Australian history shaped by bushwalkers

UQ lecturer Dr Melissa Harper uses quirky characters and humorous stories to provide the first historical account of Australian bushwalking in her latest book.

“Bushwalking is such a fundamentally Australian pastime, and is enjoyed by so many people, but the stories had never been told,” Dr Harper said.

“Anything that had been written really only covered the late 19th and 20th century. No one had gone back and shown its long history, which can be traced back to the beginnings of European settlement.”

The Ways of the Bushwalker: On foot in Australia reveals how bushwalkers have shaped Australian ideas about the land.

“The earliest European arrivals were often quite hostile towards the bush – it was alien to them.

“Bushwalkers really promoted the idea that the bush was beautiful – a place to relax and rediscover yourself. They encouraged people not to be scared of it, but to treat it with respect and understanding.

“Bushwalkers showed that the Australian environment was varied, not monotonous,” Dr Harper said.

The book also presents bushwalkers as passionate environmentalists.

“Bushwalkers were strong environmental activists and were influential in the development of national parks,” Dr Harper said.

The Ways of the Bushwalker comes to life through the inclusion of primary sources such as diary entries, club newsletters and photographs.

Getting hold of this material was no easy task, according to Dr Harper.

“It involved lots of digging, especially for the 19th century documents,” she said.

“For example, a diary may not have been about bushwalking so you’d have to search for anything that referred to walking trips.

“I was able to find a lot through library archives and club archives, and, a couple of times, I found people through advertising in the paper.”

While Dr Harper doesn’t consider herself a ‘real’ bushwalker, she does have a strong connection with the Australian landscape.

“In a way this is a personal story because I do have a strong sense of attachment to the land,” she said.

“I grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, but always had immediate access to the bush. It was certainly not something I feared.”

The book formed Dr Harper’s PhD thesis, which she completed in 2002 at Sydney University.

“For my PhD I only covered up until 1940 so had to write an extra two chapters to bring it up to date,” Dr Harper said.

Dr Harper currently lectures in Australian studies with UQ’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History.

The Ways of the Bushwalker: On foot in Australia is published by UNSW Press and retails at $32.95.

As for the future of bushwalking, Dr Harper doesn’t envisage the pastime dying out anytime soon.

“I think the more urbanised we become the more we crave the sense of escape. It fuels the desire to go and explore the bush environment.”

Media: Further information, Dr Harper (3346 9454, melissa.harper@uq.edu.au) or Penny Robinson (3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)