John Wilson accpeting his Walking Award for Long Standing Contribution/Distinctive Service Award - Individual for work with the Friends of the Heysen Trail and Warren Bonython Heysen Trail Foundation
John joined the Friends of the Heysen Trail in 1990. After retiring from work in 1992 he started as a Heysen Trail maintenance volunteer. In this capacity, John, with the assistance from other members, produced an interim Heysen Trail Maintenance manual. John was one of the Friends representatives on the committee working with the Department for Environment and Heritage (now the Department for Environment and Water) to produce the first Management Plan for the Heysen Trail.
John joined the Council in late 1995, was elected Treasurer in 1997, a position he held until 2014, a record 17 years. He was appointed Public Officer in 2001. From 1999 until 2007 he was the editor of the organisation’s Trailwalker magazine. John’s countless hours of behind-the-scenes administrative involvement with the Friends and his hands-on trail maintenance work are balanced with the enjoyment he gets from the close friendships he has developed with his co-workers and an understanding of what bushwalking is all about.
