Another old bushwalking friend passed away recently. This was Bruce Vote, from the Kameruka Bushwalking Club. He died a day after Barry Higgins, and was 86 years old.
Bruce’s main period of bushwalking would have been in the 1960’s. I knew him when I joined the KBC in 1976. He was then the president of the club. He was an inspirational figure who also played a major role in conservation.
Around the time, I got to know Bruce, the Federation of Bushwalking Clubs had been stagnating for a while, and a special meeting had been called to discuss its future. Bruce attended that meeting and was elected the new president of the Federation (Now known as Bushwalking NSW). Bruce led to a renewed emphasis on conservation – particularly a campaign to complete Myles Dunphy’s vision for a Greater Blue Mountains National Park.
This campaign was very effective and was a joint effort by the Colong Committee, The National Parks Association of NSW, the Colo Committee as well as the Federation. The first success was the southern extension to the Blue Mountains National Park, and then later Wollemi National Park. Bruce was at the forefront of the campaigning and was one of the key people involved.
Photo – Bruce leading the singing at a Federation Reunion.
Photo – Nick Gooch, Bruce Vote and John Atkinson.
I attended a number of walks led by Bruce as well as a number of conservation rallies that he organised. One of these was held on the Culoul Range to campaign against a proposed shale mine.
Photo – Bruce (far right) with a party from the KBC on the South Boyd Range.
Photo – Bruce (second from left) at a KBC Reunion in 2014 at Blackheath.
Photo – Bruce (second from left) at a KBC Reunion in 2014 at Blackheath.
