Speeches
Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Afternoon tea for Centenary of the WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club (delivered by Mr Bunten on Her Excellency's behalf)
Rod and I warmly welcome you to Government House to celebrate the centenary of South Australia's oldest walking club, the WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club.
It is a credit to all of you – and your forebears – that you have kept this excellent organisation going for a remarkable 100 years.
The club began on a winter's day in 1925 with a walk along Hallett Cove led by Workers' Educational Association (WEA) members and the party stopping to marvel at the Sugarloaf.
Today, we have a much easier trek along the Cove thanks to the boardwalk, but the visual and emotional impact of this startling landscape must be the same as it was for the Rambler pioneers 100 years ago.
With each subsequent ramble, the Club continued to flourish.
The next walk attracted 86 members walking from Eden to Brighton via Sturt Creek, boiling the billy along the way.
Following that was an all-day picnic at Angaston with 181 walkers taking part.
The local newspaper of the day, The Register noted: ‘The social side of such a club is very valuable, and members derive great benefit from the exercise of walking.’
And that quite succinctly sums up the value of this Club … nurturing friendships, building fitness, and experiencing the beauty and wonder of South Australia’s natural environment.
The 1927 WEA Annual Report observed the club served ‘a three-fold purpose – physical, educational and social.’
To that, I would add ‘environmental’ in acknowledgement of the volunteers’ regular efforts to maintain sections of the Heysen Trail.
And, by encouraging people of all ages to experience nature, you are igniting their sense of stewardship for our environment.
For a century, the WEA Ramblers have brought together keen walkers and lovers of nature.
Today, 25 members aged 40 to 80 continue to explore South Australia's natural landscapes, from the Willunga Basin Trail to the new Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail.
They include Ian and Fay Harding, who last year celebrated a mighty 50 years of continuous membership, and Ramblers Treasurer, Trevor Mead who has notched up 500 walks – I can only imagine how many pairs of walking shoes you’ve worn out over the years!
Friends,
Thank you for being advocates for this simple but incredibly rewarding activity. Here's to the next hundred years of rambling.