Getting To Know The Grampians National Park in the 1980s
Janet Witham
Since the early 20th century, ever increasing numbers of people have been visiting the Grampians. Generally, their knowledge of the sights and sounds of this extraordinary area was through their own discoveries as they explored the area with a basic map in hand or as a member of a guided touring group.
Then in the Spring of 1986 the Grampians National Park Visitor Information Centre was opened and people flooded in to discover many fascinating and informative displays. It was a new experience for most people visiting an Australian national park and, with thousands of people now ‘discovering’ the Grampians, many would spend well over an hour absorbing new knowledge from displays on geology, climate, Aboriginal and European history, endemic plants, nocturnal animals, conservation issues and the management of a national park.
However, by far the most sought after information concerned the “best” walks, how to get to Mackenzie Falls or the Pinnacle, and which camp grounds had water available. As a local resident with a fairly broad knowledge of the Park, I was fortunate in being appointed one of the first information officers who could answer these and other visitors’ questions.
Repetitive questions may have been very irksome at times but generally it was a great experience and I have some wonderful memories of sharing knowledge and assisting others to get the most out of their time in the Grampians. Two such memories readily come to mind, the first related to people’s previous experiences in the Grampians and the other through a most unusual medium, that of painting.
As I have a keen interest in Grampians history, I was in the perfect place to gather materials which others wished to share. In no time we were building up an extensive collection of photographs of every description; Wonderland walking tracks and the Balconies with no ‘safety’ structures in place, the water supply’s original fluming supported on high wooden trestles and people carrying bunches of thryptomene back to their cars are views which fascinated me. Most of these photographs were taken when people were holidaying in Halls Gap many years before. In fact, it seemed to me that most people in Victoria in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s honeymooned in Halls Gap and I gleaned much information about their stay at one or other of the seven guest houses operating at that time and their impressions of the Grampians.
In the early months of the Visitor Centre being open, a mural was taking shape on the huge expanse of a wall in the theatrette. This mural had been designed by award winning, wildlife artist, Steve Morvell. With the aid of a series of slides, the painting was projected onto the wall so that the outline of the major features and images could then be traced. It was then that many visitors and local residents became involved.
Visitors were regularly encouraged to see what was going on in the theatrette, and it was not long before Steve had persuaded them to take up a paint-brush. Some would just colour in a simple flower while others became more adventurous but all enjoyed themselves. For most, they stayed in the Centre much longer than they had planned, but left there full of unexpected pleasure and having learnt a good deal more about the area.
However, during my four years at the Grampians National Park V.I.C., it was not people but a building which left me with the most vivid memories. With a clear view through a glass wall at the Centre there rose from behind a low embankment, a new building of the most extraordinary shape. There were no corners, only curves, and as the embankment hid the building’s foundations, the structure appeared to emerge from the ground. Much like a baby being born, it was greeted with surprise and wonder.
Then like a child, the Brambuk Cultural Centre grew, shooting up in all directions until it reached its awkward ‘teens’. The roof frame was unattractive, its shape uncertain, and watching the builders trying to twist the sheets of corrugated iron so that they would lie in the dips and over the rises of the formwork was like watching parents trying to reason with their wayward teenager.
Then, as if overnight, the captivating and confident adult appeared. There, with its flowing lines, subtle colours and settled air was one of the most appealing buildings I have ever seen. Strangely, even though I had had nothing to do with its planning, development or completion, I felt I had been part of its growth, caring about its progress and recognising the building’s importance in the future of the Grampians National Park.
It is now nearly 20 years since I left the V.I.C. but I look back on my time there with gratitude. It may have been a “visitor information centre” but, as I found, information was a two-way thing and my knowledge of the Grampians is all the richer for my time spent there.