The Story of the Blue Gum Forest and the Grose Wilderness

At the next Monthly Meeting of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society on Thursday 30th August 2012, Andy Macqueen will present The Story of the Blue Gum Forest and the Grose Wilderness

The Grose has escaped development. There have been schemes for roads, railways, dams, mines and forestry, but the bulldozers have been kept out.

Instead, the valley became the Cradle of Conservation in New South Wales when it was reserved from sale in 1875 — an event magnificently reinforced in 1931 when a group of bushwalkers were moved to save Blue Gum Forest from the axe."

About the presenter: Andy Macqueen has been an enthusiastic bushwalker & conservationist since the 1960's.

He lives in the Blue Mountains, where he teaches people about the bush, & researches & writes local history.

He links his interest in the region to his great-great grandfather Frederick D'Arcy, who was one of Major Mitchell's surveyors.

Andy's books include:

• Blue Mountains to Bridgetown: the life and journeys of Barrallier, 1773-1853
• Back from the Brink: Blue Gum Forest and the Grose Wilderness
• Somewhat perilous: the journeys of Singleton, Parr, Howe, Myles and Blaxland in the Northern Blue Mountains
• Frederick Robert D'Arcy: colonial surveyor, explorer and artist

The talk will be held on Thursday 30 August 2012, 7.30 pm at the Conservation Hut, 88 Fletcher St, Wentworth Falls.