W. F. Waters

W.F. "Bill" Waters

Bill Waters in 1940
Born (1897-08-22)August 22, 1897
Traralgon, Victoria, Australia
Died October 8, 1968(1968-10-08) (aged 71)
Fitzroy, Victoria
Resting place Investiture Point, on the Bogong High Plains
36°54′0″S 147°17′28″E / 36.90000°S 147.29111°E / -36.90000; 147.29111
Occupation Civil Servant
Employer Australian Public Service
Organization Scouts Victoria
Title Headquarters Commissioner for Rovers
Parent(s) Francis William Waters,
Eva Waters (née Hillard)

William Francis “Bill" Waters (22 August 1897 – 8 October 1968[1]) was Scouts Victoria’s Headquarters Commissioner for Rover Scouts between 1930 and 1965.[1]

Through both the Rover Scouts and Melbourne Walking Club, of which he was Chief Leader between 1934 and his ascension to the Club's Presidency in 1967, Bill introduced thousands of young people to the then-new sports of bushwalking and cross-country skiing. Bill would often contribute articles on his treks to the magazine of the Melbourne Walking Club, the Melbourne Walker, both on the treks themselves through the previously unexplored wilderness of Victoria and on the history of the areas he visited.[2]

Bill led the Australian Contingent to the 5th World Rover Moot and was Camp Chief of the 1961 7th World Rover Moot in Melbourne. He was a member of the party which a part of the first winter ascent of Mount Bogong, the highest mountain in Victoria in 1928,[3] and began to take groups of Rover Scouts on week-long treks to explore the Bogong High Plains in 1932. The success of these treks would necessitate the construction of the Bogong Rover Chalet before winter 1940.[4]

Bill was presented with the Silver Acorn by Lord Baden-Powell himself in 1934, and received a Bar to the Silver Acorn 20 years later. Bill was presented with the highest award of The UK Scout Association, the Silver Wolf, at the close of the 1961 World Moot.[1][2]

Bill’s ashes were scattered at Investiture Point, a rocky outcropping on the Bogong High Plains and the closest place to the Bogong Rover Chalet at which it is possible to see Mount Bogong, in April 1969.[3]

In recognition of his unequalled contribution to Rover Scouting, Scouts Australia’s Adult Recognition Award for service to the Rover Section is known in Victoria as the WF Waters Rover Service Award.[5]

Personal life

Bill was an only child, born on August 22, 1897 in Traralgon, Victoria to Eva and Francis Waters. The family later relocated to Melbourne, where Bill attended the prestigious Melbourne High School.[1]

Bill joined the Australian Public Service in 1914 as a Naval Clerk in the Department of Defence. He transferred to the Department of Trade and Customs in 1926, where he worked in several roles, including supervisor, investigation officer and senior investigation officer. Bill retired from the APS in 1962.[1]

He represented Victoria in Lacrosse[2] and was an amateur heavyweight boxer.[1] Bill was also a Freemason, and one of the founding members of Melbourne's Baden-Powell Lodge, the first Lodge to be named after Lord Baden-Powell.[6]

Bill was involved in many other community groups. At the time of his death in 1968, Bill was Chairman of the Kinglake National Park Committee of Management, a member of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, and the Skiing Club of Victoria.[3]

Melbourne Walking Club

He was a prominent bush walker in Victoria and held several offices in the Melbourne Walking Club,[1][2] beginning in 1925 as a general committee member, before spending five years as secretary during the period 1927 to 1933 - when he assumed the position of Chief Leader. Bill would remain Chief Leader, responsible for overseeing the Party Leaders of all the Club's walks, until he became President of the Club in 1967.

In 1933, Bill was gazetted as a member of the Committee of Management of the Kinglake National Park,[7] and also appointed as an Honorary Ranger and Honorary Forester by the Forestry Commission of Victoria. These appointments gave Bill the authority to act of behalf of the Forestry Commission.[8]

Due to his special knowledge of Mount Bogong, Bill joined the rescue party that Howard Michell raised to try and save the other two members of his party, Mick Hull and Cleve Cole in August 1936 as they attempted the first crossing of the Bogong High Plains during winter.[9] Hull was saved, but Cleve Cole died of hypothermia.[10]

In a sign of things to come, during the period of 1927 - 1930, a series of articles by Mr W.F. Waters of the Melbourne Walking Club appeared in the magazine Victorian Scout.[11]

Rover Scout Commissioner

Bill was appointed as Headquarters Commissioner for Rovers in 1930 and continued in the role until 1965, when he was asked to step down and took up the newly created role of Commissioner for Rover Training, a position he held until his death three years later. Chief Commissioner Charles Hoadley gave Bill a simple brief: Get the Rovers out of their Dens and back into the outdoors, a goal that he would dedicate the remainder of his life to.[3]

With Bill's guidance, Victorian Rovers built three Chalets, ran the 7th World Moot - the first World Scout event ever held in the southern hemisphere, mapped much of the land between Frankston and Warburton, pioneered skiing, began training their own leaders, maintained their organisation through the Second World War, and became the leaders of Rovering in Australia.[3]

Alpine Rovering

With Bill's encouragement, Victorian Rovers built three Chalets and were amongst the pioneers of skiing in the state. These grand achievements grew from one simple session at Mooroolbark in May 1931, when Bill began teaching the Rovers the basics of cross-country skiing on a grassy hill.[12] Bill had already gained much experience in the new sport, having been a part of the first party to reach the summit of Victoria's highest peak, Mt Bogong during winter, back in 1928.[13]

Mt Donna Buang

Bill's first Rover Skiing trip was held at Mt Donna Buang on July 25, 1931, with 65 Rovers in attendance. Unfortunately, there was no snow that day, but the Rovers made the most of the opportunity, going on a bushwalk instead. However, the Rovers continued skiing in the area for many years until access to the better snowfields further from Melbourne improved.[14]

In 1945, with the end of the Second World War, The Rover Section wanted to construct a memorial to those Rovers who had been killed during the hostilities. By November, £110 had already been raised and so Bill purchased the land on the slopes of Mount Donna Buang and began the planning for the construction. By May 1946, funds had doubled, and the framework had been assembled by Rovers, however the postwar building restrictions prevented the completion of Rover Memorial Chalet, Warburton until 1949.[15]

Bogong High Plains

The Bogong Rover Chalet in 2005

The first "Winter Party", as they would come to be known was held in 1932, based at Cope Hut. Nine people attended the two week long adventure on the Bogong High Plains.[16] Over the coming years, the numbers attending the Winter Parties would increase, with participants from interstate also joining the Victorians in the early exploration of the area.[17][18]

By 1938, the size and number of the Rover Winter Parties were beginning to monopolise Cope Hut, as well as the nearby Wallace's Hut. Bill wrote to all Victorian Rover Crews and appealed for funds to construct a "Rover Hut" between the two huts. After raising £700, the Bogong Rover Chalet was constructed over five weeks in early 1940, in time for the ski season.[4]

The Rover Chalet is sometimes referred to as "the odd chalet out", because it is the only Ski Chalet outside the major Victorian Ski Resorts. This is for the simple reason that it predates the resorts, and at the time, the safest way to access the Bogong High Plain during winter was from Gippsland instead of Mt Beauty, as it has been since the construction of the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme in the 1950s.

Baw Baw Plateau

Bill also encouraged the efforts of the Yallourn and Moe Rover Crews, who were some of the first to ski the Baw-Baw Plateau, originally at Mt Erica. Beginning in 1934, the Rovers cut a number of ski runs and developed the area as a community service. In 1938, the Yallourn Rover Crew rescued two boys who had been lost in the snow overnight. Their parents arranged for financing for the Rover Crew to build a hut near Mushroom Rocks and it was officially opened by Bill Waters in 1940 on the King's Birthday public holiday.[19]

More and more Rovers began skiing in the area, until in 1946 the Rovers began to ski at Mt Baw Baw itself and the site of the current Alpine Resort. Bill negotiated with the owners of Neulyne's Mill for the use of some of their huts during the winter to accommodate the Rovers, although they still had to hike up to the snowfields from what is now the entry to the resort. From 1952, the Rovers were allowed the use of a cottage and the remaining huts. Public use of Mt Baw Baw increased over the next decade, leading to the establishment of the Mt Baw Baw Alpine Village.[19]

Bill's simple memorial on the Bogong High Plains

As soon as the Alpine Village was announced, Bill was back at work and he negotiated for the Rover Scouts to build their own purpose built Ski Lodge. The site was granted in 1964, and the W.F. Waters Rover Ski Lodge was officially opened by the Chief Commissioner of Victoria in 1967, shortly before Bill's death.[20]

Because of Bill's passion and commitment to skiing and bushwalking in Victoria's Alpine areas, his remains were scattered at a place he named Investiture Point, the closest place to the Bogong Rover Chalet at which it is possible to see Mount Bogong. Over 250 people attended the memorial service on April 26, 1969. They were accommodated at the Rover Chalet, Wilkinson's Hut, Wallace's Hut, Cope Hut and in hundreds of tents along the Aqueduct. The service was led by Rover Scout Leader Ivan Stevens, and included the unveiling of a simple memorial to the "pioneer of bushwalking and ski-ing in this area", as well as an inspiring eulogy from Jim Blake of the Melbourne Walking Club[21]

Honours and Legacy

WF Waters Rover Service Award Certificate

Bill served as Victorian Headquarters Commissioner for Rovers for 35 years (1930–1965).[2] Under his guidance, Victorian Rovers built three Chalets,[4][15][22] ran the 7th World Moot[3] and became the leaders of Rovering in Australia.

Bill was invested with the Silver Wolf, the highest award of the UK Scout Association (of which Scouts Victoria was a part of at the time) at the close of the 5th World Rover Moot. The simple ceremony took place at the main flagpole in the presence of his friends, and around 350 Rovers who had been a part of the Moot. Bill was presented with the award by then Chief Scout of the Commonwealth, Charles Maclean[23]

Bill remains a giant of Victorian Rovering to this day. In 1982, the Scouts Australia's National Council created a new Adult Recognition Award for outstanding service to the Rover Section by a Rover, Rover Advisor, or other person.[5] These awards would be awarded on a state basis, and the Branch Rover Councils were authorised to name the award after a person who had contributed to the development of Rovering in their state. This award is known as the Henry Rymill Award in South Australia and Stan Bales Award in New South Wales. However, the numbers of WF Waters Rover Service Awardees[24] dwarf the rest of the National Rover Service Awards, a testament to the high level that Bill raised Victorian Rovering to over many decades.[25]

Bill's name is also carried on by the WF Waters Lodge, a private ski lodge owned and operated by Victorian Rover Scouts at Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort, and the Bill Waters Rover Crew in Nunawading.[2][3]

See also

Non-profit organisation positions
Preceded by
Mr A. E. Curry		 Scouts Victoria
Headquarters Commissioner for Rovers
1930 –1965 		Succeeded by
Mr Jack Maver OAM
New title Scouts Victoria
Commissioner for Rover Training
1965 - 1968 		Dormant
Death of incumbent

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harper, Melissa (2002). "Waters, William Francis (1897–1968)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bill Waters Rover Crew - Who is Bill Waters?". Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "WF Waters Lodge - Who was WF Waters?". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bogong Rover Chalet - Chalet History". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Victorian Rover Scouts - WF Waters Award". Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Baden-Powell Masonic Lodge - About Us". Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Victorian Government Gazette, No. 165, Wednesday August 23, 1933". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 20.
  9. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "Mr. Cleve Cole.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 25 August 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 42.
  12. ↑ "Skiing Practice on Grass". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 6 May 1931. p. 7. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "Record Ski-ing Feat". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 27 August 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  14. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 58.
  15. 1 2 Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 79.
  16. ↑ "Bogong Rover Chalet - Bogong Rover Crew". Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "District Scout News". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) (ACT: National Library of Australia). 5 August 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Snow Tours in Victoria". News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 26 May 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  19. 1 2 Waters, W. F. (1966). "The Baw Baws: A Short History of the Plateau, From its Discovery to the Present Day". The Melbourne Walker 37: 33–45.
  20. ↑ "WF Waters Lodge - Lodge History". Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 91.
  22. ↑ "WF Waters Lodge - About the Lodge". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 88.
  24. ↑ "Victorian Rover Scouts - WF Waters Awardees". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  25. ↑ Stephenson, Harry (1982). WF "Bill" Waters: A Biography (1994 ed.). Melbourne: Victorian Rover Scouts. p. 94.
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