John passed away last week . Originally from Victoria, he was one of the “young “uns” of the 1960-70s, who climbed many new hard routes on the Organ Pipes and other Tasmanian cliffs as well as at Mt.  Arapiles and across Victoria.

Climbing with Reg Williams, Phillip Stranger, Chris Baxter, Chris Dewhirst, John Ewbank, Bob Bull  and many others, his legacy includes such classics on the Pipes as Ophthalmia, Nefertiti, Faust, Bismarck and the lovely Digitalis. Further afield he pioneered wilderness classics such as The Geryon Skyline Traverse (South to North), the massive Prometheus on Geryon East Face, and other stunning lines on the Guardians and the Acropolis. Next time you climb the immaculate Skink on the RH Watchtower Face at Araps, think of John, out there in 1966. 

Later in life he turned his considerable talents to documentary film making, with a passion for social and historical justice, particularly in regard to indigenous issues.

Our sincere condolences to his family, and to all his many friends.  

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