Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
started in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, a State of Australia, in 1908. In the early years, local Boy Scout patrols and troops formed independently and several separate associations began operating including the
Chums Scout Patrols
The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association (BBS & BGS Association; also known as The Brotherhood of British Scouts) is an early scouting organisation, having begun as the Battersea Boy Scouts in 1908.'' The Scout'', September 1 ...
, League of Boy Scouts,
Girl Peace Scouts, Boys Brigade Scouts and Church Lads Brigade Scouts. These were later joined by
The Boy Scouts Association
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was form ...
,
The Girl Guides Association and Life-Saving Scouts and Life Saving Guards of the Salvation Army.
Some local Scout groups moved affiliation between the different associations.
Scouting in New South Wales is now predominantly represented by
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia, which is the largest scouting organisation in Australia, with an estimated 55,038 youth participants in 2021, and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movemen ...
NSW Branch and Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT, a member organisation of
Girl Guides Australia
Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is the national Guiding organisation in Australia. Its mission is to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting members of the community. Membership is open to all girls and young women fro ...
. There is also representation by the
Baden-Powell Scouts' Association
The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (''B-PSA'') is a worldwide youth organisation originating in the United Kingdom, with friendly relationships with similar traditional scouting organisations in various countries. Baden-Powell Scouting focuses ...
. There are ethnic Scouting organisations including the Australian Association of Scouts in Exile (AASE), Polish Scouting Association, ZHP,
Russian Scouts, Hungarian Scouts,
Plast
The Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine ( uk, Пласт Національна Скаутська Організація України, ''Plast Natsionalna Skautska Orhanizatsiia Ukrayiny''), commonly called Ukrainian Plast or simply P ...
Ukrainian Scouts, Lithuanian Scouts, Latvian Scouts, Estonian Scouts and Guides and Homenetmen Armenian Scouts and Assyrian Eagle Scouts. There were formerly Maltese, Hellenic (Greek) and Vietnamese Scout associations.
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia NSW Branch, formally The Scout Association of Australia New South Wales Branch, is a branch of
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia, which is the largest scouting organisation in Australia, with an estimated 55,038 youth participants in 2021, and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movemen ...
. In 1914,
The Boy Scouts Association
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was form ...
of the United Kingdom formed The Boy Scouts Association New South Wales Section which was incorporated in 1928 and, upon the formation of Scouts Australia in 1958, became its NSW branch.
The 2015 Scouts Australia NSW Branch Annual Report indicated that there were 14,018 youth members of Scouts Australia in NSW and 4,237 adult members.
Scouts Australia NSW branch has 464 registered Scout Groups administered through 66 Districts in 10 Regions and operates programs for all of Scouts Australia youth sections of
Joeys
The Australia national under-17 soccer team represents Australia in men's international under-17 soccer. The team is controlled by the governing body for Football in Australia, Football Federation Australia (FFA), which is currently a membe ...
,
Cubs,
Scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
,
Venturers and
Rovers.
The Regions are North West, Golden West, Greater Western Sydney, Hume, Riverina, South Coast and Tablelands, North Coast, Sydney North, South Metropolitan and Hunter and Coastal. The "country" Regions have a larger area in general.
In 2004, the then Chief Commissioner of Scouts Australia NSW Branch, Graeme Fordham, discussed the future for Australian Scouting on radio.
Activity Centres
Scouts Australia NSW Branch operates six activity centres:
Air Activity Centre – Opened in 1971, the Air Activity Centre is located at
Camden Airport,
Camden, south-west of Sydney and has 4 Cessna 172's. The centre provides flying experiences, gliding and a flying school for pilot training.
Alpine Activity Centre – The Alpine Activity Centre is located at
Jindabyne
Jindabyne () is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is a popular holiday destination year round, especially in winter. This is due to its p ...
, km south-west of Sydney, close to the
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", is an IBRA subregion in southern New South Wales, Australia, and is the tallest mountain range in mainland Australia, being part of the continent's Great Dividing Range cordillera system ...
and snow in winter. It consists of the Tony Balthasar Lodge and the Kanangra & Bluegum cottages.
Baden-Powell Activity Centre – The Baden-Powell Scout Centre was officially opened in February 1929 and was visited by Lord and Lady Baden-Powell in 1931. It is a site located at
Pennant Hills
Pennant Hills is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region, or Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Pennant Hills is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby ...
adjoining
Lane Cove National Park
The Lane Cove National Park is a protected national park that is located within metropolitan Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. The national park is situated about north-west of the Sydney central business district and features variou ...
. Much of the early development work was done by the unemployed, who camped there during the Depression. There are accommodation and training facilities.
Cataract Activity Centre – This park is located near
Appin
Appin ( gd, An Apainn) is a coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded to the west by Loch Linnhe, to the south by Loch Creran, to the east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and to the north by Loch Leven. It lies northe ...
south-west of Sydney and was given to the Scout Association by the
Government of New South Wales
The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...
in 1978. It has hosted three
Australian Jamborees and the
16th World Scout Jamboree
The 16th World Scout Jamboree was held 30 December 1987 to 7 January 1988, the first World Scout Jamboree held in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first to change the date from the traditional August to January to coincide with summer. The Jamb ...
in 1987–1988. From 2010, the Australian Jamborees were held at Cataract Scout Park every six years. It can provide camping, bunk accommodation, and activities such as water slides, ropes courses, hiking, orienteering and an obstacle course.
Water Activities Centre – The Water Activities Centre at
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
opened in 1973. It provides general experiences in canoeing, sailing and power boating and qualification courses including NSW Boat Licenses.
Several other centres are run by the Regions, such as Camp Ku-Ring-Gai Activity Centre, Ingleside Scout Camp, Camp Kurrajong, Camps Coutts, J. Harold Kaye Training Centre and Bundilla Scout Training Centre.
Sexual abuse cases
Scouts Australia and its NSW Branch were called before the
for its failures in handling complaints against its leaders.
In 2014, Darryl Rubiolo, a former Scout Association of Australia, NSW Branch leader, publicity officer, leader trainer, St. George Area Commissioner and member of the New South Wales state branch council, was convicted of serial child sex offences against three boys aged 9, 13 and 14, between 1975 and 1987 while he was an official of the Scout Association of Australia. Rubiolo was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison with a non-parole period of one year.
In 2012, Steven Larkins, a former leader in New South Wales was convicted and imprisoned for offences he had committed 15 years earlier.
In February 2000, Roderick Albert Joseph CORRIE, a former NSW Branch Commissioner and scout leader of nearly thirty-two years was convicted of child sexual offences. "Corrie, one of the most senior and highly decorated Scouts in NSW, was jailed for seven years in February 2000 after pleading guilty in the District Court to eight most serious of 77 charges of sexually abusing children as young as 11, including rape and buggery, occurring 1969-1995. Two years earlier, Corrie had been convicted of eight charges of “aggravated indecent assault” and placed on a bond, given counseling and 70 hours of community service." The head of Scouts Australia, "Dr. Bruce Munro, apologized to the families of those abused after the Sydney Morning Herald obtained a copy of a 14-page report written by a senior Scout leader in 1981 that detailed serious allegations of Corrie abusing four boys, one aged 12 at the time. Munro admitted that those allegations were not properly investigated or referred to the police and that although Corrie was initially suspended, he was then simply allowed to transfer as a leader to a North Shore Scouting group. Even after police began investigating Corrie in 1994, he was allowed to continue having contact with, and sexually abusing, scouts until at least May 1995."
Mark Geoffrey Fisher, scoutmaster at 1st Hunters Hill troop in New South Wales from 1969 to 1988, pleaded guilty to charges of 35 sex offenses involving eight boys aged between 11 and 15 between 1971-88.
Girl Guides
Regions
Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT, a member organisation of
Girl Guides Australia
Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is the national Guiding organisation in Australia. Its mission is to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting members of the community. Membership is open to all girls and young women fro ...
, operates 12 Regions, each managed by a volunteer Region Manager.
* ACT & South East NSW;
* Central West;
* Coastal Valleys;
* Cumberland Plains;
* Greater Rivers;
* North Pacific Coast;
* Northern Sydney;
* Northern Territory;
* North West Inland;
* South Coast & Highlands;
* Southern Sydney Rivers; and,
* Twin Rivers.
History
In 1920
Dame Margaret Davidson, wife of the Governor of NSW, called a special meeting of prominent women in Sydney, to try to interest them in starting Guiding in the State. They decided that Girl Guides was not for them as girls already had sufficient opportunities to be outdoors.
Nella Levy
Nella Levy, nicknamed ''"The Lev"'' was a pioneer of Girl Guiding in Australia. She was the first Division Commissioner in New South Wales. She had "a firm belief in the principles of Guiding, was young, keen, a dynamic personality, had a great ...
read about this meeting in a newspaper and wrote to the newspaper contradicting this feeling. Subsequently, Levy was invited to Government House by Davidson. Davidson reportedly told her ''"
Queen Mary would like to see Girl Guides in New South Wales, and I want you to start it."'' Levy took the challenge and travelled widely, recruiting volunteers, forming Companies and enrolling Guides.
In 1926, the Australian state Girl Guide branches formed a national federation called
Girl Guides Australia
Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is the national Guiding organisation in Australia. Its mission is to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting members of the community. Membership is open to all girls and young women fro ...
. Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT remains a member of Guides Australia and adheres to the Australian Guide Program (AGP).
In January 2020, Girl Guides NT merged with Girl Guides NSW and ACT to become Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT. This brought members numbers to 7,800, allowed girls in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
to access opportunities run in NSW and the ACT and sought to use administrative resources more efficiently.
Properties
Araluen, near
Jindabyne
Jindabyne () is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is a popular holiday destination year round, especially in winter. This is due to its p ...
, is popular for snow and summer activities.
RTS Tingira, in
Cabarita, New South Wales
Cabarita is a bayside suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabarita is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...
, is a watersports centre offering
canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
,
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
, rafting,
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
and sailing.
Sold
Since 2000, Girl Guides NSW has sold most of its major properties to maintain its operations.
Glengarry, sold in 2021 was in
Turramurra
Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. It shares the postc ...
in northern
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
on the edge of the
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the M1 Pacific Motorway, sout ...
and comprised 34 hectares of bushland with cleared camping areas and purpose-built training and accommodation facilities. The site was donated in the 1930s.
Tara, sold 2009 was in
Silverdale, just southwest of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and was over . Girl Guides NSW & ACT had owned the property since 1971. Its Olave Centre accommodated 27 in dormitories, had a large commercial kitchen, common dining and lounge area and a large bathroom, including disabled use. Brownie Cottage accommodated 25 with a bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and a large dining/lounge area and the adjoining Northern Room was a fully self-contained studio which slept 4. Tolhurst Cottage was a quaint terracotta roofed cottage. Nella Levy Chapel was built in 1972 to commemorate the first Guider in NSW. Tara had sports fields, a carpark, equipment shed and campsites with piped water and enclosed fireplaces.
Gang Shows and other theatrical experiences
A number of Scout and Guide
Gang Show
A Gang Show is a theatrical performance by members of Scouts and Guides
A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others t ...
s (variety shows) are put on in NSW.
* Kirrawee Gang Show – started in 1959, located in Southern Sydney.
* Albury Gang Show – Started in 1965, in
Albury, New South Wales
Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the C ...
.
* Cumberland Gang Show – started in 1970, located in the Greater Western Sydney Region.
* Hornsby Gang Show – started in 1974, based in the Hornsby district, but open to members from across the Sydney North Region.
* Korimul Gang Show – started in 1975, located in Wollongong.
* Central Coast Gang Show – Started in 1986. Located at North Gosford about 1 hour north of Sydney.
Central Coast Gang Show
/ref>
See also
*The Barn Scout Hall, Mosman
The Barn Scout Hall is a Heritage register, heritage-listed former whaling boat servicing facility and now Scout hall and community facility at 3a Avenue Road, Mosman, New South Wales, Mosman in the Mosman Council local government area of New S ...
References
External links
Scouts NSW website
South Coast & Tablelands Region Scouts
Hunter & Coastal Region Scouts
Sydney North Region Scouts
Girl Guides NSW & ACT
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting And Guiding In New South Wales
History of New South Wales
New South Wales, Scouting and Guiding in
Organisations based in New South Wales
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts