The Bushwalker
Many older issues of The Bushwalker are available here, going back over 50 years. They contain hiking stories by legends of bushwalking: Dot Butler (English) as well as many sketches by Dot, Dorothy Lawry, Marie Byles, Myles and Milo Dunphy, Horace Salmon, Gordon Smith, Else Mitchell, Beryl Thompson, Paddy Pallin, Ted Sloane and many more. Many thanks are due to Colin Wood and Andy McQueen for providing these older issues.
The magazine published by NSW Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs (today known a Bushwalking NSW), carried the name The Bushwalker and has had a proud record since 1937. The name Bush Walker (two words) became in 1943 (as far as the magazine was concerned) one word. This magazine should not be confused with The Sydney Bush Walker (the club), which published the Sydney Bush Walker in 1934 till the present day. This name – bushwalking – has gone into the Australian vernacular and its name brings memories of walking in the great Australian bush.
The numbering sequence was a bit irregular in some places, as a close inspection will show. Also, some issues had a month and year, some had that and a volume and issue number, while some had no date or identification at all. They have been listed with the information gleaned from them; in many cases you can interpolate the volume/issue information.We would be very grateful for copies of any missing issues to add to this archive. Please contact us if you can help. All copies lent to us will be professionally scanned and returned to the owner.
The Bushwalker Magazine has been published on and off since 1937. It started as an annual in 1937 and except for 1944 (because of the shortage of paper during the war) was published as an annual every year up to 1948.
For some unknown reason it was not published again until 1961/65 when three were published Volume 2 No’s 1-3. Then there was another gap till 1975 when “The Newsletter of The Federation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW” was put out as an A3 newsletter of 4-6 pages. Towards the end of 1986 it reverted to the name The Bushwalker till December 1989, and has been published non-stop as The Bushwalker.
Many of the documents here are scanned images, and are not searchable. Over time, we hope to convert many of them into text so they can be searched. If you have any expertise in this area and would be prepared to help, contact us.
1978
Feb 1978 (3/4) pp 1,3
Feb 1978 (3/4) pp. 2,4
Mar 1978 (3/5) pp.1,3
Mar 1978 (3/5) pp.2,4
May 1978 (3/6) pp.1,2
May 1978 (3/6) pp. 1,3
May 1978 (3/6) pp. 2,4
June 1978 (3/9) pp. 1,3
June 1978 (3/9) pp. 2,4
Aug 1978 (4/7) pp. 1,3
Aug 1978 (4/1) pp. 2,4
Sep 1978 (4/2) pp. 1,3
Sep 1978 (4/2) pp. 2,4
Oct 1978 (4/3) pp. 1,3
Oct 1978 (4/3) pp. 2,4
Dec 1978 (4/4) pp 1,3,5
Dec 1978 (4/4) pp. 2,4,6
Older issues of The Bushwalker
Sadly, records are fragmented. Any one who can assist with older issues is earnestly asked to help us. In the meantime we have the following old copies, many due to the efforts of the previous Editor Colin Wood, to whom we send many thanks.
Dot Butler
Finally, many older members will remember that incredible bushwalker Dot Butler – ‘the barefoot walker’. For all those younger walkers who think they are so good, read this and wonder just how you would match up. And yet, despite all her skills, Dot was a ‘friend’ to all.