Ben Ricketts Environmental Preserve photographs of Sydney Bush Walkers Club trips in New South Wales, ca. 1928-2008

PXA 7233

fonds

ca. 1928-2008, predominant 1928-1958

Graphic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera, Clippings

9632346

218 photographic prints - chiefly black & white
3 photographic postcards

Born in New Zealand, Ray Page (née Birt, 1902 – 2000) moved to Sydney in 1927, where she became the accountant for Cahill’s Restaurants. She met Peter Page and they joined the Sydney Bush Walkers Club (SBW) when it formed in 1927. It was the first bushwalking club in New South Wales open to both sexes, and attracted many keen female walkers. The Pages were among the SBW members who helped preserve Blue Gum Forest and North Era Beach, which became formative parts of the Blue Mountains and Royal National Parks.

In 1947 Peter and Ray married and bought land on Jamberoo Mountain where they built bush cabins as guest accommodation. They named the property 'Ben Ricketts' after George Ricketts who had the property in the 1860’s and 1870’s. They were joined by bushwalking friends who purchased adjoining land, setting up a community of holiday cabins which were visited by generations of the same families. After Ray died in 2000, the property was run by Barry Duncan until 2004 when friends and neighbours of Ben Ricketts grouped together to form the Ben Ricketts Environmental Preserve Pty Ltd.

References:
Library correspondence file
Ben Ricketts Environmental Preserve, https://www.benricketts.org.au/ (viewed 19 August 2019)

This collection was previously owned by Ray Page. The photographs were originally arranged in the seperate albums of Ray and Peter Page. Prior to donation to the Library, most photographs were removed from the albums for scanning.

These photographs feature people involved in bushwalking and conservation in the early twentieth century, some as part of the Sydney Bush Walkers (SBW) club. They include several SBW presidents and other bushwalking pioneers involved with SBW such as Jack Debert, Frank Duncan, Harold Chardon and Dorothy Lawry, and close friends of the Pages Paddy and May Pallin, Marie Byles, and Alex and Hilma Colley. Places featured in these photographs include Yerranderie, the Kowmung River, Colong, Wollondilly, Wombeyan Caves, Kedumba and Kanangra Walls.

Series 01: Photographs of Sydney and Sydney Bush Walkers Club trips in Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands region collected by Ray Page, ca. 1927-ca. 1958
Series 02: Photographs of Sydney Bush Walkers Club trips in Blue Mountains and Southern Tablelands region collected by Peter Page, ca. 1928-ca. 1935
Series 03: Photographs of bushwalking and camping in New South Wales compiled by Ray and Peter Page, ca. 1928-ca. 1930, and book launch at Ben Ricketts Environmental Preserve, 2 November 2008

Book titled: 'Peter and Ray Page "Ben Ricketts" Jambaroo Mountain Road Jambaroo NSW : written by many friends / compiled by Barry Duncan' from this collection has been catalogued separately in the Library's main Catalogue at HQ 2020/0112

This collection is arranged into three series. Series 1 consists of photographs belonging to Album A, comprising loose photographs collected by Ray Page, including previously framed photographs labelled 'P'. Series 2 consists of photographs from Album B collected by Peter Page, including some loose photographs. Series 3 consists of mostly uncaptioned loose photographs from Ray and Peter Page's individual albums.