Sydney Christian Bushwalkers recently held 50th birthday celebrations over a weekend of walking in the Kiama area, followed by a dinner at Burwood RSL Club. The events attracted current and former members, who are pictured below in a group photo. In the second photo, the anniversary organiser Judith Ramm poses with the 50th birthday cake.
The non-denominational Christian bushwalking club, Scripture Union Bushwalkers, was founded by the first club president Graham Morrison in July 1974. The inaugural walk was an overnight trip to Blue Gum Forest, in the Grose Valley near Blackheath – very cold at that time of year! A few years later Peter Onus took over the role of president.
The club had quite an active program of day-walks, overnight walks, and multi-day treks in those early years of the 1970s, 1980s, and into the early 1990s, with full use of Easter weekends, October long weekends, and Anzac weekends. Naturally there were numerous day-walks as well, which were the mainstay of the program. Some of the day-walks were fairly easy, while others could be quite hard and rough, occasionally including bushy and rugged off-track sections.
In the late 1980s and the early 1990s the number of members who liked overnight walks gradually reduced as people went their separate ways. As a result, day-walks became the main feature of the club’s program, complimented by occasional overnight walks.
In the new millennium, Scripture Union decided that any affiliated groups should follow the organisation’s policies and procedures. The club members considered that the link with Scripture Union had become tenuous, and a stand-alone club would be the better option. There was some debate over the name change, but eventually Sydney Christian Bushwalkers was incorporated, with its own policies and procedures appropriate to a bushwalking club.
Although membership numbers have declined, to remain steady around 67, the club has continued to have an active program. Many of the older club members have been in the club for several decades, and as the general membership age has increased, the type of walks has changed to moderate and easy walks on a Saturday, mixed with occasional urban walks and car camping or cabin weekends.
Christians of all ages and denominations are welcome, and visitors can attend 3 walks before being asked to join the club.
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