You’d have to be stark raving mad not to appreciate the beauty of kunanyi / Mount Wellington on a clear, sunny day.
And what better way to experience its beauty than going for a bushwalk on the mountain? Summer – which is right around the corner – is the perfect time to do so!
Kunanyi / Mount Wellington has dozens of walking tracks, many of them over a hundred years old. The earliest ones were created by convicts shortly after the establishment of Hobart at Sullivans Cove in 1804, and their purpose was to allow people access to the mountain’s three main resources: wood, water, and ice.
Many scientists and naturalists – including Charles Darwin – used these early tracks to study the mountain’s plants, animals, and rock formations.
Bushwalking on kunanyi / Mount Wellington became more and more popular over subsequent decades, and all its purpose-built tracks were constructed to allow people to better access its beautiful sights, such as the Organ Pipes.
A day’s outing on the mountain can be incredibly dangerous, however – and can turn to tragedy quite quickly.
A perfect example of this occurred in January 1858. A ship called Derwentwater had docked in Hobart a few weeks before, and its surgeon, Dr John Smith – a freemason and a member of Adam’s Lodge of Sheerness in England – decided to walk up kunanyi / Mount Wellington with four other people.
He’d been sick the previous day and had taken laudanum (an opiate) to relieve his symptoms, so he probably wasn’t completely ‘with it’ on the day of the climb. He must’ve had a stubborn streak, though, because he was determined to walk up the mountain.
Naturally, Dr Smith couldn’t keep up with his companions. He became separated from them and lost his way on the mountain, eventually dying from exhaustion and dehydration. His body was found five days later, and his freemasonry brethren erected an elegant cast-iron monument to mark the spot.
‘Smith’s Monument’ stood for more than 170 years before it was taken down to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for preservation and safekeeping – and was replaced by a plaque.
There is a walking track to the Smith’s Monument spot, but it is not for the faint-hearted. It is a faint trail marked by snow poles and arrows, and crosses exposed, rocky terrain.
You also have to climb over a few large rock formations and make your way down steep slopes.
I recently walked the Smith’s Monument track, and although it was difficult, it was well worth it. The day was clear and sunny; there were majestic views of Hobart, the River Derwent, and kunanyi / Mount Wellington’s western and southern faces; and the air was incredibly fresh and crisp.
The only downside for me was not being able to admire the original cast-iron monument to Dr Smith, which would’ve been a sight to behold in a spot that likely hasn’t changed much in centuries. But I do understand why they removed it: it is a historical artefact, and weather conditions on the mountain would have soon turned it into a pile of rusted iron fragments. Unfortunately, the plaque that now marks the location of Dr Smith’s death is nothing much to look at – but it will undoubtedly last a long time.
Please exercise caution if you decide to walk the Smith’s Monument track. As mentioned earlier, the trail crosses rocky, exposed terrain; and the weather on kunanyi / Mount Wellington can change quickly. Do not attempt it in snowy conditions or when visibility is low.
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Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018, and can sometimes be found bushwalking.
Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).
