Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club celebrates its 75th anniversary this month. Sue Walsh’s father was a founding member in 1947, and she reflects on the halcyon days of tramping, enduring friendships and unforgettable long-drops.

How did the club come about?

There were a couple of smaller clubs in Wellington: the Outdoor Club and the Ruc-Sacs. Following World War II, the number in both clubs were lower, so they looked at amalgamating. They joined in 1947 to become the United Tramping Club for a short time, then changing the name to Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club. The club was founded with a constitution that set out aims of fostering friendships, a love of the outdoors and care of the land.

What were those early days like?

When you think about the late 1940s going into the 1950s, it was a different lifestyle to now and the club attracted a lot of younger people. It wasn’t unusual to have members in their mid-to-late teens. There was this really strong base of young people joining the club who are still members or affiliated now and have known each other since the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Was that the heyday of tramping clubs?

I think it was through to the 1980s. Now people have more demands on their time and a wider range of activities to choose from, so it’s perhaps more of a conscious decision to join a tramping club. I think clubs have to be aware of changes in society and be able to adapt while remaining true to what the club is about. I remember committee debates about whether we should allow people to sign up for trips via email. Some said no – they felt the life of the club was the Wednesday night meeting – but now you can sign up online.

Were women part of the club from the start?

Yes, very much so. Our first life member was Ethyl Carter, who was a founding member of WTMC and, before that, a member of the Outdoor Club, which my father, Trevor Walsh, had also been a member of. My parents met through WTMC. Mum was a South African. She came to New Zealand and met some other young women who belonged to the club and they encouraged her to join. At one point it seemed every second person that came through the club ended up meeting a partner. There were jokes that we should be called the Wellington Tramping and Matrimony Club. 

When you’re out in the bush, you can’t hide behind anything. You see a person for what they are and I think that’s really nice. My strong friendships now are predominantly those made through the club.

Do you have any childhood memories of the club?

I remember going to the club lodge on Mt Ruapehu for summer holidays in the late ‘60s. There used to be long-drops and in the summer you could hear the blowflies before you went in. It was good when they finally got demolished and there were proper indoor toilets.

How did you get involved as an adult?

I became a member in 1991 and a year or so later someone suggested I be secretary. That was the start, and I ended up on the committee for donkey’s years. I was involved in running easier trips and it was rewarding introducing people to the outdoors and showing them just how wonderful it is to throw a pack on your back and go walking through our beautiful forests to campsites or huts. It’s a wonderful life doing that.