Cave Clan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cave Clan | |
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| Formation | 1986 [1] |
| Website | http://www.caveclan.org |
The Cave Clan is a primarily Australian group dedicated to urban exploration.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Cave Clan was founded on January 26 (Australia Day), 1986 by three Melbourne teenagers, Woody, Dougo and Sloth.[1] The trio had started exploring together during the summer of 1985-1986.[2]
Alf Sadlier, a worker for the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW), is often cited as an inspiration to the Cave Clan's founders. During construction on Melbourne’s drains in the 1940s and 1950s, Sadlier would leave his name and the date in tar paint before the last section of tunnel was put in place. After Sadlier was mentioned in an article in Melbourne’s The Herald Sun[citation needed] his sister wrote to the Cave Clan explaining that her brother was in fact a "builder of drains", and not an explorer.
[edit] Membership and Activities
Cave Clan members explore natural or artificial tunnels and caves, along with rooftops and abandoned buildings. Their most frequent activities involve exploring underground stormwater drains, bunkers tunnels and forts.[3] Each chapter of the Cave Clan has its favorite locations with each city having a different history and therefore different types of locations to explore.
Members of the Cave Clan come from various backgrounds including writers, students, scientists, and mechanics [4] with the Cave Clan acting as a uniting group for people who are interested in urban exploration in Australia. Members have different interests or 'specialities' but are all interested in getting into places they shouldn't be.
| “ | ..the appeal is getting into places that no one else gets into, breaking away from the norm and doing things society doesn't want you to do.[5] | ” |
[edit] Safety issues
The Cave Clan does not advocate going into drains when it is raining, exploring alone, or removing a manhole from beneath if the above location is unknown. The golden rule of the Cave Clan is, "When it rains, no drains!". [6]
[edit] Controversy
As with urban exploration-related topics, by entering into locations or drains without permission, the members of the Cave Clan can be described as "recreational trespassers". In 2005 it was revealed that the NSW State Government had asked for the Cave Clan's help in finding tunnels that could become terrorist targets.[7]
[edit] Graffiti
The Cave Clan officially distances itself from graffiti, despite the historical practice of tagging. Drain tagging is discouraged, especially in historically significant areas. There are clear examples, however, of the Cave Clan members using graffiti.[8][9] The group also accepts leaving details of an expedition in a plain section of the drain, tunnel or cavity to mark the place and time. They also put up stickers, mostly above ground for promotional purposes.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Cave Clan. StreetStories (2004). Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
- ^ John Jurgensen. "Urban Explorers Are Picture of Stealth. The Nation; bulldog ed. 20 May 2001, pg. A1
- ^ Live News Exclusive - Drunk Vandals or Intrepid Explorers?"[1]", Retrieved on 8 April 2008.
- ^ About the Cave Clan and What We Do, "About the Cave Clan and What We Do ", Retrieved on April 07, 2008.
- ^ BBC News Online: Subterranean Sydney, World: From Our Own Correspondent, February 16, 2002
- ^ Safety (2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
- ^ Cave Clan's Fortress, "Cave Clan's Fortress - smh.com.au", Retrieved on April 07, 2008.
- ^ Heathcote, Christopher. "Discovering Graffiti", Art Monthly Australia, 2000-09-00. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
- ^ Richardson, Owen. "Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne", The Age, 2006-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
