Vintage view of Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain

Taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 point & shoot on 28 April 2012.... more

by Tony Crehan

Title

Vintage view of Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain

Artist

Tony Crehan

Medium

Photograph

Description

Taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 point & shoot on 28 April 2012.
Colour and lighting adjustments and vintage texture painting in PSE 9.
Texture= Kim Klassen Paper1.

Waldheim Chalet was originally built between 1912 and the early 1920s. It was largely the vision and dedication of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer that led to both the construction of the chalet and the creation of the Cradle Mountain national park.

In 1910 Kate and Gustav each purchased 200 acres (81 ha) of land near Cradle Mountain. In 1912 Weindorfer began to build Waldheim using King Billy pine from the site and relying on the bush carpentry skills he had acquired from a short-term appointment of an experienced timber worker. As a horse and cart could approach no closer than 14 km, Weindorfer carried baths and stoves on his back. By 1919, after long campaigning by Gustav, the road had reached within one and a half kilometres of Waldheim.

The chalet was opened to visitors at Christmas 1912, who enjoyed the rustic simplicity of the draughty, incomplete building. The following summer, Waldheim had 25 guests.

Gustav campaigned tirelessly to see the Cradle Mountain area reserved.
On 16 May 1922, an area of 158,000 acres (63,943 ha) from Cradle Mountain down to Lake St Clair was proclaimed a Scenic Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary under the Scenery Preservation Act 1915.

It is now a World Heritage Listed Area.

Uploaded

February 24th, 2013