In the evening of the 3rd of July, 1919, William Hughes Field and Frederick William Vosseler held “a meeting of ‘tramp’ enthusiasts”. The 21 people who attended on that Thursday night became the founding members of the Tararua Tramping Club; the first tramping club in New Zealand.
Not long after, the clubs first outing was a day tramp to Mt Kaukau, a rather different outing back then when you take a look at the area on the maps available in 1919!
Today, the Tararua Tramping Club is gearing up for it’s centenary celebrations, which will feature several events, including a commemorative tramp up Mt Kaukau.
Commemorative trips for 2019
In support of TTC’s fantastic milestone, FMC would like to encourage all our clubs to help celebrate 100 years of Tramping Clubs by holding your own commemorative trips throughout 2019.
It’s a great excuse to take a look back into your own club’s history and celebrate what your club has achieved, as well as contributing to the celebration of the efforts and achievements of FMC and all our member clubs.
We’ve compiled a few suggestions and ideas for your club’s commemorative trips in a Wilderlife article. Please send the details of your commemorative trips and events, so we can share them widely; development@fmc.org.nz
Other events for the Tramping Clubs of New Zealand Centenary
We’ve got a few other events and celebrations planned for 2019. We’ll post them here when they are confirmed, and let you know via our newsletter, social media and in Backcountry.
If you’ve got anything to contribute, or to ask questions, please contact dan.clearwater@fmc.org.nz
FMC is proud to help celebrate 100 years of Tramping Clubs, and we look forward to your club’s participating with a commemorative tramp in 2019.
