The death occurred recently of Jack Hayward Watson, an early member of the Rover Rambers’the bushwalking club formed by Paddy Pallin for former Scouts. Jack joined the club in 1934 at the age of 18, and was very active until he joined the forces in1941.
In 1936 Jack was a member of the first search party made up of bushwalkers, when a group of youths were overdue on the Grose River. The event brought about the formation of the Federation’s Search and Rescue section, the first volunteer search and rescue service. Jack was active in that section, and also in Federation’s Conservation Bureau’, as the conservation subcommittee was then known.
During the war years Jack contributed articles to The Bushwalker. (Jack’s brother Bill Watson, another enthusiastic walker, was president of Federation during the war.)
In an interview for the Blue Gum Forest Oral History Project, Jack recalled his fond memories of trips in the Grose and elsewhere. He was able show me a delightful series of journals and photos from his early walks: like many of his colleagues he was a meticulous note-taker and record-keeper.
Jack pursued a distinguished life in many other ways. A lawyer and barrister, he was the NSW Registrar General for 19 years from1958. He worked tirelessly in several volunteer organisations including the Scout movement and St John Ambulance. More details were published in an obituary in the Sydn