andrew Hughes up there. He's done some epic stuff. e.g. Tassie end to end 49 dayer! That Louis Phillipe Loncke did a similar thing but in a much nuttier way. Love em all! They have some awesome tales to tell. If you haven't read it, Fred Smithies' biography is a great read. Very hard to come by now though...

Mowser wrote:<Snip> If you haven't read it, Fred Smithies' biography is a great read. Very hard to come by now though...

I can second that - it turns up in second hand book shops and online on occasions. At the moment there are three copies on eBay if anyone is keen to get hold of a copy.

PeterJ wrote:Tony Moscal a self taught botanist spent great lengths of time combing the bush in the South West and other places. He was quite a tough and tenacious bloke.

Just discovered that the full length 1980 film "Franklin River Journey" starring Tony Moscal is available for viewing on the Tasmanian Government LINC YouTube channel. A fascinating film made for Tas Parks and Wildlife at the time the Gordon River Dam was being debated in the Tasmanian Parliament. A much condensed version of this film was included in the ABC "Wildness" DVD set produced in 2005 and now out of print. Well worth viewing the original!

Franklin River Journey (1980) - Botanist Antonius Moscal travels by raft down the course of Franklin River for three weeks beginning at Lake Hermione. He experiences both its tranquil beauty and turbulent power. A rare view of a wild and inaccessible river.

Produced by Tasmanian Film Corporation for Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife.
Directed by Bob Connolly
Produced by Anne Whitehead
Written by Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly
Narrated by John Bluthal
Photography by Gert Kirchner

Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office: Film - Franklin River Journey (1980) - (sound and colour) 25 minutes 42 seconds (Reference AB869/1/1073)

tas-man wrote:Just discovered that the full length 1980 film "Franklin River Journey" starring Tony Moscal is available for viewing on the Tasmanian Government LINC YouTube channel.

Thanks that looks like a great film. It seems the DVD is also available through the national film archives. (Horrid looking URL but it seems to work ok)
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/searc ... resCount=1

peter-robinson wrote:

tas-man wrote:Just discovered that the full length 1980 film "Franklin River Journey" starring Tony Moscal is available for viewing on the Tasmanian Government LINC YouTube channel.

Thanks that looks like a great film. It seems the DVD is also available through the national film archives. (Horrid looking URL but it seems to work ok)
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/searc ... resCount=1

They produce copies on demand at VERY high prices. The last time I asked about getting a DVD copy of a film I was quoted $120 and I had to obtain the permission of the copyright holder before they would supply.

tas-man wrote:

peter-robinson wrote:

tas-man wrote:Just discovered that the full length 1980 film "Franklin River Journey" starring Tony Moscal is available for viewing on the Tasmanian Government LINC YouTube channel.

Thanks that looks like a great film. It seems the DVD is also available through the national film archives. (Horrid looking URL but it seems to work ok)
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/searc ... resCount=1

They produce copies on demand at VERY high prices. The last time I asked about getting a DVD copy of a film I was quoted $120 and I had to obtain the permission of the copyright holder before they would supply.

Yowza! I was imagining you could borrow it or go there to view it

Eric Sargent