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Weindorfer's Dream

It is said we dream in black and white. That may be so, but what is clear is that the Cradle Mountain National Park is truly the dream of one man, Gustav Weindorfer (1874-1932).

 

Weindorfer was born into the Austro-Hungarian empire and moved to Melbourne in 1900. He became a member of the Victorian Field Naturalists Club where he met Kate Cowle. They struck up a close friendship, and when Kate moved to Devonport in Tasmania, Gustav soon followed. They were married in 1906 and honeymooned collecting botanic specimens at Mount Roland near Sheffield Tasmania. www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/48901483216/in/album-72...

 

Their first visit to Cradle Mountain came in 1909, and after summiting the mountain for the first time in 1910, Weindorfer declared, "This must be a National Park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it."

 

Gustav and Kate bought several hundred acres of land and built a chalet in 1912 to accommodate tourists who would flock to the region to see this natural wonderland. Tragically, Kate died in 1916 after a short illness, but Gustav continued with his passion to promote the idea of a national park.

 

In April 1931 Gustav bought a motorcycle to help him to get around faster. But just over a year later, on May 5, 1932, he collapsed and died of a heart attack while starting the bike near what is now the Ronny Creek carpark. "Weindorfer had died within sight of his beloved mountain. Following his wishes, he was buried in the valley, the ceremony being conducted on 10 May 1932."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Weindorfer

 

 

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Uploaded on September 22, 2024
Taken on September 15, 2024