Walk to the West 6 March 2026
About
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites members to join this excursion following the route taken by a Tasmanian Government expedition led by the Deputy Surveyor General Charles Sprent in 1887 and documented by James Backhouse Walker.Date and time: 6 March (10 am to 4 pm) – followed by the opening of the Hidden Treasures Exhibition in Queenstown.
More information: A full day road trip from Ouse to Queenstown in the footsteps of artist William Piguenit who was one of the eight-person party who followed the Linda Track in 1887 to Queenstown. You will learn about some pioneers and convicts of the time from RST member John Carswell, experienced bushman, geologist and history lover. Stops will be made at sites where Piguenit sketched the rugged west coast landscapes for some of his iconic paintings.
William Pigeunit's work will feature prominently in the RST Queenstown Hidden Treasures exhibition that opens 6 March. The Linda Track in part follows the track established by James Calder for the 1842 Sir John Franklin expedition to Western Tasmania and the probable escape route of the cannibal convict Alexander Pearce in 1822. The track starts at Lake St Clair, a popular location for landscape artists in the 19th Century including Piguenit, and finishes at the King River. Participants can then attend the Hidden Treasures opening in Queenstown, stay the night, and activities are planned for the Saturday morning in Queenstown.
The excursion will follow the Victoria Valley Road and Lyell Highway from Ouse and will include:
• Visit to and lunch at Lake St Clair (lunch at own expense)
• Description of Pearce's escape, the Franklin expedition, Strzelecki's trip to Macquarie Harbour in 1842 and Gould's expeditions in 1860/62
• Inspection of remnants of the Linda Track
The day will include two very short walks (a few hundred metres) and a number of toilet stops. The excursion will be by car and for safety reasons will be limited to 20 participants with carpooling. Participants could carpool (e.g. from Hobart), otherwise carpooling will be arranged with participants when the participant list is known, probably from Lake St Clair. Please book your ticket by clicking on the BOOK NOW link. The ticket price of $25 per participant goes directly to the RST Art Fund.
Please contact John Carswell (0457 337 746) or Ross Large (0418 352 501) if you have any queries.
RST ABN 65 889 598 100
Date
Friday 6 March 2026 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (UTC+11)Location
Excursion leaves from Ouse, Tasmania
Ouse, TAS 7140
Contact Form
Walk to the West 6 March 2026
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