Post-script to the Freda Du Faur article (see link below):

I was pleased to receive an email today from a bloke called Ashley Gualter. Ashley commenced a fund and recruited assistance from the Kathmandu Outdoor Company, Air New Zealand and Ed Hillary (no less!). As a result, Freda's grave will finally be marked with a headstone made from a stone from the Mt Cook area and flown free of charge to Sydney by Air New Zealand.

The unveiling is scheduled for 3rd December. If any Aussie climbers wish to attend, please email me and I will either pass messages or put you directly in touch with Ashley.

I should add that I was not involved in, and can take no credit in relation to Ashley's effort , and his own research and actions were in no way a result of or connected with the article in the link.


http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=188031

Bump,

Aussie climbers, and climbers who happen to be here on 3rd December, Ashley Gualter emailed me today and advised that Freda's headstone arrived in Sydney today from NZ. The dedication is still scheduled for Sunday 3rd December at Manly Cemetery, Sydney. Anyone who wants full details, just PM me.

Incidentally I have just applied for the forms to posthumously nominate Freda for the Order of Australia.

that´s good news!

She was the first lady to climb Mount Cook in 1910 (born in Australia)

Update:

Immediate response from my MP's office was that the Order of Australia can only be awarded to living people. (Quite true, as I realised once I read the rules). I then wrote to the Prime Minister pointing out that this left a gap resulting in no possibility of suitably recognising those who, like Freda, have been overlooked by history. The PM's office responded by restating the Status Quo, which missed the point of my letter altogether. So it was back to my MP (Mal Brough) who has agreed to take the issue up with the PM.

Anyone who wants to go in to bat for Freda, send an email to John Howard using this link:


http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm

Another update:

On Sunday 3rd December, the 96th anniversary of Freda's ascent of Aoraki/MtCook, I attended a small gathering of around 50 people attended the unveiling of a memorial stone at the site of Freda's grave in Manly cemetery, Sydney.

The Mayor of Manly, Peter McDonald attended and spoke. TV One (NZ) covered the story as did the Timaru Herald (NZ). The Timaru Herald would have reported Freda's triumph 96 years ago.

Also attending were Freda's biographer, Sally Irwin, along with Ashley Gaulter and Stu Piddington of the Timaru Herald who were instrumental in getting the project together and a documentary team from Melbourne.

Several people have PM'd me regarding the article (link above) and wanted to know what happened to Freda after her short but spectacular climbing career. Sally Irwin provided the answers to these questions and I have now obtained a copy of the biography she wrote. I will probably re-write the ending of the article shortly, after I have read Sally's book more thoroughly than the skimming I have given it so far.

Here's the article written for the Timaru Herald in New Zealand.

http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/0,2106,3893811a6571,00.html