Origins
Bill Orme, in his forties and in the midst of a busy career as a lawyer and NSW Privacy Commissioner, discovered the pleasure and recuperative benefits of long-distance walking, especially in Europe. In early 2000, however, he turned his attention closer to home in North Sydney when he set out with his grandson to circumnavigate the municipal boundaries on foot. Eventually, with the help of North Sydney Council and a group of helpers, the route he devised, that threaded its way through foreshore reserves, parks and pockets of bushland, became six linked walks publicised in brochures and maps.
Encouraged, Bill and his group went further afield to the harbour and its tributaries developing the 415 km Harbour and Coast Walk. Each new area explored revealed existing walking routes and other keen walkers locally promoting such walks. By 2004 the combination of these groups and individuals became known as the Walking Volunteers and, with the help of The Coastal Councils Group, the NSW Department of Planning and various land managers, paper brochures with maps and walks descriptions were printed and distributed by the contributing Councils.
Developing the Network
Since then, over 2,100 km of walking track has been researched, proof-walked and digitally mapped in a network stretching from the coast, west to Mount Victoria and from Barrenjoey, south to the Royal National Park. The walking routes run along existing tracks and paths through public land and are approved by land managers such as Councils, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney Harbour Trust and Sydney Water.
As the network spread it became impractical to print, distribute, and keep up to date, paper maps covering all the routes. Hence the move to digital maps that may be downloaded onto smart phones, tablets and PC, using the GoogleMyMaps platform. Since they were released in 2019 at www.walkingvolunteers.org.au they have received over 2.5 million hits.
Red lines indicate main routes while green indicate links to public transport or loops for local walkers. You can zoom down to whatever scale you need and can locate the nearest toilet or water fountain by clicking on the map legend. The maps are constantly updated. Whenever a track is closed for repairs an information icon is put on the map and a detour shown.
In addition to the Sydney-wide network, the website includes information on multi-day ‘named’ walks, such as The Great West Walk, plus suggestions for a range of shorter day walks.
People
As for the volunteers themselves, sadly Bill Orme died in 2016. While a dedicated group expanded on his vision, numbers have thinned with age and health challenges. If the project is to continue so that this legacy is maintained and enhanced, there is a need for an injection of new blood or a partnership with a kindred organisation.
Hencel earlier this year the Volunteers commenced discussions with the National Parks Association of NSW. They saw this as a body whose conservation objectives they could share but whose well developed organisation of walking groups could be a very good match to strengthen its activities. The outcome is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding leading to the formation of the NPA Walking Volunteers. This group is well placed to support the work of the NPA Field Activities Committee and particularly the walking group leaders, offering great potential for an interchange of information.
The future
While the Volunteers are rightly proud of what they have achieved, and are still achieving, much is yet to be done. Further expansion, however, means more tracks to be monitored for closure alerts and potential alternative routes. The local knowledge of the NPA membership thus becomes an invaluable resource.
As an NPA special interest group, the Volunteers want to ensure that all NPA members know and, hopefully, use their maps whenever suitable. They also appreciate feedback on any track closures and welcome suggestions on how the walking routes may be improved. There is the potential to provide advice and assistance in implementing online access to walking routes in other areas of NSW.
Finally, they welcome any NPA member who wants to join the weekly mapping walks or the group walks. These monthly group walks will shortly be included in the NPA Walks program. If you can help with this Volunteer effort just ring (02) 4784 2002 or email wavery@bigpond.net.au.