Blandfordia Lodge

Written and illustrated by Jenny Pearce.

Blandfordia Alpine Club was formed in 1962 when Pat Wessing had the idea of building a hut in Cradle Valley. Construction of the hut began in May 1962 near Ronny Creek, on land owned by Major Ronny Smith.

   Based on an unfinished story by Pat Wessing, Blandfordia Lodge covers the years 1962-63 when the hut was being built. Extracts from Major Smith's diaries and relevant stories from other people are included. All photographs are credited and pencil sketches are by the author.

A PDF of the book can be downloaded here.

When viewing in Adobe Reader, under the View > Page Display menu, tick both options: Two page view and Show cover page view.

How to Order     (All copies sold by June 2022)

Copies can be ordered from Jenny Pearce:

03 6428 2976,  jennypearce at gmail.com

Two versions will be available in April 2022:

• Wire Bound – $45

• Hardcover in Arbelave buckram

– debossed title and image on front cover

– section sewn

– $75

Page size is 230W x 245H

Printed on Freelife Vellum White, 140 GSM

(a soft-textured paper made from 5% cotton fibre)

Book Launch

Following the Blandfordia Alpine Club AGM on the 30th April 2022, Jenny Pearce signed and delivered copies of her book which she had received from the publisher the day before. Jenny eventually plans to put the book on the internet so it will be freely available.

A note from Helen Thyne

Fellow Blandfordians, I would like to congratulate Jenny Pearce for her wonderful presentation of “Blandfordia Lodge”. The attention to detail Jenny has delivered, the amazing research, the humour, and the drawings are all wonderful.

   Thank you Jenny for all your time and effort. It is so lovely to have Pat’s story “Forty Years On”, published for all members to read about their lodge, and help them to appreciate how lucky we are to be so privileged to be a part of this amazing building. Long may we cherish its humble beginnings and maintain it in the state in which it was intended to stay.

   To Nell, Charles & Ann – it is lovely to read in more detail about the lovely times you must have had during the building of the Lodge, and with the Wescombe family and other children as your fellow workers and play mates. We are very lucky to now share in the fruits of your labours.

A review from David Wools-Cobb, President, North West Walking Club

BLANDFORDIA LODGE by Jenny Pearce

Book review: by David Wools-Cobb

Published at Impress, Devonport March 2022. 112 pages, Hardcover.

Jenny is a Life member of the North West Walking Club and has been connected with the Cradle Mountain area for most of her life. This book tells how Blandfordia Lodge came to be built as well as many stories around that period of the people involved.

Jenny has relied on the diaries of Patricia Wessing, as the major proponent of the Blandfordia Alpine Club. Most of the book is from Patricia’s perspective, and in effect Jenny has completed Patricia’s story by bringing related stories and personalities and many photographs all into one tome.

Jenny has also referred to Major Ronny Smith’s diaries which were a very thorough record of his daily life and ties in with the Wessing diaries extremely well. Jenny has sourced a huge range of photographs and illustrated various scenes with her own pencil drawings.

This book is a quality production which no doubt took an enormous time to collate. The photographs, even those from very old prints and slides have been well presented. Although some of the anecdotal stories seem sometime off at a tangent, they seem to fit in with the story well and give the reader a true sense of the characters and the fact the history shapes us into the future. For those interested in Cradle Mountain and hut history I highly recommend “Blandfordia Lodge” as a well-documented coverage of the Lodge’s “birth”, the area it is sited and the people involved.

Who has copies?

50 hardbound and 25 wirebound copies were printed.

HARDBOUND  BOOKS

1.  Jenny Pearce

1a.  (First test)  Library Tasmania

2.  Guy Burns

3.  Suzanne Talbot 

Hi Jen,

Love, love, loving your book. Members are going to go crazy about it!  I'm up to the 26 Chevy part. Wish I'd read this book 30 years ago. I feel so much closer to Blandfordia and surrounds now I know the history. 

So proud of you, my big sister. 

4.  Lyn Brundle

5.

6.  Damien Wescombe for Patrick Slatter

7.  Sheila Bannister

8.  Melva Truchanas

[My last message from Melva was to order a book.]

Hello Jenny,

What an achievement to record the history of the early days of Blandfordia Alpine Club!

It’s such a colourful tale.  A pity we can’t include the Pat Wessing colourful personality as well.

Please add me to the order list, and keep me informed.

Melva T.

9.  Linda Barker

10.  Wendy Roberts

11.  Graeme Pickford

Hi Jenny,

This is Graeme ringing you on holiday from Adelaide. I've just finished your book. It's fantastic and I've found everything very interesting. It brought back so many memories of my early visits to Blandfordia. Everyone in the club should read this book and it should be compulsory reading for all the new members. I was pleased to see Aaron Shipp's name there. He's Martin's son and we've been to Blandfordia with them. I loved reading Ronny Smith's diary entries too – an entry about Glen Turner who I remember lived at The Gables, Turners Beach, and all the details of prices and times – what a character the Major was. You did a really good job with the book. It's fantastic.

12.  Steve Brown

13.  Helen Statham

14.  Helen Thyne

Dear Jenny,

Wow! What a treat. I have thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful publication. All the time and effort you have put into this is so worthwhile. I do hope every member buys a copy, then they may appreciate what they have and look after it as it was intended, forever.

Catch up soon.

Well done.

Love Helen & Jim

15.  Brenda Hefferon

16.  Chris Henderson

17.  Chris Brown

18.  Maree Poltock

19.  Anton Lade

20.  Grace Keeley

By phone

It's absolutely beautiful! You've done a fantastic job. I will treasure it always. Sharon [daughter] wants to read it now so I'll take it to her on our next trip there.

Grace

21.  Simon Olding

22.  Julie-Anne Jolly

23.  Julie-Anne Jolly

24.  Julie-Anne Jolly

25.  Ann Wessing

26. Ann Wessing

Hi Jenny

   How exciting to see your book Blandfordia Lodge so close to printing!

   Thank you so much for writing it. We always thought after Pat’s death, that she had such an interesting life and that her story should be told, so I’m very pleased that you have taken the time to record Blandfordia’s beginnings and development through Pat’s vision and the help of many others!

   Please can I order two hard copies - one for me and one for Erin. I’m very much looking forward to reading it!

Regards, thanks,

Ann Wessing

27.  Nell Hilliand

28.  Charles Wessing

29.  Freya Stokell

30.  Ross Coward (collected his copy from Ann Wessing)

By email to Ann Wessing

Hi Ann,

   Picked up my books – thanks. I have browsed through the hardback and read various pages and bits and pieces, and enjoyed the photos. The book is a wonderful tribute, foremost, to Pat (Mrs Wessing, your mother) and Blandfordia… and of course to all the Wessings, Major Smith, foundation members, and all others associated with this great enterprise.

   Well done Jenny, for compiling a rich history of Blandfordia! I will read with avid interest. Pat was a truly remarkable woman and I hold her with affection in my heart. Blessed be Blandfordia – Pat's legacy.

Cheers,

Ross Coward

31.  Kerry Wescombe

32.  Lyndsey Gray

33.  Michael Simco

34.  Eddie Firth

35.  Fay Goold

36.  Rhonda McInnes

Hi Jenny,

 Just to let you know that your lovely book arrived today. Can’t wait to read it.

   I owe my Blandfordia membership to my parents (Don & Jeanette Closs), who in turn were introduced to the club via Heather Gulline.

   Mum’s parents knew Weindorfer and stayed with him at Waldheim on a number of occasions and Mum remembers him staying with them in Victoria when she was a child.  I have enjoyed Blandfordia since about 1968 ish, and hold many, many memories.  I remember one very cold trip where we were snowed in and Dad shaved the wood for the bookcases with a hand spoke (shaver thing) to keep himself occupied as we couldn’t get out.

   And a working bee – when Anne Wessing and a number of us wrote our names on the new lining we installed inside the walls in the main area to improve the heating, and catering for a few working bees.

   Unfortunately due to work commitments we now reside in Victoria and getting to the lodge is a huge logistical arrangement and when we tried to come in, in 2021 we were snowed out, in April with an unexpected dump of snow. So for the first time in my life, I was snowed OUT.  Couldn’t even make the journey in (on Ranger advise).  I’ve been snowed in many times – but never snowed out (ha ha).  Sigh!

   Your lovely book will now be enjoyed by my family and I know I will love the read, for it will bring back many memories.  I shall add our memories into the back for our son James who had been to many a working bee and will inherit my membership.

   Thank you for all the effort to send it to us.

 Kind Regards

 Rhonda McInnes (nee Closs) 😊

37.  Nick Truchanas

38.  Nick Truchanas

39.  Damien Wescombe

40.  Ann Gshwendtner

41.  Robyn Trousselot

42.  Mick Ling

43.  Tamsin Hilliard

44.  Jan Findlay

45.  Rob Dawkins

46.  Mary Slattery

47.  Kerry Wescombe (for Jeremy)

48.  Teresa Conlon

49.  NWWC lending copy

50.  Morven Andrews

WIREBOUND  BOOKS

1.  Jenny Pearce

2.  (Guy)

3.  Lyndsey Gray

4.  Jenny Purtell

5.  Graeme Pickford

6.  Dale Lisson

7.  Helen Thyne

8.  Katie Henderson

9.  Sarah Henderson

10.  BAC Lodge copy

11.  Chris Brown (for Michaela)

12.  Brenda Hefferon (for Shani)

13.  Jane Roberts

14.  Ross Coward

15.  Tom Lawrence

16.  Helen Thyne

17.  Aaron Shipp

18.  Helen Plaister

By phone

I have Covid and it has given me a chance to read your book and spend some time on it. I've just finished it and read it from cover to cover. It's wonderfully amazing and I couldn't put it down. The words were put together so well with Pat's story and the Major's diary being told together. I love the balance of the book. They were incredible times in the sixties. It all means so much more to me now and I will go to Blandfordia with different eyes next time. I liked the wirebound version because, when I was lying in bed reading, I could easily double the pages back. Congratulations! It's stunning.

Helen P

18b.  Rima Truchanas

Hi Jenny,

How wonderful you have brought this story to fruition, for Pat and all the members who value this hut, the vision & hard work that went into establishing it and continues in order to maintain it.  Thank you.

I would like to preorder a wirebound copy please.

Warm regards,

Rima

19.  Rona Hollingsworth

Hello Jenny,

   Ann dropped in yesterday with the copy of your book on the building of Blandfordia Lodge. You've done a wonderful job and thanks very much indeed for organising the delivery! I wasn't around during the initial building period but know or knew many of the people mentioned. I have great respect for what she achieved and enormous gratitude for her help and support after a mutual friend died. It's great to see Pat's legacy recorded in print.

Best wishes,

Rona

20.  Helen Thyne

21.  Tony McKenny

22.  Greg Hodge

23.  Lambert van Essen

24.  John Bromley for Jane Winkler

25. (Test)

SUMMARY OF COSTS

400 sheets of Freelife Vellum White, 140 GSM, 700 x 1000:     $1122 delivered

Printing on 690 x 245 sheets at Impress Print (Devonport)

Print Run #1   (17/2/2022, $50 paper cutting, $36 for test proofs, First proof) =  $226.40

Print Run #2   (16/3/2022, second proof) = $145.20

Print Run #3   (16/3/2022, third proof) = $134.40

Final Print Run (5/4/2022) = $3211.20

Total printing cost = $3717.20

Binding at Foot and Playsted (Launceston)

25 wire-bound copies = $536   ($21.45 each)

50 hardcover copies = $2519   ($50.38 each)

Total binding cost = $3055

Total cost for wire-bound books:    $2149   ($86 each)

Total cost for hard-cover books:     $5745   ($115 each)

Total cost overall: $7894