Club History

1944: Foundation of the Melbourne University Mountaineering Club in early October at a meeting convened by Niall Brennan. Club members regularly undertake Bushwalking and then Rockclimbing followed by Ski-Touring six years later. First edition of the Club periodical The Circular is published. Later, the name would change to The Mountaineer (developed by Fred Mitchell) to have stronger affiliation with MUMC.

1946: The Club Badge—now known as The OXO Man—is created by Niall Brennan, accompanied by the heraldic description "On a field azure, a mountaineer sable, salient." The design was taken from a drawing used to advertise MUMC's Orientation Week Equipment Display room.

1949–1950: The Club's first Membership List is recorded with approximately 100 members.

1950: Ski-Touring begins at the Club. Map collection begins.

1955: Disappearance of the "Three Johns": John Young, John Vidulich and John Hammond, while climbing Mt. Cook, New Zealand, experienced mountaineers all. Young and Vidulich were members of MUMC. (The Three Johns Hut in New Zealand is erected in their memory between 1955 and 1977.)

1956: MUMC joins the Sports Union after being affiliated with the Students Representatives Council.

1959: MUMC Memberships exceed 300 members.

1961: Committee meetings are held in various locations around the University such as the Union House and the Cricket Pavilion. First Edition of Equipment For Mountaineering is published under the editorship of Fred Mitchell and Roger Riordan: over the years it is republished numerous times. A basement at 21 Royal Parade is acquired for storing Club equipment. (Previously, MUMC relied on its members to provide storage space.)

1962–1972: Aikman's Rd Basement is used for storing Club equipment. Over the following years, additional basement space in the vicinity is acquired with additional assistance from the Department of Crimonology.

1965: Death of esteemed MUMC members Douglas Hatt and Russell Judge while attempting a traverse of Mt. Cook, New Zealand, in January. Later, the Mt. Feathertop Hut would be built in their memory—thus becoming the Mt. Feathertop Memorial Hut—as Feathertop was Hatt's favourite mountain.

Mt. Feathertop Hut is designed by Civil Engineering student and ex-Ormond resident Peter W. Kneen. The geometry of the Hut is considered likely to be the "first of its kind" in Australia, and garners interest from Tasmania and other overseas institutions (notably from Belgium). Hut Subcommittee is founded to oversee the development of the Hut, which later dedicates the Memorial Hut to the memory of all MUMC members (not just to Hatt and Judge) who lose their lives pursuing mountaineering.

1965–1966: Mt. Feathertop Hut begins construction during the summer. Funds are raised through donations, raffles and functions. Final cost of the hut is £2,480. Establishment of the Mt. Feathertop Hut enables the Empress Track to be cleared around July 1965: Empress Track is named after Empress Hut, where Hatt and Judge last stayed before their deaths. The upper section of the Empress Track later becomes known as the Tom Kneen Track and the lower half becomes North West Spur track; however, the latter appellation is commonly applied to the entire route to the MUMC Hut.

1966: Mt. Hotham Incident in which three Club members lose their lives: Margaret Unkles, Don Lam, and Cathy Escott.

1967: Hut Subcommittee officially disbands.

1970: MUMC publishes Guide to the Victorian Alps.

1971: Equipment For Mountaineering expands to include Ski Touring, Snow and Ice climbing, and equipment importing.

1972: The Club's Membership Card design is proposed; a block (stamp?) is created and the first cards are made.

1972–1975: A book about the Club's history is written by David Hogg and distributed to select institutions, including the State and Baillieau Libraries.

1976: In April, Rogaining is created by Rod Phillips, Gail Davis neé Phillips and Neil Phillips. Rogaining is derived from numerous activities, notably the MUMC 24-hour Walk and orienteering which originated in Norway. In August, the Victorian Rogaining Association is founded.

1977: The Club turns full circle, moving into the Old Meteorology Workshop near the Cricket Pavillion. (Club gear storage originated with a cupboard in the Meteorology building). This is now known as the Clubrooms. There was discussion about maintaining the title of the original clubrooms—Aikman's Rd—but was probably too confusing. In this year, the Clubrooms begin to open each Tuesday. Three Johns Hut is blown away in its entirety due to gale force winds, coming to rest 300 feet (approx. 100m) down the Dobson Valley side of Barron Saddle.

1977–?: Historical Dark Ages for MUMC. Not much is known about the happenings in this period of time, as no records seem to exist except in the memories of past Club members.

1985: Death of Tom Kneen, brother of Peter Kneen, in an avalanche on Mt. Feathertop. Kneen was a very experienced bushwalker and ski tourer and had exceptional knowledge of Mt. Feathertop.

2003: In January, extraordinary bushfires ravage much of New South Wales' and Victoria's bushland causing vast devastation. Many huts are destroyed, including Little MUMC Hut (the toilet block). MUMC Hut itself survives though the firefront reaches the frontiers of Mt. Beauty.

2004: 60th Anniversary Dinner and acquisition of unreasonably large 60th Anniversary T-shirts which cannot be sold, becoming free souvenirs. The MUMC Website Redevelopment Project begins in secret in June.

2005–2006: Under the presidency of Alison Thomson, The MUMC Website Redevelopment Project becomes official.

2006: The new websites go online February 26. More bushfires spread across Victoria during November and December, causing havoc and structural damage. Snow on Christmas Day gives firefighters scant relief before the inferno resumes. MUMC Hut again survives despite embers landing on North West Spur.

2007: On June 11, a new design for the website(s) is created. Little MUMC Hut is restored on North West Spur, near the MUMC Hut. Hut maintenance trips begin again in earnest, attempting to fix leaks and other issues with the Hut. Relocation of the Giant Earthworm, and the genocide of Hut weevils.

2008: