The bush was something that was uniquely Australian and very different to the European landscapes familiar to many new immigrants. The bush was revered as a source of national ideals by the likes of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson. Romanticising the bush in this way was a big step forward for Australians in their steps towards self-identity. The legacy is a folklore rich in the spirit of the bush.

Folklore, 1790s – 1890s

Many Australian myths and legends have emanated from the bush. Early bushranging – ranging or living off the land – was sometimes seen as a preferred option to the harsh conditions experienced by convicts in chains. Later bushrangers such as Jack Donohue, Ben Hall and Ned Kelly were seen as rebellious figures associated with bush life. Their bushmanship was legendary as well as necessary.

The bush has evoked themes of struggle and survival epitomised in tales of bushrangers, drovers, outback women and lost children. The bush has also been seen as a source of nourishment and survival. These two opposing elements were often brought together by the activities of the Australian ‘black trackers’.

The skills of Indigenous people in ‘the bush’, especially their tracking abilities, was seen as miraculous and became legendary in the minds of European Australians. Indigenous people’s knowledge of the land, at the core of their spiritual beliefs, is expressed in stories, arts and performance – music, songs, dance and ceremony.

Romantic idealism, 1890s – The ‘bushman’

Kerry Reed-Gilbert, Strength Dignity Pride, from exhibition Sacred Country Unwrapped, 2007. Courtesy of Collector Gallery Artspace and Bookshop.

The 1890s saw a continued increase in nationalism and with it the creation of the Australian bush legend – an extension of the goldfield legend. The characters of the bush were imbued with the same qualities that the diggers on the goldfields possessed.

Around 1900, the bush was seen as the foundation of nationís greatness when the features of bush life – sleeping in the open air, learning to ride and shoot, fighting bushfires – were seen to prepare people for battle. This fused Australiaís bush and military traditions when it seemed to prove itself with the ANZACs in World War I. The ëbushmaní was seen as a resourceful, independent man who trusted only his mates.

The bush was a symbol for a national life and yet, by 1910, most Australians were urban. The bush myth has endured as novelists, poets, and artists continue to use it for inspiration. Elements of bush culture have been absorbed into mainstream Australian life through music, pop songs, clothing, slang, arts and architecture.

, arts and architecture.

Painters

The ëplein airí painters, 1880s – 1890s

The painters of the Heidelberg School – the likes of Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin Charles Condor, Hans Heysen and Arthur Streeton – were the first Australian painters to attempt to capture a ëmomentary effectí in the Australian landscape with a ëgeneral impression of colourí. They were seen to capture the light, colour and mood of the Austrralian bush. Along with the bush poets and writers, they formed a clear expression of Australian identity.

Frederick McCubbin (1855-1917), Lost, 1886, oil on canvas. Image courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria: Accession no. 1077-4, Felton Bequest, 1940.

The story of children lost in the bush has had a long tradition in written and illustrated form. For example,

McCubbinís painting Lost in 1886 was created after twelve-year-old Clara Crosbie was lost in the bush near Lilydale in 1885, but found alive three weeks later.

The painting shows a radical departure in theme, layout and painting technique from earlier Australian landscape art with its wide heroic panoramas. … Lost, with its lack of specific detail, forms a soft veil which appears to block any means of escape for the young girl. The foreground is painted in sharp focus, with grass, twigs and thin gum trees forming a barrier, confirming the girl in an almost natural prison.

Poets and writers

Poets and novelists such as Banjo Paterson, Miles Franklin, EJ Brady and Barbara Baynton, among others, were inspired by the experiences of Australians living and working in the bush. Henry Lawson believed that an Australian identity must emanate from its own soil, not from the safe green fields

of the mother country, Britain. He was not alone in this view.

Modernist painters

The Angry Penguin Painters of the 1940s, based in Melbourne, modernised the contemporary Australian art scene with a spontaneous and visionary approach. Arthur Boydís ëspirited imagination infused both the physical and spiritual landscape of Australia with beautiful and haunting insightí. Sidney Nolan became highly regarded for his depictions of the Australian outback and for his historical paintings on the theme of the bushranger Ned Kelly. Albert Tucker believed Nolanís landscapes of Nhill and Dimboola gave Australians ëan authentic national visioní.

In the 1950s, the Hill End painters, Russell Drysdale and Donald Friend, also captured a uniqueness in the Hill End landscape of New South Wales, which informed their distinguished and influential landscape paintings. Other painters followed in their wake, including Margaret Olley, John Olsen and

Brett Whitely.

ëThe bushí in the Hill End landscapes was often represented allegorically as a scarred place (after the gold rushes) with ëscattered houses, silent ruins and leaden skiesí (Gavin Wilson, National Library of Australia). The works often explored the spiritual dimensions of the overwhelming sense of place which defines the figures in the painting.

Answer:

 It’s very possible if you know what you’re doing.

  If it was in Australia, I would have the benefit of books in my personal library. Most notably the A.B. & J.W. Cribb series of books “Wild food in Australia”, “Wild medicine in Australia” and “Useful wild plants in Australia”. Though they are not highly illustrated, I would use them in combination with the 2 volumes of “A field guide to Australian wildflowers” (Hodgson & Paine) in order to identify edible plants. I’d like to think that I would be able to survive without having to resort to eating animals.

   If it was in Europe, you’d never be more than a few kilometres from the nearest settlement, so no problems there, but even so, there are field guides to plant identification and books on edible wild plants. In most of North America, there would be similar conditions to Europe, in terms of proximity to settlements, and availability of those sorts of books. In parts of Africa, South America and Asia, it may be a little more difficult to find reference books in English about edible wild plants, but it’s not impossible. If you’re planning on a camping trip or a survival exercise somewhere remote, be prepared.

 The bushfood industry is a growing one, however as a very new industry it has had to tackle species research, toxicology, cultivation practices, harvesting methods, market potential, consumer education and distribution networks all at once so many commercial growers are required to find their own markets. For the home grower there is nothing quite as Australian as growing our native bush foods and using them to create a truly unique and fascinating Australian cuisine.

All they need is a little bit of bush survival training and a well thought out survival kit.

After 30 years as a survivalist Bob Cooper has distilled the necessities of life down to 33 items.

They fit into a small lunch box 11 cm long, 7cm wide and 5cm deep.

It sounds impossible that something so small could contain enough useful items to keep you alive for a month or more.

But spend an afternoon with Bob Cooper and you will never look at a plastic bag the same way again.

By wrapping this simple, every day item around a tree branch you can collect up to half a litre of water a day.

A tiny tube of condyís crystals, that great pre-war antiseptic, can sterilise any water you find lying around.

A palm-size mirror can signal up to 20 kilometres to passing planes as well as show you where the tick is on your neck so you can efficiently remove it.

And lighting those essential fires is ridiculously easy with a small cotton wool square and solid steel flint.

And tea bags. Believe it or not, one of the most important items of all.

ìPeople overlook the psychological benefits of a brew when youíre strandedí says Bob.

ìYou can have a cuppa, assess your situation and make a plan on how youíre going to sit it out while you wait for rescueî.

And with that plastic bag to harvest water and the flint to light a fire you can have that cup of tea.

Just remember to pack the billy before you go.

They had last been seen at an Aboriginal settlement on the rarely used Talawana Track east of the inland town of Newman. They had been dead at least a week when a passing station hand chanced on their vehicle and the menís (and dogís) bodies near the intersection of the Canning Stock Route.

These men were Australian, and they werenít the first Australians to die in the Outback as a result of misadventure. 

    Be prepared

Whether in desert or bush, arm yourself with up-to-date, preferably detailed maps showing water sources and nearest communities, have a compass or global positioning system, and emergency position indicator radio beacon (EPIRB).

Always inform someone where you are going, what route you plan to take and when you expect to reach your destination.

If you are traveling by road and expect to travel great distances, have your vehicle undergo comprehensive service before you leave.

On long journeys, have two complete spare wheels, extra petrol, engine oil, fan belts, spare keys. Carry water in several containers.

If your vehicle suffers a breakdown or gets bogged, the advice is to remain close to the vehicle as your vehicle would be easier to spot from the air in case of a search. Donít set out for help unless you definitely know where youíre going and you know you can get there.

Donít rely on mobile phones to call for help. They may not receive a signal where you are.

    Getting lost in the bush

Unless you are well-skilled in finding your way, particularly with compass or global positioning system, keep to properly-marked tracks.

If you are unfamiliar with the area, keep a safe distance from cliff edges.

Be alert to danger from animals. For instance, in the northern parts of Australia, there may be danger from saltwater crocodiles.

Call for help. If you are not in too remote an area, you may be heard and rescued.

   The cardinal rule

In all of this, the cardinal rule is to be completely sensible, take adequate precautions, avoid risky situations, err on the side of caution.

What to do if you get lost in the Australian bush

Australia is a continent filled with very large open spaces. People from around the world enjoy our natural playground and every once in a while they get lost. In some cases the end results are a few days of discomfort, in others the end results are far more serious.

North Queensland is no different. There are a few simple rules that if followed will ensure that if you are unfortunate enough to get lost you will survive the experience.

1) Always tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. Make sure that when you do get back you let them know so that they donít call out the cavalry.

2) Be prepared. Even if you are only going for a day walk always take a torch (to signal rescuers), some matches (to light a signal fire), enough food and water for at least two days, some warm clothing and a small mirror for signaling rescuers.

3)As soon as you know that you are lost stop everything. If it is getting dark you are far better to set up a camp in the remaining light rather than stumbling through thick vegetation trying to find your way out. Try to build a fire to keep you warm.

4) Try to build a shelter of some description to protect you from the elements.

5) If you breakdown in a vehicle stay with it. There are many, many documented cases of people dying in isolated places because they have left their car. The search teams found the car but not the missing person.

6) As soon as the sun comes up try to find an open place where you could be seen from the air. Creek beds are excellent for this if you are in thick vegetation. Search helicopters generally traverse waterways first of all when looking for missing people.

7) Build a signal fire with lots of damp leaves to ensure that the fire produces a lot of smoke.

8) Ration your food and water. Try to make it last as long as you can.

9) If you are in a hot climate keep movement to a minimum especially during daylight hours.

10) Be patient. If someone knows that you are missing help is on the way.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a park in the southern portion of the Northern Territory of Australia, part of the so-called Red Centre of the continent. The National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage area. It is best known for Uluru (formerly known as “Ayers Rock”), a single massive rock formation, and also for Kata Tjuta (formerly known as “The Olgas”), a range of rock domes.

Understand

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are considered sacred places by the Anangu people, the Aboriginal tribes that have lived there for thousands of years. The Australian government formally returned control of the area to the Anangu in 1985 under the condition that the land be jointly managed by the Anangu and the Australian parks and management services. Visitors will notice efforts throughout the area to include and encourage respect for the Anangu perspective on the land. Much of Kata Tjuta is off-limits, for example, and climbing Uluru is strongly discouraged by sign-posts. (A few areas around the base of Uluru are intended to be off-limits for photography, although there is no problem with it throughout most of the park.) In practice, however, the daily management of the parks is handled by members of the Australian parks department.

Landscape

Uluru is one of Australia’s best known natural features, the long domed rock having achieved iconic status as one of the symbols of the continent. The rock is a so-called monolith, i.e. a single piece of rock or a giant boulder, extending about 5km beneath the desert plain and measuring 3.6 by 2.4km at the surface. It rises 348 meters above the plain (862.5 meters above sea level) and has a circumference of 9.4km. Some say that Uluru is the biggest of its kind, others say that Mount Augustus in Western Australia is bigger. Whatever the case may be, standing in front of Uluru and seeing its massive bulk rise above the flat plain surrounding it, it is nothing less than impressive.

Climate

In December and January, the temperature can be blistering hot, and some areas may be closed for travellers’ safety. July, August and September offer a more temperate climate, although still warm enough to work up a sweat at mid-day.

Do

• The Uluru base walk (9km) can be done in 2 hours in a rush, or 4 hours at a more leisurely pace, with time included for side walks and sign-posts. Please note that certain areas are intended by the Aboriginal community to be off-limits for photography.
• Climbing Uluru is heavily frowned upon by the local Aboriginal community, but it remains very popular with visitors. The climb is not for the faint hearted and can take between 1-4 hours, depending on fitness. Timing is crucial as poor weather occasionally forces the closure of the Uluru climb by National park staff. A sign at the park entrance will advise visitors whether the climb is open. Generally speaking, plan to climb in the cool of the early morning, as the walk will be closed as the weather warms up.
• The Walpa Gorge walk (2.6km) is the shorter – and easier – of the two walks around Kata Tjuta.
• The Mala Walk (2km) This track begins at the Mala Walk car-park and ends at the inspiring Kantju Gorge.
• The Valley of the Winds walk (7.4km) at Kata Tjuta is truly magnificent and should not be missed. It takes about 3 hours, and carrying bottled water is advised, although there are two water stations along the route. The walk may also be closed during extreme weather. As with the Uluru climb, a sign at the park entrance will advise visitors whether the walk is open.
• Anangu tours are also available. These can be arranged at Yulara or at the Cultural Center.
• Helicopter tours can be arranged at Yulara. They range from short buzzes over Uluru and / or Kata Tjuta to longer trips taking in more of the landscape, and possibly King’s Canyon as well.
• Camel to sunrise or sunset Another wonderful experience – cost is $95pp. You are taken from the resort to the camel farm where you are instructed on what you need to do. The owner is very friendly. The camel trek is through surrounding desert, giving good views all around with a talk on camel history and the area, before reaching a viewing point to watch the sun setting on Uluru. The camels are well cared for animals, not at all smelly, and all very well behaved. At the camel farm there is home made beer bread with wattle seed dip, camel meat, bush fruits and a variety of drinks. There is also the opportunity to purchase from the gift shop – all reasonably priced.

Climbing

The local Aṉangu do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance. They request that visitors not climb the rock, partly due to the path crossing a sacred traditionalDreamtime track, and also due to a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors to their land. The Aṉangu believe they have a spiritual connection to Uluru, and feel great sadness when a person dies or is injured whilst climbing.

On 11 December 1983, the Prime Minister Bob Hawke promised to hand back the land title to the Aṉangu traditional owners and agreed to the community’s 10-point plan which included forbidding the climbing of Uluru. However, the government set access to climb Uluru and a 99-year lease, instead of the previously agreed upon 50-year lease, as conditions before the title was officially given back to the Aṉangu.

Climbing Uluru is a popular attraction for visitors. A chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour-long climb easier, but it is still a long (800 m/0.5 mi) and steep hike to the top, where it can be quite windy. An above-average level of fitness and a high tolerance to desert conditions is required. Climbing Uluru is generally closed to the public when high winds are recorded at the top. Over the years there have been at least 35 deaths relating to climbing incidents.

In 2009, the Australian government indicated that climbing Uluru may no longer be allowed under the proposed “Draft Management Plan 2009-2019″. The public has been invited to comment on the plan prior to submission to the Minister for the Environment.

The native Aborigines knew two routes across the mountains: Bilpin Ridge, which is now the location of Bells Line of Road between Richmond and Bell, and the Coxs River, a tributary of the Nepean River. It could be followed upstream to the open plains of the Kanimbla Valley, the type of country which was prized for farming.

European settlers initially considered the mountains impassable; adding to their aversion, it was almost certain that fertile lands lay beyond. This idea was, to some extent, convenient for local authorities, who believed the “insurmountable” barrier ranges would deter convicts from trying to escape.

A former convict, John Wilson was the first man known to history to cross the Blue Mountains. After being freed in 1792 he promptly went bush, living with the Aborigines and even functioning as an intermediary between them and the settlers. In 1797 he returned to Sydney, claiming to have explored up to a hundred miles in all directions around Sydney, including across the mountains. His descriptions and observations were generally accurate, and it is possible that he had crossed the mountains via the Coxs River corridor, guided by the Aborigines. 

Governor Hunter was impressed by Wilson’s skills and sent him on an expedition with John Price and others in January 1798. The party crossed the Nepean River and moved south-west towards the present site ofMittagong, after which they turned west and found a route along the ridge that now bears the Wombeyan Caves Road. In the process they found a way to go west of the mountains, by going around them instead of across them. In March of the same year, Wilson and Price ventured to the Camden area, then further south until they discovered Thirlmere Lakes, finally almost reaching the present site of Goulburn. It is possible that the accomplishments of this expedition were suppressed by Hunter, who may not have wanted convicts to know there was a relatively easy way out of Sydney.  Wilson was killed by Aborigines after abducting one of their women for his personal use, but he had accomplished much as an explorer. He was never recognised as the first person to cross the mountains, possibly because his Coxs River journey could not be confirmed, while his route west of Mittagong may have been the “long way around” for a colony that had its eyes fixed on the sandstone fortress west of the Nepean.

Between 1798 and 1813, a number of people made exploratory trips to various parts of the mountains, from the Bilpin Ridge to the southern regions and what is now Kanangra-Boyd National Park, but without finding any definite route across. Official credit for crossing the Blue Mountains was eventually given to Gregory Blaxland,William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth. Following an exploratory trip in 1811, Blaxland, who wanted more grazing land, reasoned that the mountains could be crossed by following the ridges (thus creating the myth that the ridges were the easy way, when the easy way was in fact Coxs River). Accompanied by Lawson and Wentworth, he set out on 11th May, 1813, and the party succeeded in crossing the mountains by 31st May. At their furthest point, they reached what is now Mount Blaxland, just west of Coxs River. On their return to Sydney, they were rewarded by Governor Lachlan Macquarie with a grant of convert|1000|acre|km2 of land each. 

In November 1813, Macquarie sent the surveyor George Evans on expedition, to confirm the discoveries made by Blaxland and his party, and to see if the arable land was sufficient to justify settlement. The issue had become more urgent because the colony was in the grip of a drought. Evans and his party reached the Fish andMacquarie Rivers, and the site of Bathurst. On 7th July, 1814, construction of a road across the mountains was begun by William Cox. The work was at the behest of Governor Macquarie, used 30 convict labourers and 8 guards, and was completed on 14th January, 1815, after 27 weeks. 

Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale, mining for these resources began not long after the building of the first road. J.B.North ran a shale mine in the Megalong Valley in the 19th century, and other operations developed in several places. Locations for mining activities included the Jamison Valley, the upper Grose Valley, Newnes, Glen Davis and the Asgard Swamp area near Mt Victoria. Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not financially viable.

Police Rescue units respond first.

(IF HAVE A EHIRB) = Police move on the position and rescue them with no participation of the park rangers or SES.

(IF NO EHIRB)
Situation assest, last known position investigated, and search begins.
If a search extends past a couple days they ask the rangers of the immediate area to assist.
Use Police helicopters, then to Rangers, and then to SES.(Major searches only, around 2 – 3 per year).
If search continues a further few days police call upon the SES Rescue & Bush Walkers Rescue squad

With predictions of survival(depending on weather conditions) the police eventually call off the search.