Linda Groom, volunteer event organiser, NPA NSW
I had the privilege of helping organise the NPA’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of Kosciuszko National Park, at an event in Thredbo on 19th April. The event held some surprises and was quite an educational experience for me as an organiser.
It’s not unknown for worthy events like anniversary celebrations to have trouble attracting attendees. We had the opposite problem. We started with a target of 80 guests, but found many more wanted to come. The fan base of Kosciuszko National Park is huge; the budget of NPA NSW is not. With the help of generous sponsors, we were able to increase the guest list. Around 100 people attended.
After a very eloquent welcome to Ngarigo country by Elders Aunty Kathy Jones and Aunty Ellen Mundy, historian Deirdre Slattery described the context of the Kosciuszko State Park Act, of 19 April 1944. Her talk was illustrated with slides of the devastation caused by cattle grazing and the subsequent soil conservation work. The Ambassador of Poland, H.E. Maciej Chmieliński continued the historical theme. Many of us, who only know the name Strzelecki as the first European to climb Mt Kosciuszko, were surprised to hear of his humanitarian efforts, including a massive program of food distribution during the Irish famine of 1846-47. Dave Darlington, as a former regional manager with responsibility for Kosciuszko, gave us a more personal view of history, filled with memories that resonated with the many retired Parks staff in the room.
That completed the historical part of the program, and the focus turned to the next generation. Ranger Campbell Young acknowledged the work of all those who had preceded him – traditional custodians and Parks staff – and described the pride he felt in being entrusted with working in this very special national park. We then heard from the generation who will one day replace the rangers of Campbell’s age. They spoke through a video, prepared specially for this event: primary school children, each reciting a fact about Kosciuszko, with deep breaths and delightfully deep concentration.
In preparing the program, we had wanted to give the final word to some Park users. But we were faced with the problem of how to select anyone from the incalculable numbers who have benefited from the experiences that the Park provides. We decided, reflecting the 80th anniversary, to hear from 80 year olds, and invited four 80 year olds – Esther Gallant, Meg McKone, Chris Roper and Patrick Condon – as special guests for the celebration. Patrick and Esther took the stage to describe how much Kosciuszko had given to them, and their hopes for its future.
The program ended with a stunning video, by David Gallan and Stuart Cohen, of the beauty of the Park.
The audience was as interesting as the program. Drawn from a cross-section of supporters of Kosciuszko National Park, the guests found themselves in some surprising combinations during morning tea and lunch. I suspect that Glenys and Terry Maddren, representing Cooma Rotary, were not expecting to find themselves posing for a photograph with two young Polish dancers in national costume – but the smiles show that it was a very happy conjunction.
The range of sponsoring organisations also reflected the breadth of support for the Park – Kosciuszko Heritage Inc (the Polish community), the Public Service Association of NSW, Bushwalking NSW, the National Parks Associations of the ACT and of NSW, and private sponsors.
And yes, there was a birthday cake, prepared by the Thredbo Alpine Hotel’s own chef. Happy birthday Kosciuszko National Park!