Jack's diaries

All of Jack's diaries below are available to read as pdf files:

These dairies have been reproduced by kind permission of the Hobart Walking Club. The original diaries are to be lodged with the Archives Office of Tasmania in 2008, under the Jack Thwaites Hobart Walking Club Collection.

Linda Track, 1928 (Interview transcript)
The Linda Track was built late last century during the west coast mining boom, and a lot of prospectors who couldn’t afford the boat fare to Strahan, or the train fare around Tasmania and down the West Coast, elected to walk into the field.

Port Davey, 1928
Jack’s journey around the South Coast was the second of his two big bush trips of 1928 – his first year of committed, multi-day bushwalks.

Port Davey, 1928 (Interview transcript)
Jack’s recollection of this classic 1928 Port Davey trip formed part of a taped interview he gave to John Cannon in 1985.

Overland from Port Davey
By the time Jack gave this 7ZL broadcast he had acquired first-hand experience and a detailed knowledge of this remote region.

Cradle Mt - Lake St Clair, 1931
The following diary documents the first official crossing of today’s Overland Track. In the summer of 1931, Jack, 29, was one of a party of eight Hobart Walking Club members guided overland to Lake St Clair by bushman Bert Nicholls.

Adamsfield, 1931
As an interestingly different destination, the mining outpost of Adamsfield proved a popular choice when Jack led the Hobart Walking Club on their Easter 1931 trip.

Lake St Clair, 1931
When Jack and four friends visited Lake St Clair at the end of 1931, the entire Du Cane Range was mostly virgin territory.

Frenchmans Cap, 1936
Written by Rhona Warren, a Life Member of the Hobart Walking Club, this diary is an important record of an early trip to Frenchmans Cap.

Frenchmans Cap, 1944
The Second World War was in its fifth year when Jack led this work party to open up the Frenchmans Cap track again.

Federation Log, 1948-49
In many ways this is Jack Thwaites’ most important diary. Here he records in detail daily happenings on the first of four attempts to climb Federation Peak.

Federation Peak, 1948-49, Walkabout article
Jack submitted this article, along with sixteen of his photographs, to Walkabout magazine, at the time the only Australian publication to feature bush trips to remote locations.

Letter from Jack Thwaites to Roy Goon, 1944
Jack wrote this letter to Roy Goon shortly after returning from the HWC’s unsuccessful attempt to climb Federation Peak in 1948/9.

Franklins's re-enactment Trip, 1953-54
To mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the state, a ‘re-enactment’ walk was undertaken by members of the Hobart Walking Club to commemorate the journey of Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin’s party of 1842.

Walls of Jerusalem, 1955
Capricious November weather brought gales, rain and snowfalls to this 1955 trip which Jack undertook with Jock Turner.

Traveller Range, 1956
This trip to the Traveller Range overlooking Lake St Clair is typical of many undertaken by Jack during this period.

Arthur Ranges, 1956
This Christmas 1956 trip to the Western Arthur Range was one of Jack’s wettest bush trips. 

Federation Food Drop, 1958
Jack wrote the following notes on a food drop made prior to his 1958 attempt on Federation Peak.

Federation Peak, 1958
For Jack’s third attempt at Federation Peak he was joined by Paddy Pallin, Jock Turner and Vic Batchler.

At Melaleuca, 1958
Jack’s long association with the South Coast region gave him much in common with Deny King, and the two became good friends.

Lake Pedder, 1959
This 1959 diary which Jack kept during eleven days at Lake Pedder give a clear impression of what the original lake looked like – its moods, wildlife and the landscape that surrounded it.

South West with Sir Edmund Hillary, 1960
In 1960 Jack arranged a party to show Sir Edmund Hillary a little of Wilderness Tasmania.

Port Davey, 1964
When Jack made this visit to Port Davey he had an association with the region spanning almost forty years.

Southern Ranges, 1965-66
Jack spent the Christmas of 1965 in the Southern Ranges with a HWC party, one of three parties active in the region at that time.

The Labyrinth, 1966
In early 1966 Jack was joined by old friends for a week exploring the Labyrinth, the high-level plateau north of Lake St Clair.

Port Davey, 1968
A bad 1960 fire on Woody Island [now Munday Island] was fought almost single-handedly by Deny King which prompted Jack, through the Scenery Preseravtion Board, to put in place a ‘firewatch’ system over the summer months.

The Retreat, By Lindsay Whitham
‘The Retreat’ was a hut built around 1923 on the slopes of Mount Wellington. Lindsay Whitham was a close friend of Jack’s and a former president of the Hobart Walking Club, and also a keen historian.

The Retreat diary, 1968
The following extracts from Jack’s diary were made after the disastrous bushfires of 1967 swept over Mount Wellington, leaving nothing but ashes.

Lake Pedder, 1968
When Jack retired in 1967 he undertook a number of trips which were not possible during his busy working life. This trip to Lake Pedder with a Tasmanian Museum party was the first of several such trips.

Mt Cameron West, 1969
Jack’s keen interest in the Aboriginal Tasmanians is clearly evident in this trip. He was invited to join a trip to North-West Tasmania to survey an important Aboriginal site.

South Australian Museum trip 1969
Jack joined this expedition to Central Australia at the invitation of Robert Edwards, Curator of Anthropology, South Australian Museum.

Port Davey, 1971
Another of Jack’s Firewatch trips to Port Davey. This time he was accompanied by his younger sister, Kath, and her husband Jim Walpole.

Federation Log, 1977
This final diary of Jack’s is a fitting climax to a long and distinguished bushwalking career. His companion on this trip, Adrian Goodwin, played a big part in helping Jack finally reach the elusive summit of Federation Peak after nearly thirty years.

Copyright 2008 Simon Kleinig. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2008 Simon Kleinig. All Rights Reserved.