About Us

Since 1927, the Sydney Bushies have provided not only a wide range of bush experiences, but also a great social network of like minded, outdoorsy types.

From full day walks and weekend pack walks, all the way through to extended 12 day (or more) trips, we provide opportunities for those with a love of the bush to develop skills in a friendly environment so that they can venture into the outdoors with confidence and enjoy.

Our volunteer trip leaders are experienced walkers who provide opportunities to maximise your enjoyment of the outdoors.

On our trips we emphasise a spirit of co-operation, whilst being self sufficient so we can cope with whatever conditions and challenges that may arise.

Because of our love for the bush, we have always been passionate about preserving the natural environment in furtherance of one of the original Objectives of the Club: “To establish a definite regard for the welfare and preservation of the wild life and natural beauty of this country”. In 1932, we were at the forefront of an effort to save the iconic Blue Gum Forest in the Blue Mountains at Blackheath. This approach was refreshed in 1947 when we purchased land opposite North Era Beach.

Our members then “forced the pace” by donating the land to the people of NSW and induced the Government of the day to extend the Blue Mountains and Royal National Parks. We continue this approach of conserving land to this day, in the form of our property, "Coolana" - a Wildlife Refuge - in the Kangaroo Valley.

For a detailed look at the history of our club, download the 1987 publication, "Sydney Bush Walkers - The First 60 Years (PDF 3.3 Mb).

From the Archives... Who Were The Tiger Walkers?

Image:  Tigers at Carlons Head, 25 April 1937.  Left to right - Jack Debert, Gordon Smith, Bill McCosker, Len Scotland, David Stead, Alex Colley, Hilma Galliot,  Dot English, Norbert Carlon, Max Gentle.  Photo:  Alex Colley.

Not all tigers have stripes and go on all fours. Some of them get a buzz from testing themselves against the wilderness. Such is the origin of the illustrious “Tiger Walkers”.

The Tigers originated in the Sydney Bush Walkers in the decades before the 2nd World War when bushwalking was in its infancy. They ventured into untracked wilderness with homemade gear, ate food that would turn our stomachs today, used maps that often had large white spaces with the daunting words “approximate” marked on them and often for days at a time. They covered distances still impressive by today’s standards with satisfaction coming from the journey itself.

Their motto was simply, “lets give it a go”.

The famous Dot Butler, alpine mountaineer who opened up new horizons for women was one.


The word ‘Tiger’ was an acronym made from some of the names of this original group. Being:

Their spirit lives on in SBW today with a new band of Tigers emerging.

If this is your scene, then come and join them on some of the annual events the club runs such as The Six Foot Track (in a day), Kanangra to Katoomba K2K (in a day) and the demanding 3 Peaks challenge.

If this isn’t quite your scene, then we also cater for those who get their kicks from a more leisurely approach and make them feel equally at home in the Sydney Bushies.