Scouting in New South Wales, a State of Australia, is predominantly represented by the branch of Scouts Australia and Girl Guides NSW & ACT, a member organisation of Girl Guides Australia.
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| Scouts Australia - New South Wales Branch | |||
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| Headquarters | 102 Bennelong Parkway, Homebush Bay | ||
| Country | Australia | ||
| Founded | 1908 | ||
| Membership | 15,313 youth members (2010) | ||
| Chief Scout | Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO | ||
| Chief Commissioner | Grant de Fries | ||
| Affiliation | Scouts Australia | ||
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| Website www.nsw.scouts.com.au |
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Scouting started in New South Wales in 1908, shortly after its founding in the United Kingdom. The 2010 Scout Census indicated that there were 19,673 uniformed members of Scouts Australia in NSW, 15,313 of whom were youth members. [1] There is also representation by the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association. There are ethnic Scouting organisations including the Polish Scouting Association.[2]
There are 10 main Scouts Australia Regions in New South Wales. These are North West, Golden West, Greater Western Sydney, Hume, Riverina, South Coast and Tablelands, North Coast, Sydney North, South Metropolitan and Hunter and Coastal. The "country" Regions have a larger area in general. Within these 10 Regions, there are a total of 66 Districts and 464 Groups. New South Wales has all Australian youth Scouting sections, from Joeys to Rovers.
The Chief Commissioner of Scouts Australia in NSW in 2004, Graeme Fordham, discussed the future for Australian Scouting on radio.[3]
Scouts Australia is open to young people from all religious faiths. The wording in the Scout Promise of "do my best to do my duty to my God" allows flexibility and the movement is open to all who can make this promise. Those unwilling to make this promise would be excluded from membership. In NSW atheists are actively excluded from Leadership, as 'Scouts Australia NSW' "insists that leaders have a faith, a belief in God.", with God being defined as "One who is; a Supreme Being – a Creator – a Ruler of the Universe". [4]
The NSW Branch operates 6 key activity centres.
Opened in 1971, the Air Activity Centre is located at Camden, 65 km south-west of Sydney and has 3 Cessna 172's and a Super Dimona Motor glider. The centre provides flying experiences, gliding and a flying school for pilot training.
The Alpine Activity Centre is located at Jindabyne, 457 km south-west of Sydney and consists of the Tony Balthasar Lodge and the Kanangra & Bluegum cottages. During the winter it is the centre for all snow related activities. It remains open during summer for all outdoor activities.
The Baden-Powell Scout Centre was officially opened in February 1929 and was visited by Lord & Lady Baden-Powell in 1931. It is a 36 hectare site located in Pennant Hills adjoining Lane Cove National Park. Much of the early development work was done by the unemployed, who camped there during the Depression. There are extensive accommodation and training facilities.
This 160 hectare park is located near Appin 71 km south-west of Sydney and was given to the Scout Association by The Government of New South Wales in 1978. It has hosted 3 Australian Jamborees and the 16th World Scout Jamboree in 1987. It can provide camping, bunk accommodation, and activities such as water slides, ropes courses, hiking, orienteering and an obstacle course.
The Scout Heritage Centre Workshop is located at Belfield. It is responsible for the display and preservation of Scouting heritage.
The Water Activities Centre was opened in Woolwich in 1973. It runs General Days, to allow members to experience canoeing, sailing and power boating and qualification courses for canoeing, sailing and power boating. The centre is is qualifed to run courses for NSW Boat Licenses.
Several centres are also run by the Regions, such as Camp Ku-Ring-Gai Activity Centre, Ingleside Scout Camp, Camp Kurrajong, Camps Coutts, J. Harold Kaye Training Centre and Bundilla Scout Training Centre.
In 1920 Dame Margaret Davidson, wife of the Governor of NSW, called a special meeting of prominent women in Sydney, to try to interest them in starting Guiding in the State. It was decided that Guides was not for them as girls already had sufficient opportunities to be outdoors. Nella Levy read about this meeting in a newspaper and wrote to the newspaper contradicting this feeling. Levy was subsequently was invited to tea at Government House by Davidson. Davidson told her "Queen Mary would like to see Girl Guides in New South Wales, and I want you to start it."[5] Levy took the challenge. She travelled widely, recruiting volunteers, forming Companies and enrolling Guides.
There are 11 Girl Guide Regions in NSW&ACT which include Northern Sydney, Greater Rivers, Cumberland Plains and Southern Sydney Rivers (the 4 regions of Sydney) and North Pacific Coast, Twin Rivers, South Coast and Highlands, Coastal Valleys, Central West, North West Inland and ACT&South East Region.
Aruluen is located near Jindabyne. The site is popular for winter sports activities.
Glengarry is situated on the edge of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. It comprises 34 hectares of bushland with established gardens and cleared areas.
RTS Tingira is located in Carabita. It is a watersports centre and offers activities such as canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rowing and sailing.
It was announced in March 2009 that Tara, the Guides' campside in Silverdale will be sold to the Roads and Traffic Authority to be 'compensatory habitat' managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Olave Centre is the largest in house accommodation area at Tara. The house sleeps 27 in dormitory style bedrooms. The Olave Centre also has a large commercial kitchen, a common dining and lounge area, and a large bathroom, including one for disabled use. The internal courtyard is used for inside activities and outside dining.
The Brownie Cottage sleeps 25 in bunk bed dormitory style accommodation. There is a bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and a large dining/lounge area. There is also an open fire-place. The back veranda is an excellent spot for looking at the stars. The Northern Room adjoins Brownie Cottage. It is a fully self-contained studio which sleeps 4. The Northern Room can be accessed through Brownie Cottage as additional accommodation or rented separately for smaller groups. The Northern Room was originally a garage. Tolhurst Cottage is quaint cottage style building with terracotta roofing and an open fire place.
Girl Guides NSW & ACT acquired the property in 1971. Prior to this, Tara was originally a cattle property of over 101 acres (0.41 km2), with a fairly large house, a small caretaker's cottage (which started its life as a workman's cottage at Warragamba Dam), a new set of cattle yards and holding yards, and a large equipment shed, with various fowl yards. The property was fenced into four paddocks - complete with a dam and a semi-dry creek - which bordered a permanent creek that flowed into the Nepean River at Bent's Basin. Tara was the name of the original owner's daughter and it seemed fitting to keep some history in the name of the property.
After the site was acquired by the Guides, the stock holding paddock was turned into a sportsfield and carpark, and the equipment shed was fitted out with shelves for camping equipment. Paddocks were divided into camping areas, enclosed fireplaces were built and water was piped to all sites. In October 1971 "Tara" was opened officially by the State President Lady Cutler, in the presence of the State Commissioner, Lady Wyndham. Shortly afterwards, 2000 trees were planted on a tree planting day.[6]
In 1972, the Nella Levy Chapel was built, to commemorate Girl Guides NSW first Guider.
There are a number of Gang Shows put on in NSW. A Gang Show is a Scout variety show.
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