A Brief History of the
Pandani Bushwalking Club.

The Pandani Bushwalking Club was formed at an inaugural meeting on 2 April 1992 and became a fully incorporated club on 19 June 1992.

The Club originated primarily from people who had been through the Adult Education "Introduction to Bushwalking " course and who had continued to walk together as friends after completing the course.

From a collection of fifteen people in 1988 calling themselves the “Survivors”, group membership increased to over sixty in 1991. Membership expanded to include not only those from Adult Education but also their friends and others interested in bushwalking.

Since incorporation in 1992, membership has continued to grow and diversify and current membership is approximately three hundred and fifty (2010). Membership is open to all and there are no special entry requirements.

Club Activities

The Club has an active walks and social program. Each weekend there is either a day or weekend walk or both. The Club also has a keen group of mid-week walkers, with a day walk held on most Thursdays and some Tuesdays. Areas visited cover nearly all the popular walking destinations in Tasmania.

• Day walks are held to areas such as Mt Wellington, Hartz Mountains, Tasman Peninsula, Bruny Island and Mt Field National Park. • Areas visited on weekend trips include the above plus more remote areas such as the South Coast Track, the South West and the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. • Over the summer period a number of more extended trips are programmed to take advantage of the holiday period and the warmer more settled weather.

Most of the walks are graded medium and are suitable for people of reasonable fitness. There are also easier day walks suitable for families with younger children and some harder walks, both day and extended, for the fitter members who wish to visit the more rugged and remote areas. A number of club members are also interested in skiing and a weekend snow camp is usually held during the winter. A further group of members are interested in cycling and mountain biking. Many club members are also keen bush photographers and an annual photographic competition/exhibition is held most years. ‘Dog walks’ for the canine lovers are also a regular feature of the club program.

Meetings & Socials

The Club holds monthly meetings on the first Thursday of every month (except January). Meetings start at 7.30pm and are held in “The Retreat” Room, 1st floor of the Philip Smith Centre on the Domain. Enter from Edward Street Glebe. These are not “business” meetings but rather an opportunity to meet with other club members, chat about recent and forthcoming club trips, look at and exchange photos, and hear about the latest in gear. There are short sessions at most meetings on bushwalking skills and other related topics such as mountain biking, skiing and bush photography.

At most meetings we also have a guest speaker with an audio-visual presentation. These talks cover a wide range of bushwalking and related topics and are intended to be inspiring as well as educational.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.

Prospective members wanting to find out more about the club are welcome but please note that membership subscriptions cannot be accepted at these monthly meetings.

On the business side, the club committee meets every two months. Separate meetings are held four times a year to plan the forthcoming walks and social programs and these meetings are often organised as a social event also. The Club’s AGM is held in January or February.

The club walks/social program and the club newsletter, the “Pandani Post” are published on a quarterly basis and emailed or mailed to all members.

Club social activities are held on approximately a monthly basis. Activities include dinners and counter meals at a range of venues, quiz nights, barbecues, movie nights and other social gatherings at members’ homes.