Spencer George

Our usual meeting place is under the clocks, Flinders Street, or near the Man in Grey, No. 1 Platform, Spencer Street, in plenty of time to catch the train. Leader or deputy will be there hail, rain or shine. For van transport, meet in Batman Avenue, near tram terminus.

These words preface the Melbourne Bushwalkers autumn 1965 programme.

My first walk with the Melbourne Bushwalkers was on Saturday 26 June 1965. The leader, Barry Short, was waiting under the clocks at Flinders Street Station to catch an electric train to Belgrave for a lyrebird walk in Sherbrooke Forest. We spent the day wandering the forest tracks and saw a number of lyrebirds

The next Friday night, Darrell Sullivan was waiting outside Wights Travel Agency in Flinders Street to guide us onto the McKenzie's bus that deposited us at Fernshaw. On Saturday, Darrell led us up the old Black Spur Road to Mt Monda. Fern gullies and tall forest regenerating from the 1939 fires are my memories of the trip. On Sunday we climbed Mt St Leonard from where we saw the tall buildings of Melbourne, then walked to Healesville Station to catch a diesel-hauled train back to Melbourne. This trip was Art Terry's first walk with the Club.

The following Sunday the leader, John Richards, was waiting for us near the Man in Grey at Spencer Street Station. We caught the train to Macedon. From here we walked through the Black Forest to Woodend Station. At lunchtime it snowed. The day was so cold that we walked quickly, and we were at Woodend by 3.00 p.m., but the train did not leave until about 8.00 p.m. So we walked alongside the railway line back to the unattended station at Macedon where we collected wood and in the waiting room lit a fire that warmed us while we waited for the train home. This walk was Tim Dent's first trip with the Club.

Trains were used for a Sunday walk two weeks later, led by Robin