On a slightly damp morning 23 Walkers set off from Thornleigh Railway Station to walk to Cheltenham Station following along the Lane Cove River and Devlins Creek.
After crossing Thornleigh Oval we made our way through the bush down to two places of historical interest: Lorna Pass and Conscript Pass. Lorna Pass was named after a local woman Lorna Band who raised money in the 1930s Depression for the construction of a walking track providing relief work for the unemployed.
An extension of this Pass goes through to Conscript Pass. It was here we discovered that we had a wonderful historian with us in Lawrie. Lawrie had grown up in the area and knew the park and all the tracks like the back of his hand. He was able to tell us that this was once a main thoroughfare from North Ryde to the northern suburbs. Conscript Pass is a small sandstone pass and during the 1930s some stone steps were built here as part of a public works progam in response to the Depression. The Pass has two main engravings - done by the men who worked on the track. These include their initials and then a caricature of Sir Bertram Stevens, Premier of NSW from 1932- 1939. The two tracks now form part of the GNW.
Morning tea was enjoyed beside the Lane Cove River just prior to our first crossing. We continued winding our way through the valley passing an old green GNW registration box, crossing the river several times, and being thankful there had only been a small amount of rain overnight.
Lunch involved the adventure of climbing Whale Rock to enjoy a picnic up on top.
We then continued on winding our way through the valley, with the creeks continually moving from our left side to our right side. Was that 8 times we crossed the creeks or was it 9? Most of us just lost count. It was up and around the top of the now polluted Big Ducky Waterhole. Lawrie reporting that, as a boy, this had been the local swimming hole!
Just near the exit Lawrie was able to point out on the left Marie Byles’ famous house, “Ahimsa”. She left this house to the National Trust of NSW having had it built in 1935 on the edge of the Park in Cheltenham. Among many other things, Marie Byles was an avid bushwalker, mountaineerer, explorer, conservationist and an original member of the Buddhist Society of NSW. She did much to have this bushland preserved as a National Park.
It was now street walking up to Cheltenham Station and catching the train back to Thornleigh where 15 walkers enjoyed refreshments at the quaint “Monday Morning Cafe”.
Walkers: Helen A, Sue B, Elaine E, Lawrie, Michael and Sue, Anne G, John G, Ros, Martin, Lyndy, Kas, Christine McA, Bill McD, Dawn, Lea, Bella and Pete, Deidre, Don Wo, Greg. Led by Robyn Ma and Anne R.
Photos: Peter (1, 2, 3, 8, 11, 12, 14 ), Don Wo (13, 15, 16), Anne R (4, 5 (taken on the recce), 6, 7, 9, 10), Christine McA (17, 18)
Words Robyn Ma.