WHO WE ARE 

We are a bunch of people from all areas of life with various degrees of enthusiasm, fitness, commitment, desire for adventure, challenge, or simply wanting something different. 

We all share a love for the outdoors. 

We all want to... 

• experience nature first hand

• breathe clean fresh air

• smell the bush

• hear the birds

• see a variety of animals in their natural environment

• meet new friends

• experience adventure

• learn new skills

• have a great time

• enjoy nature and preserve our natural environment

OUR AIMS ARE

• To encourage bushwalking as a means of recreation

• To establish regard for the welfare, preservation and conservation of the natural environment

• To promote social activity amongst members.

Although special skills are not required to start bushwalking, some degree of physical fitness is desirable. Physical fitness will improve quickly by starting with easy walks and progressing to the more challenging.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

When an adventurous South African John Taylor arrived in Brisbane on his way walking around the world, he was amazed there was no Bushwalking Club here and wrote of his surprise to the editor of the "Courier Mail". Nancy Shaw and Mickey Miller contacted him and together they decided to call a public meeting on 19th August 1948 to see if there was sufficient interest to form a club.

Ninety-nine people attended that first meeting. It was decided to form an enabling committee of seven to draw up a constitution to be presented to the first meeting held on 15 September. Eager to get things under way, it was also decided to have a day walk soon, before the new constitution was finalised. Bert Salmon volunteered to lead a group into the Mt Gravatt area on 29th August. He knew the area well and would work out an interesting route.

The Brisbane Bushwalkers had begun!

At the meeting on 15th September a committee was formed and there were suggestions of places to visit, routes to take, and how to get there. Ironically, John Taylor did not join the club much less hold a position on the management committee, as he was soon to continue his travels.

FROM THEN ON

Private transport was very scarce in those days so there was a great reliance on trams and trains. The first through walk was Petrie to Dayboro, from station to station. By the end of 1948 the club had volunteer leaders of day walks, a string of weekend camps planned, social get-togethers such as dances, swimming parties and general evenings which all helped members feel the Club was running well and had a great future.

In the first year the "Routes and Survey Committee" organised a walk on average every second weekend amounting to 19 day walks and 11 through walks.

The second year 14 base camps and 3 through walks were held. Through walks included Petrie to Dayboro, Closeburn/Cedar Creek/Mt Samson and an "overseas venture" Dunwich/Blue Lake/Point Lookout on Stradbroke Island.

The 1951-52 year saw the number of through walks increase. The introduction of the "semi-base camp" saw a format in which participants camped the night near the starting point of the walk to be completed the next day. This practice proved ideal for the longer walks and those located farther from Brisbane.

In February 1957, honorary life membership was introduced in the Constitution, when Julie Henry was given the inaugural award. Our honorary life members are:

The number of walks held each weekend has increased from one or two to up to eight. This transition follows a growing Club membership and the introduction of limits to the number of walkers on each outing. Benefits have included a wider choice with through walks, day walks scheduled each weekend and the occasional base camp. Limits on the number of participants on walks arose due to conservation and safety concerns.

First aid, photography and social events were features of the Club from the beginning and continue to this day. Other outdoor events organised by the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club include canoeing, cycling and rogaining. Search and rescue was also a major feature in the early years but that was eventually handed over to FMR (Federation Mountain Rescue) so that equipment and expertise from all clubs in the Brisbane area could be pooled.

1998 saw the Golden Jubilee of the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club and an organising committee was formed to arrange a year to celebrate the Club's first 50 years. An extensive variety of commemorative activities followed including a past walk from each year in the club's history.

In August 2001 a team of members began designing a website for the Club. The website, bbw.org.au, was launched in April 2002 and has become an important means of communication within the Club and a key source of recruitment of new members.

Club membership reached a record of 577 in July 2005, perhaps a reflection of the success of the Club website.
 

TODAY AND TOMORROW

Today the Brisbane Bushwalkers has a membership of approximately 570 members. Our membership includes a vast knowledge and experience base of committed people. Over the years the Club has flourished with the benefit of dedicated committee members who tirelessly worked to achieve the aims of the Club. As more people become increasingly aware of our environment and experience first hand the wonders of the Australian bush, the future of the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club is assured.