Mt Warning - Peach's Australia December 1975

"Greetings from the Morning of Australia"

The final episode of Peach's Australia in 1975 was titled "The Morning of Australia". The summit and glorious views from and to Mt Warning were featured. In the opening moments, Bill is seen walking up the last few steps of the track onto a grassy knoll on the summit on what must have been a very quiet day (or perhaps there was heavy use of hairspray!). There are no lookouts as yet and the vegetation is quite sparse in contrast to the current state (see below) where low trees have taken over.

Peach's Australia Broadcast December 9, 1975

Since 1975 the summit has been visited by about 3-4 million visitors. The footage and comparison to the current state of the track demonstrates how little environmental impact those visitors have had. In fact it looks lusher now than it did nearly half a century ago.

The short clip above from the episode obtained from the ABC is published under fair dealing provisions of the copyright ACT.

Some screenshots below and a 2020 view.

Mt Warning Summit 1975

Grassy Knoll at the summit of Mt Warning, 1975

Mt Warning Summit view 2020 - source

Episode Description December 1975

In their "Wollumbin National Park Closure – Communications and Engagement Plan" NPWS claim "Current generations of Aboriginal Elders and community representatives see it as their responsibility to ensure sacred sites are protected and the traditional Lore and associated cultural protocols are upheld by all people. Desecration, litter and toileting, particularly around the Summit is causing unacceptable physical and cultural impacts and damage."

Looking at the 1975 and 2020 images that show the summit looking in great condition I'm calling BS on claims about "Desecration, litter and toileting, particularly around the Summit". It is increasingly clear both NPWS and the Wollumbin Consultative Group spend very little time in the park and alot of time making things up.

Just about everything NSW NPWS say about Mt Warning is a lie.

(Looking at the pristine state of Bill's White shirt and considering the 4.4km walk to get there the normal method, I suspect the helicopter likely dropped him and camera man off on top.)

Comments

Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested

"How can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation." Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd RIP NSW NPWS have the following description about Aboriginal attitudes to people climbing to the summit of Mt Warning on their webpage about the walking track: Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit. These claims, including the very name applied to the mountain, are contested and it seems there is another story that NSW NPWS have not properly acknowledged and have long kept from public attention. We came across this article from the Daily News February 24 2007 about Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd that makes for interesting reading. It seems

Mt Warning - Summit signing, time capsule

A Mt Warning Visit, summit signing Drove up the long road from Sydney, leaving early to grab a beer at the Mt Warning Hotel at Uki in the afternoon. There's a nice view of the summit from the smoker's deck. The tip of the mountain was catching clouds and then letting them go. I met Roger, a one-legged ex- navy seal and former security guard to Gloria Estafan. He was an interesting bloke, sucking a large Cuban cigar and slamming spiced rum on ice. He had one eye, apparently, he had lost the other blue pearl in a firefight with Somali terrorists in the Persian Gulf. We had a brief discussion of current affairs and the insanity of public parks being closed for no good reason, and vandalism of the tourism industry by a woke broken Bureaucracy - just light conversation. I mentioned I had a mission that might suit him and he agreed to join in. We headed to the Mt Warning Rainforest Caravan Park. Mt Warning from the Mt Warning Hotel Roads around the area are still not repaired from la

Chain and post removed at Mount Warning Summit Walk

The current situation is a disgrace and an insult to Park users and all Australians. The Minister must instigate an independent audit and review of NSW NPWS management of the Park and develop a brighter vision of the Park's future. The walk to the summit of Mt Warning in northern NSW is an iconic experience of the natural world. Views from the summit on a clear day provide an unrivaled vista over the Tweed River Valley, lush rainforests, eroded volcanic landscape and beaches on the coast. They fill visitors with a sense of awe and wonder. From a geological perspective, it is arguably the best-preserved erosion caldera in the world. The 4.4km (8.8km return) track was completed in 1909 but the hike was firmly established as a popular tourist attraction in 1929 with the declaration of the area around the mountain as a National Park. The opening ceremony was attended at the summit by 200 people, some rode horses up the trail. The standard of the early track construction is extreme

Right to Climb

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