A Patron's Walking Life

The Friends’ Patron C Warren Bonython AO A Patron’s Walking Life By Jo Chesher We sometimes contemplate doing something out of the ordinary to celebrate a landmark birthday. For C Warren Bonython AO, to celebrate his 75th, it was to head off to Africa and climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He got within 1700 feet of the summit of this 18,500 feet giant before altitude sickness set in. Warren was born in Adelaide and But Warren hasn’t always relied on his his name is synonymous with walking boots as his preferred mode of bushwalking in South Australia. He travel. In his younger days he moved has however walked extensively in a at a faster pace, owning the first MG number of different parts of the world. sports car in South Australia and He began bushwalking while living in setting the speed record on Sellicks Melbourne during the 1940s, heading Beach. This was a stark contrast to out into the Dandenong Ranges, and his first major bushwalking venture. then north into the Cathedral Ranges, Warren had read an article on the with his wife Bunty at his side. Perhaps Gammon Ranges which stated that it was the experience of climbing a no white man had ever penetrated challenging ridge on a stormy day, the centre of these ranges. This was gale-force winds buffeting them with the catalyst for him getting a group horizontal rain, that decided Bunty of people together to make his first against continuing to walk in her attempt. The trip however didn’t go husband’s boot prints, or maybe it was as planned, with one of the party, Bob C Warren Bonython AO their first-born baby waiting at home Crocker, falling and breaking his leg. In with her sister. Whatever the reason, 1947 another attempt was made, with viewpoint, and then I had seen Bunty was happy to support Warren the group crossing the ranges from the reproduction of Heysen’s in his adventurous life by providing South to North. The following year painting which had imprinted a moral support, looking after their three Warren crossed from East to West. separate image in my mind, but children, and ‘keeping the home fires it was not until the 1945 Aroona burning’ while he tramped through Warren’s first trip to the Flinders was Valley trip that I first actually far-afield landscapes, including walking in October 1945, taking the train saw it, instantly equating the the length of the McDonnell Ranges, from Melbourne and heading out two images and recognizing my the Larapinta Trail and Lake Eyre in the from Brachina, just north of Mount dream mountain. Northern Territory; Northern India to Hayward. His passion for the Flinders the border of Kashmir; and the Sierra was sparked by a painting of Mount Warren had known Sir Hans for Club’s annual high trek in Nevada. Patawarta by Sir Hans Heysen. In 30 years, and he and Bunty had He climbed the mountains of Maui his book Walking the Flinders Ranges dined with him at The Cedars, his and walked through the craters. He Warren writes: residence just out of Hahndorf, which first visited New Zealand in 1935 and is a glorious place still ‘home’ to the Land of the Oratunga! - the of course, has done the Everest Trek. artist’s descendants, and now open to ring of that romantic title Then there was his Simpson Desert the public. and the vision of the magical walk, 2500 kms, which he shared in mountain had drawn me to the When Warren finally climbed his his book Walking the Simpson Desert. Flinders in the first place, and dream mountain in 1968 Sir Hans was Much closer to home Warren took later had helped in inducing in his early 90s and in hospital. Warren part in the inaugural Hahndorf Pioneer me to embark on the walk. I writes: Women’s Trail Walk in 1980 when, had read of Mount Patawarta On 3 July Charles McCubbin and with a huge marrow strapped to his while studying Howchin’s I had climbed Mount Patawerta, back in honour of the pioneers, he “Geology of South Australia”, coming down by the south face, joined 150 others on the walk from so I already knew it to be rocky and as I had looked back up at Hahndorf to Beaumont. eminence and a commanding 18 Trailwalker Winter 2007 A Patron’s Walking Life the Land of the Oratunga scene the ground work - paved the way for retractable walking poles that some of my mind suddenly switched to others, especially Terry Lavender, to us wouldn’t be without! In contrast to Heysen. continue to develop the Trail. Since this, Warren walked with a lily stem for that time Warren has officiated at the 20 years. Well - a yacca stick, which He wondered later whether this was commissioning of various sections and is from the family Liliacreae, making it mental telepathy as Sir Hans had continues his close association through literally a dried lily stem: passed away the previous day. Warren the Friends, being the association’s wrote of his friend: long term and revered Patron. It is an amazing stick, and I have grown sentimentally attached His creative life had ended, but to it, for it has lasted right there are appropriate memorials through the Flinders walk, and to him in the many paintings Warren was to be the subsequently through another in public galleries, boardrooms instigator of an even from Kathmandu to the foot of and private homes, and in the Mount Everest. several books about him, and more well-known to me there seems none more While my much more recent fitting than that rendering of memorial to this great experience of walking the Trail Patawerta the image of which I Australian painter included bus rides back to a cosy cabin permanently carry in my mind’s - the naming of the or hotel room at the end of the day, eye. Warren found other ways to keep the Heysen Trail in his elements at bay. He writes of a night in But Warren was to be the instigator of honour the northern Flinders: an even more well-known memorial to this great Australian painter - A cold breeze was blowing the naming of the Heysen Trail in down the valley as we went to Warren’s career highlights are many. his honour. In the following year bed at midnight, and since I had He achieved his BSc. from the he suggested at a National Trust set down my sleeping bag in the University of Adelaide, later going symposium that there was scope for exposed creek bed I lay with my on to work in the chemical industry a long distance walking trail in the head poked into a box turned with ICI Australia 1940-66, including manner of the 3,200 km Appalachian on its side. 20 years as manager of the salt Trail in America and the 400 km fields at Dry Creek. Other notable Pennine Way in England. He had On another occasion he writes of positions and recognition include: initially considered such a trail through spending a night in the Aroona Hut, Colombo Plan Adviser on salt to the the Mount Lofty Ranges, but having which was badly run down and with Ceylon government 1964; Director, completed his Flinders trek the year only one room roughly re-roofed after Dampier Salt Ltd 1968-79; John Lewis before, covering the full length of the a gale had previously torn off the roof: Gold Medal (for Exploration), Royal Ranges in a number of stages, he put Geographical Society of Australasia (SA The rain came in successively forward a combination of both. Branch) 1984; Australian Geographic heavier showers of longer It was fortunate that the Hon. Adventurer of the Year 1990; duration, but in the lulls, we ran Murray Hill, MLC, had attended President, Royal Geographical Society out and collected firewood from the symposium and he approached of Australasia SA Branch 1959-61; SA trees in the creek. We would Government with the idea. This Chairman, Water Research Foundation clearly be there for the night so resulted in the formation in early of Australia 1961-76; President, we brought in masses of leaves 1970 of the Long Distance Trail Conservation Council of SA 1971-75; for underbedding on the hard Committee, of which Warren was a President of the National Trust of SA floor. Then in the rubbish dump member, becoming Chairman for the 1971-76; and President, Council of I found the wire mattress of last seven years of its existence. It was the National Parks Foundation of SA an old iron bedstead and, after in discussion of an appropriate name 1985-89. propping it on stones, bending for the trail that ‘Heysen’ was decided back the more dangerous of the In 1966, at the age of 50, Warren upon because of the artist’s perfecting protruding broken wire ends and retired from industry, following of the gum tree in the Mount Lofty padding it with wet gum leaves, his passions for conservation and Ranges and who had then ‘brought I had myself set up royally. bushwalking. His first long walk in the glories of the Flinders Ranges to the Flinders Ranges was in 1967-68 Warren reminds us that the Flinders the world’s notice’. Warren wrote and his book Walking the Flinders is an unpredictable place and writes that although he wasn’t a formal Ranges is a marvelous must-read. As of the contrast of the raging day-time bushwalker, ‘Heysen could be a most well as bringing back memories for heat (while carrying over 60-pounds energetic walker in pursuit of his those of us who are fortunate enough in his pack) with the rapid changes of work.’ to have walked the Trail, it extends weather, when thunder storms can Much to Warren’s disappointment the the experience by sharing what it was suddenly appear out of nowhere: Long Distance Trail Committee was like to do it 3o years ago, without the At noon we stopped for lunch in disbanded in 1978, and he took time high-tech backpacks and boots that the gorge where Bunyeroo Creek out and headed off overseas to trek in we are blessed with today - not to has cut through the ABC Range, the Himalayas.

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