Indigenous peoples in the Cradle Mountain area

Tasmania's Cradle Mountain region has a rich and storied history of Aboriginal habitation dating back thousands of years. Archaeological evidence suggests that this alpine environment was first occupied by Indigenous peoples towards the end of the last major ice age, between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago.

Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the Cradle Mountain area was the traditional territory of the Big River Tribe, a group of hunter-gatherers who thrived in the region's mountainous landscapes. While the harsh, cold climate of the region likely precluded permanent settlement, the Aboriginal people of the area are known to have travelled to the area's fertile, sub-alpine valleys during the summer months on seasonal hunting and foraging expeditions.

The presence of stone tools, rock shelters and caves bearing signs of human habitation, as well as stone quarry sites where raw materials were sourced for tool-making, provide tangible evidence of the presence of First Nations peoples in the Cradle Mountain area. Early European accounts also describe well-constructed bark huts and signs that the local Aboriginal population had long used controlled burning techniques to manage the landscape and attract prey.

These living sites hold immense cultural significance for the modern-day Tasmanian Aboriginal community, serving as powerful reminders of their peoples' incredible resilience, adaptability and deep, unbroken connection to the land. Moreover, the archaeological record preserved within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park demonstrates the remarkable endurance of human habitation in this rugged, isolated corner of the world.

European exploration and exploitation of Cradle Mountain

The first European visitors to explore Cradle Mountain were the surveyor Joseph Fossey and his colleague Henry Hellyer, who were tasked by the Van Diemen's Land Company with mapping the remote and uncharted region from 1827-1828. For decades afterward, the mountain and its surroundings remained the domain of fur trappers, who established a network of rustic huts and hunting camps in the area from the 1860s onward.

As they subsisted off the fur trade, these trappers were known to burn the land to encourage the growth of fresh vegetation and attract more wildlife, just as Indigenous peoples had done before. Their activities were curbed when hunting within the boundaries of the future national park was banned in 1927, as conservation efforts began to take hold.

Meanwhile, the immense groves of King Billy pines that blanketed the area drew the attention of loggers, with forestry operations around Cradle Mountain commencing in the 1860s under the direction of James Smith. His son would continue this commercial exploitation of the old-growth forests right up until the 1970s, when public outcry finally put an end to the practices.

Gustav and Kate Weindorfer

Two of the most influential people in the conservation history of Cradle Mountain were Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer and his Tasmanian wife, Kate Cowle. Weindorfer arrived in Melbourne in 1899 and four years later met Kate, a passionate mountain climber and botanist. Kate was a remarkable woman, possessing a rare sense of financial and personal independence that set her apart in that era.

Drawn together by their shared love of the natural world, Gustav and Kate soon bonded over their extensive botanical knowledge. In 1903, Kate presented a scientific paper in Melbourne that led to a blossoming romance between the two. They married in Tasmania on February 1 1906, and embarked on a five-week honeymoon camping atop Mount Roland, exploring the mountain's rugged splendour and collecting botanical specimens.

It was from the summit of Mount Roland that Kate first pointed out the Cradle Mountain area to her new husband, igniting a dream they would soon seek to fulfill. Empowered by Kate's considerable personal wealth, the couple were able to purchase part of her brother's farm, Lauriston, in the shadow of Mount Roland, dubbing their new home “Roland Lea”.

Though successful as farmers, Gustav and Kate's true ambition lay in exploring Cradle Mountain, a goal that Gustav finally achieved in 1909 when he and a friend, Charlie Sutton, set out to explore that untamed wilderness. When he returned to “Roland Lea”, Gustav was brimming with excitement to share the experience with Kate and the pair began planning another expedition to Cradle Mountain the following January.

Captivated by the region's breathtaking natural beauty, Gustav and Kate purchased 200 acres each in the surrounding valley, as well as 800 acres belonging to their neighbours, the Smiths, in a bid to prevent further logging and preserve the land. It was on Kate's parcel that Gustav, in March 1912, commenced construction of Waldheim, a single-roofed hut that would gradually expand to accommodate friends and acquaintances.

In the summer of 1913, Waldheim was opened up to visitors wanting to immerse themselves in the region's magnificent highland scenery and recreational tourism at Cradle Mountain was born. Even after the devastating loss of Kate in 1916, Gustav continued to reside at Waldheim, earning a reputation as a hermit as he accommodated the many who came to experience the land that he and Kate so cherished.

Establishment of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park

The protection of Cradle Mountain in 1922 was the culmination of a decades-long campaign by a passionate group of advocates, led by the tireless efforts of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer. After years of lobbying the government and raising public awareness, their pleas finally bore fruit, as the 161,000-hectare area was designated as a scenic reserve. In 1927, it was upgraded to a wildlife reserve and eventually became a national park in 1947.

During this gradual transition, a community of former trappers, including the likes of Paddy Hartnett and Bob Quaile, began building rustic huts around Cradle Mountain and guiding adventurous bushwalkers through the area. In 1931, fur trapper Bert Nichols blazed the Overland Track, a now-legendary hiking route that started at Cradle Mountain and stretched all the way south to Lake St Clair. Over the next few years, this trail was consolidated and became a popular destination for independent walking parties, allowing more and more people to discover this breathtaking wilderness.

Unfortunately, Gustav Weindorfer did not live to see Cradle Mountain receive national park status, passing away at the age of 58 in 1932. He was laid to rest in front of his beloved Waldheim cabin and six years later, a monument was erected at the site to honour his legacy.

Over time, Waldheim fell into disrepair and the National Parks & Wildlife Service eventually demolished the buildings, much to the dismay of the public. The outcry over this loss was so strong that a replica was constructed using materials harvested from the very King Billy pines that had surrounded the original structure. Today, Waldheim stands once more, a living reminder of the Weindorfers' enduring vision and the lasting impact of their efforts to safeguard this spectacular corner of Tasmania.