This year South Australia’s oldest walking club, the WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club Inc, are celebrating 100 years, having held their first walk in August 1925 in Hallett Cove.
On the 100th anniversary on Saturday 16 August 2025, the WEA Ramblers will celebrate with a birthday lunch at the Lakes Resort at West Lakes. They’re keen to get in touch with as many past WEA Ramblers as possible.
A history of WEA Ramblers members will be presented at the celebration lunch. You can read some of the extracts of their history below.
The WalkFest on Sunday 6 April in Belair National Park will include a special celebration of the milestone.
They will also do a special celebration challenge walk on Sunday August 31 2025 along one of the most difficult sections of the Adelaide 100 trail. The complete walk will be from Marble Hill Road at Norton Summit down to Thorndon Park Reserve in Paradise and walkers can choose to walk the whole 22km or a smaller one third, or two-thirds chunk of the total distance.
Last year two members celebrated 50 years of continuous membership with WEA Ramblers. Husband and wife Ian and Fay Harding first walked with the WEA Ramblers in 1974.
This year, as always, the WEA Ramblers are keen walkers, getting out there and exploring our great state on foot. A few highlights from their walk calendar this year include:
- Walking a series of eight walks to cover 100km of the Willunga Basin Trail. Three walks will be completed at the autumn camp, and the others across some Sundays over a few months.
- In September they will head to Clare for three nights, with walks on the newly completed Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail.
- Over a series of six short walks on Tuesdays they will walk 36km of the Coast Park Path from Outer Harbor to Hallett Cove (36km).
The aim of the WEA Ramblers Club is to bring together people who are keen walkers and lovers of nature. Day hikes from 12 to 18km are held fortnightly on Sundays. Half day hikes from 6 to 9kms are held monthly on Tuesdays. A couple of long weekend camps are held each year. Currently there are 25 members who range in age from 40 to 80.
The WEA Ramblers welcome anyone over the age of 18, and accept children as guests if accompanied by an adult.
Check out their Photo Gallery walk albums to see some of the recent hikes.
To join a walk or find out more view their website at sites.google.com/view/wea-ramblers-sa. You can get in touch with Frances Robertson, Publicity Officer, at wea.ramblers.sa@gmail.com or by phone at 08 8267 3174.
A History of the WEA Ramblers in South Australia
The WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club Inc is a special interest group of WEA Clubs Inc, which was formed in South Australia in 1913 as the Workers’ Educational Association. Now known as the WEA, it is Australia’s largest non-government adult community education organisation.
The Ramblers First Walk
The WEA Ramblers held their first walk was in Hallett Cove on in August 1925:
“Some members of the W.E.A. (Workers Educational Association) classes at the University have formed a Ramblers’ Club. The initial outing was held on Saturday, August 16th., when a large party took train for Hallett’s Cove Station and walked to the Cove. A halt was made at the famous glacial rock (originally discovered by Mr. Stirling Smeaton but first described by Professor Howchin). The leader for the afternoon. Mr. Ham, of the F.N.S., described the Permo-Carboniferous glaciation of South Australia and made reference to the many interesting geological and physiographical features of the coast. A hearty invitation was given to members to join, in our own excursions.”
South Australian Naturalist, Volume VI No 4, August 1925, p69.
Mr Ham was an Assistant Lecturer in Economics at The University of Adelaide. He was on the Boards of the WEA as well as the South Australian Field Naturalists. He was also editor of the South Australian Naturalist magazine for several years until 1936/1937. His academic initials were F.R.E.S. (Fellow Royal Economics Society).
Other Early Walks
“The Workers’ Educational Association recently formed a W.E.A. Ramblers’ Club. The outings so far have been very successful. On the public holiday some 86 members and their friends went by train to Eden and walked to Brighton via the Sturt Creek. The ‘billy’ was boiled on the way, and after lunch the club walked over the hills and down the gully, crossing and recrossing the creek a number of times to Sturt, and then by road to Brighton, when tea was partaken of on the beach, the ramble covering a distance of some eight miles. The social side of such a club is very valuable, and in the members derive great benefit from the exercise of walking. The next ramble will be to Waterfall Gully on November 21.”
The Register newspaper (Adelaide) 16 Oct 1925, p4.
“This Club flourished during the year and arranged outings almost monthly, the most successful being on the June holiday, when 181 students and friends went by rail motors to Angaston for an all day picnic. The WEA Ramblers Club is proving a means of WEA students getting to know each other, as well as benefiting in other ways by the rambles. ”
WEA Annual Report 1926
“Members of the Workers’ Educational Association, embracing the Association’s Ramblers’ Club, held a picnic at the Semaphore on Saturday afternoon. They were met and welcomed at the railway-station by the Mayor of Port Adelaide (Mr. A. O. R. Tapp). The Mayor entertained the executive at the parlor in the Semaphore Town Hall, members present being Messrs. R. A. Gibbins (president), G. McRitchie (secretary), G. Wheeldon, A. Cotter, C. Read, A.V. Thompson, and H. Nolan.”
The Advertiser newspaper (Adelaide) Mon 28 Feb 1927, p13.
“The W. E. A. Ramblers’ Club on its monthly outing visited Hallett’s Cove. About seventy members and their friends accompanied by Mr. Machell, instructor in Nature Study at the Teachers’ College, participated. He described the Amoeba and other forms of animal life up to the whale, taking for the purposes of demonstration the huge carcase of the whale that had been washed up some time previously in that locality. He also referred to the geological formations of Hallett’s Cove which are in some respects unusual. Mr. Machell was warmly thanked for his interesting and instructive talk.”
The Advertiser newspaper (Adelaide) Tues 6 Sep 1927, p4.
“The Club again flourished during the year: outings were arranged monthly except in January. Again the weather was kind to the Ramblers, the rain not being sufficient on any occasion to really interfere with the pleasure of the outings. The club is serving a three-fold purpose – physical, educational and social. ”
WEA Annual Report 1927
“Rambles were arranged to beaches and hills in months February to November. Billy tea was provided and greatly appreciated by the Ramblers. ”
WEA Annual Report 1938
“Rambles were arranged to beaches and hills monthly from February to November. At the October outing in the National Park, Ramblers celebrated the one hundred and fiftieth outing. Past and present Ramblers joined to make presentations to Mr and Mrs McRitchie. ”
WEA Annual Report 1939