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Gustav Weindorfer (23 February 1874 – 5 May 1932) was an
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n-born Australian amateur
botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
, lodge-keeper and promoter of the Cradle Mountains National Park.


Early years

Weindorfer was born in 1874 in
Spittal an der Drau Spittal an der Drau is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia (state), Carinthia. It is the administrative centre of Spittal an der Drau District, Austria's second largest district (''Districts of Austria, Bezirk'') b ...
,
Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...
, an alpine province of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. His father was a senior civil servant before becoming involved in the management of large agricultural estates in African colonies. Gustav was well educated, training at an agricultural college near Vienna with the aim to also enter the field of agricultural management. He had some formal botany training in Austria. Weindorfer tried several and varied positions, eventually deciding to emigrate to Australia.


Arrival in Australia

He arrived in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
on 13 June 1900. Gustav obtained a clerical position with the Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company. In 1901, his social standing was somewhat elevated when he became Honorary Chancellor of the
Austro-Hungarian Consulate Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. During that year and the next, almost every weekend Weindorfer would stroll through the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) are botanical garden, botanic gardens across two sites–Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Melbourne and Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, Cranbourne. Melbourne Gardens was founded in 1846 when land w ...
, or go walking in the nearby bushland with friends. On 9 September 1901, Gustav went to a meeting of the Victorian Field Naturalists Club and immediately became an enthusiastic member. One outcome of his extensive involvement with the club was the discovery of a new pea plant, now named for him, ''Pultenaea weindorferi''. A species of moss, '' Gackstroemia weindorferi,'' is also named after him. Another was his meeting with Kate Cowle. Kate had recently moved from
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, where her family had a farm at Kindred, near Devonport. Their shared enthusiasm for botany led to their marriage. The wedding occurred in Stowport on 1 February 1906. A large part of their honeymoon was spent camped on Mount Roland with the aim of making an extensive botany collection. This would have been the first time Gustav would have had a clear view of
Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain is a locality and mountain in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Tasmania. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. At above sea level, it is the sixth-highest mount ...
. Kate and Gustav purchased a farm at Kindred and Gustav proved to be a capable farmer.


Waldheim Chalet

Weindorfer's first trip to Cradle Mountain was in January 1909, with his friend and botanist mentor, Dr Sutton. A local guide led them on the last roadless stretch into the valley. Their provisions included six plant presses. Two days were spent exploring the Cradle Mountain environment. This included an attempt on the summit, but time had been used up in plant collecting and thick fog turned them back from the final climb. Over the next year, Gustav enthused about the Cradle area, describing it as a "veritable Eldorado for the botanist" and likening it to his Carinthian homeland. He returned the following summer with his wife Kate and Mr (later Major) R E Smith. On 4 January 1910, the party were graced with fine weather for their climb of the mountain. It was here that Smith later quoted Weindorfer as saying:A Man and a Mountain, p31 While in the valley Kate and Gustav selected a site for them to build a chalet that would allow tourists to stay in the valley. Some hundreds of acres were purchased, and in March 1912, Gustav commenced work on the building he was to call Waldheim, or "home in the forest". It was built of King Billy pine, harvested from the adjacent forest. By Christmas 1912, stage one was ready for the first visitors, with a living and dining room and two bedrooms. Despite early tourists having to walk up to to reach Waldheim, it was a success. Eventually, a rough track allowed a horse and cart to reach the valley entrance: the government was slow in responding to Weindorfer's repeated requests for a proper road. Weindorfer continued to work on his tourism dream, enlarging the chalet, naming features in the valley and clearing and marking tracks to the best spots.


Death of Kate

1916 was a year of disaster for Weindorfer. His mother died in January; Kate who had been ill for some time died in April. One of his brothers died in June and then his father in October. In 1917, he sold the farm at Kindred and became a full-time resident at Waldheim. His unhappiness and isolation were enhanced due to
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and his Austrian heritage. Gustav had become an Australian citizen before his marriage, but despite this, some local groups ostracised him and people spread the foolish rumour that he was a spy.


Promotion of the area

In 1921, Weindorfer set out on a tour of
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
to promote both Waldheim and the concept of a national park for Cradle Mountain. The following year, a scenic reserve and wildlife sanctuary was declared, stretching from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. His reputation as a great host spread, but visitors came mainly in summer. Dorfer, as he became known, enjoyed company so in the many quiet times, he felt great loneliness. As the years went by, the national economic situation deteriorated, resulting in a drop in visitor numbers. Gustav had to sell timber and furs of local animals to make ends meet. Dorfer mostly cared for visitors single-handedly. This, along with the extra jobs and the cold winters, strained his health. His heart had shown a weakness in the early 1920s, and towards the end of the decade he commented in his diary "Strange experience. My heart acted strangely. Had to lie down in bed. I do not smoke any more. I have to give up tea..."


Death and remembrance

In April 1931 he bought a motor cycle to make travel out of the valley easier. On 5 May 1932, while trying to start the cycle, his heart gave out. He was found dead the next day, near the present Ronny Creek car park. Weindorfer had died within sight of his beloved mountain. Following his wishes, he was buried in the valley, the ceremony being conducted on 10 May 1932. In November 1932, Gustav's sister sent a bunch of everlasting flowers and four candles, asking that they be placed on his grave on New Year's Day, as was the custom in
Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...
. This simple ceremony was continued until the outbreak of World War II and subsequently revived in 1954. The current format of a memorial service on New Year's Day, along with the placing of flowers and lighting of candles, was instituted by the North West Walking Club in the early 1970s and organised by the Weindorfer Memorial Service Committee. It became necessary to use local flowers, but candles are still sent from Austria. The final service organised by the Weindorfer Memorial Service Committee was held on New Year's Day 2017. In 2013, Crescendo Choir, a Tasmanian Education Department choir, commissioned
Paul Jarman Paul Jarman is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, composer and choirmaster. He is known for his work with school children, assisting them to develop their compositions. Jarman works with other composers and choir leaders. and promotes the inclu ...
to compose the choral work, ''The Mountain'', about the lives of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer. The work was premiered at the Cradle Mountain Interpretation Centre on 26 June 2016.


See also

*
Alice Manfield Alice Manfield (1878 â€“ 14 July 1960) commonly known as Guide Alice, was a mountain guide, amateur Natural history, naturalist, chalet Hotel manager, owner, photographer, and early feminist figure from Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Austr ...
, a similarly influential figure at Victoria's Mt Buffalo


References

* ''A Man and a Mountain'', Margaret Giordano, 1987 * ''Kate Weindorfer'', Sally Schnackenberg


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weindorfer, Gustav 20th-century Australian botanists Australian environmentalists Emigrants from Austria-Hungary Immigrants to Australia 1874 births 1932 deaths People from Spittal an der Drau People from Tasmania Burials in Tasmania