The Bush Club

The Bush Club is an Australian bushwalking club founded in 1939 in Sydney, New South Wales by the well-known conservationists and bushwalkers Marie Byles and Paddy Pallin. The Bush Club has hundreds of members located in and around Sydney and is affiliated with the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW and through them with Bushwalking Australia. The club, since inception, has provided a wide range of walks of all difficulties and durations.

History

The Bush Club was founded in 1939 as an alternative club to the older Sydney Bushwalking Club. Whilst the Sydney Bushwalking Club was successful it predominantly focused on lengthy, difficult walks, often involving several days camping in the wild. Marie Byles felt that there were many people in the Sydney region who wished to walk but who were unable to undertake harder, multi-day walks because of health, family or work reasons - or who simply preferred shorter trips. With the assistance of Paddy Pallin, the Bush Club was founded to provide a club for such people. [Looking Back - Walking On (1989)]

Geographical Area of Activity

The club has walked since inception in all the national park areas surrounding Sydney. Large numbers of walks are performed in The Royal National Park and adjacent areas, the Blue Mountains National Park and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and the many national parks of the Hawkesbury River region. A number of urban walks and heritage walks in the inner parts of Sydney are also held. Walks in other countries and walks in other significant national parks around Australia are occasionally organised.

Current Activities

The Bush Club continues to provide walks to its members. Members from within the club suggest and volunteer to lead specific walks, which are then advertised to the membership in a quarterly newsletter. Walks are rated from one star (easiest) to 4 star (hardest) and special 'Less Active Walkers' walks suitable for older, less active members are offered. Special 'Take It Easy' walks are also offered. These are walks of all difficulty levels deliberately taken at a slower pace, the aim of which is to encourage less fit members to try more difficult walks. The club also undertakes canyoning activities in the summer months.

As of August 2008 the club has approximately 600 active members [Presidents Report, The Bush Club Newsletter, Spring (September) 2008] and reported offering 383 walks in the year ended June 2008. [Presidents Report, The Bush Club Newsletter, Spring (September) 2008]

References