Weindorfer Memorial Service @ Waldheim Jan 1st (each year)

[tas-man]

A reminder that the annual Weindorfer Memorial Service will be held at Gustav Weindorfer's grave site adjacent to his Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain. It is organised every year by a special sub-committee of the North West Walking Club. This year is the 100th anniversary of Weindorfer's opening of Waldheim Chalet, which he started building in March 1912. His three roomed building hosted its first visitors in time for Christmas 1912.

The service starts at 1.30pm and details are in the poster below. In past years, there has always been free entry to Waldheim to attend the service, and I assume that this will be the case again this year. I plan to attend, so if any other BWT forum members will be attending, we can have a meetup. It would be useful if we can identify each other somehow - so I'll make myself a "bushwalk.com" badge.

[tas-man]

Here's some information about the construction of Waldheim from Margaret Giordano's 1987 book "A Man and a Mountain" pages 37-39.

[tas-man]

Here's a scan of a slide of a group outside Waldheim, taken by Miss Iris Buck from Devonport, on 21st January 1959.

. . . and one from the 1920's.

[Overlandman]

Looks like the Weather will be mostly sunny with the temperature 8 - 21 .
Looking forward to meeting you, & other members
Regards Overlandman

[Nuts]

Good posting Ian, i'll likely be busy this year, hope the weather holds out.

[tas-man]

Good posting Ian, i'll likely be busy this year, hope the weather holds out.

The weather will be whatever Tassie decides to be. A few years ago during the official address, it varied rapidly between snow falling and sunshine! Check these photos from 2009. download/file.php?id=1121&mode=view and download/file.php?id=1123&mode=view

[tas-man]

A reminder that the annual Weindorfer Memorial Service will be held this coming Wednesday 1st January 2014, at Gustav Weindorfer's grave site adjacent to his Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain. It is organised every year by a special sub-committee of the North West Walking Club. The service starts at 1.30pm. In past years, there has always been free entry to Waldheim to attend the service, and I assume that this will be the case again in 2014. See you there!

[tas-man]

In February this year Gustav Weindorfer's Great Nephew and his two sons from Austria visited Waldheim and Cradle Mountain for the first time, and this feature article was published in the Advocate. They hoped to be able to attend the next Memorial Service on January 1st 2014.

[flyfisher]

Very interesting post, thanks tas-man.

FF

[Nuts]

Hi tas-man, good info as always. I'm hoping to get up this year. Iv'e a couple of things to do but should at least get to the memorial. Short notice I know but have at least 8 free seats from Launnie/Devo and return for anyone around who would like to attend?

PM if interested.

[Tasallan]

Very interesting and what publicity if the Austrian TV crew attend.
I have been visiting Cradle for over 55 years and in my humble opinion is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
My Uncle, Lewis Yaxley, purchased the farm at Kindred from Wendorfer/Kate Cowle and my dad (his brother) often spoke of Weidorfer when my dad was groing up on the next farm to Weindorfer at Kindred. My dad was also friends with Quaile and Major Ronny Smith and I remember as a small boy visiting Ronny at his home in Latrobe. Sadly when one is younger you do not appreciate what our forefathers have done and I no doubt I could have extracted more information from my dad if I had asked.

[Overlandman]

Hope to be there again for the service,
Looking forward to meeting fellow forum members
Regards
Overlandman

[tas-man]

It was another memorable event in 2014 with Tassie's weather adding the "spice" of uncertainty! Good to catch up and chat with Overlandman at the service. The address this year was given by Parks Ranger Ted Bugg who spent many years at Cradle but now works on the east coast. He spoke about the common strands in the stories of Waldheim and Mawson's Hut - both buildings resulting from a shared passion for exploration, and how their replicas will help to keep their stories and memories visible in our society.

[tas-man]

Here are some photos of Ted Bugg giving the service address as the mist came and went. Bushwalking legend Eric Sargent was there as well this year, and I snapped the candid photo below during Ted's address.

[Chris]

Thanks for posting the photo of Eric Ian. It's great to see he can still get up to Cradle, particularly after the discussion on
http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11039&hilit=LEGENDS+ERIC+SARGENT&start=30.
Doesn't look too different from the late 70s!

[tas-man]

Thanks for posting the photo of Eric Ian. It's great to see he can still get up to Cradle, particularly after the discussion on
http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11039&hilit=LEGENDS+ERIC+SARGENT&start=30.
Doesn't look too different from the late 70s!

Hi Chris, Eric was moving slowly, but had a smile on his face! There was another fellow in his 80's there who was mentioned as having been the only person present that day who had met Gustav Weindorfer. There are not too many left.

[Nuts]

Ahh, nice, I didn't get back in time. Great to see the 'crowd', some familiar faces there

[tas-man]

Overlandman gave me a heads up on this article in today's Advocate about this years memorial service at Waldheim. http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/203 ... ed/?cs=131

[Overlandman]

Reminder for the Weindorfer Memorial Service January 1st 2015

A few details were in the Advocate newspaper yesterday, the guest speaker for 2015 will be Marcel Brown from Don College, with a performance by members of the Crescendo choir of a coral piece adapted from songs inspired by Weindorfer's Forest.

The service will be held at 1.30pm at Waldheim.

As tas-man has said in previous posts
"In past years, there has always been free entry to Waldheim to attend the service, and I assume that this will be the case again in 2015". See you there!

[Overlandman]

The Weindorfer Memorial Service went extremely well today, around 70 dedicated people enjoyed the service in varying weather from rain showers to brilliant sunshine & a clear mountain view, (from Dove Lake on the way home)
Dick Burns lead the official address, a moments silence was given for Alec & Mortimer Ellis, also Charles Smith who passed away during 2014, Ossie Ellis received a mention as well. Guest speaker Marcel Brown spoke of his 13 trips on the Overland Track & leading Outdoor Adventure classes for Don College in the Cradle area.
Two young ladies from the Crescendo choir sang a song, it sounded superb.
There were lots of familiar faces this year & good to see some new faces as well.
Great to see Eric Sargent once again, Eric was looking well & was accompanied by 2 daughters & his friend.
John Wilson handed out Strawberries picked fresh from Daisy Dell.
The special sub-committee of the North West Walking Club & the Weindorfer Memorial Service Committee along with Parks did a great job, afternoon tea & the slide show were well patronized.
Regards Overlandman

[tas-man]

Thanks for your report on the 2015 event overlandman. I was out of Tassie this year so unable to attend.

[Overlandman]

Link to Advocate Story about Marcel Brown, Guest Speaker at the 2015 Weindorfer Memorial Service

http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/281 ... er/?cs=131

[tas-man]

A reminder that the annual Weindorfer Memorial Service will be held this coming Friday 1st January 2016, at Gustav Weindorfer's grave site adjacent to his Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain. It is organised every year by a special sub-committee of the North West Walking Club. The service starts at 1.30pm. In past years, there has always been free entry to Waldheim to attend the service, and I assume that this will be the case again in 2016. See you there!

[Overlandman]

Thanks tas-man
Once again I am looking forward to the memorial service,
I have heard they have an excellent guest speaker for 2016,
The weather looks promising as well.
Regards OLM

[tas-man]

The (most likely) last annual Weindorfer Memorial Service will be held next Sunday 1st January 2016, at Gustav Weindorfer's grave site adjacent to his Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain. This memorial service had is beginnings in November 1932, when Gustav’s sister sent a bunch of everlasting flowers and four candles, asking that they be placed on his grave on New Year’s Day, as was the custom in Carinthia. This simple ceremony was continued until the outbreak of World War II and subsequently revived in 1954. The current format of a memorial service on New Year's Day, along with the placing of flowers and lighting of candles, was instituted by the North West Walking Club in the early 1970s. It has become necessary to use local flowers, but candles are still sent from Austria. Due to the increasing ages of the Weindorfer Memorial Committee and the difficulties they have faced of "passing the batton" to the next generation, they have decided that this year's event will most likely be the last one they will be orgainsing.

The service starts at 1.30pm. In past years, there has always been free entry to Waldheim to attend the service, and private vehicles have been permitted by Parks to drive to Waldheim for the service. However this year private vehicles will not be permitted to drive to Waldheim after 9.00am from the boom gate, and people attending the service will need to use the shuttle bus service to Ronnie Creek and walk up to Waldheim, or use a special shuttle bus that will leave the visitor Centre around 1.00pm and go direct to Waldheim.

Look forward to seeing you there!

[Overlandman]

Story from today's Advocate

http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/438 ... r/?cs=5312

It was a nice service, with a heavy misty drizzle.
Great to see Eric there again, also tas-man, Eddie, Jenny, Cathy, Francis, to name a few.
A few faces missing this year were Dick, John and Peter.
The Crescendo choir were fantastic.
The guest speaker was ABC Rural reporter Rosemary Grant.
Tas-man took a few photos so hopefully he will post some.
Regards OLM

[Nuts]

It's a shame this can't continue (not that I had the day free again), not many such community generated events in parks.
Seems to still be a big enough interest, maybe they should try to recruit some new blood..

[tas-man]

Here are some photos from this year's event to record the passing of this commemoration into the annals of history. If any forum members are prepared to be involved in a new committee to take on this event in January 2018, lets have a discussion in this thread and see what can be organised.

[tas-man]

[tas-man]

The Order of Service for the Weindorfer Memorial Service evolved through the years, and I have scanned the final one used at the January 1st 2017 event for the record here, so it is available for any future such events as a reference.