What do you think?
Rate this book
Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story
He was an Austrian immigrant; she came from Tasmania. He grew up beside the Carinthian Alps; she climbed mountains when few women dared. Their honeymoon glimpse of Cradle Mountain lit an urge that filled their waking hours. Others might have kept this splendour to themselves, but Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowle sensed the significance of a place they sought to share with the world. When they stood on the peak in the heat of January 1910, they imagined a national park for all.
‘Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story’ traces the achievements of these unconventional adventurers and their fight to preserve the wilderness where they pioneered eco-tourism. Neither lived to see their vision fully realised: the World Heritage listed landscape is now visited by 250,000 people each year. Award-winning journalist Kate Legge tells the remarkable story behind the creation of the Cradle Mountain sanctuary through the characters at its heart.
‘Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story’ traces the achievements of these unconventional adventurers and their fight to preserve the wilderness where they pioneered eco-tourism. Neither lived to see their vision fully realised: the World Heritage listed landscape is now visited by 250,000 people each year. Award-winning journalist Kate Legge tells the remarkable story behind the creation of the Cradle Mountain sanctuary through the characters at its heart.
277 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2019
16 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 9, 2019
2.5★
How disappointing. I was excited to receive a very handsome hardback of this book from the publisher. I’ve reviewed other biographies and non-fiction from Melbourne University Press in the past and always been very pleased with the quality.
Unfortunately, the beginning of this book has some errors that I’m aware of, and I’m surprised the author and publishers weren’t, so I don’t think I can comment much on the accuracy of the rest of the book. I think it’s more than a matter of disagreement. It's also ironic, considering MUP's recent decision to stick to scholarly works
It is beautifully presented with wonderful old photos, many more than a century old. It’s the history of the couple who put Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, on the map, so to speak.
My problem is with the introductory material about national parks in general, and Yosemite National Park in the US in particular. I grew up in the States and my brother was a Park Ranger for a while. This book refers (more than once) to Yosemite as the first American National Park.
No it wasn’t. Yellowstone was, in 1872, and it gets nary a mention (that I found) in this book, which surprises me. It is arguably the most famous national park in the world (I’m prejudiced – I have family living near it), and it seems a mighty odd oversight.
Yosemite was, indeed, the first place in the US to be set aside as parkland for public enjoyment (by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864), but it was under California state control, not a national park until 1890. John Muir features a few times in this book because he was so influential later in lobbying President Teddy Roosevelt for more lands around Yosemite to be better protected (1903), and because Australia was influenced by his success to preserve national areas.
I’m not explaining this terribly well, and I apologise, but I cannot believe that a book that begins about national parks would not even mention Yellowstone, let alone give the title of first to another.
So I simply skimmed the rest of it, not terribly certain how accurate anything is. I hope it’s fine, but I’ll leave that for others to decide. The writing is good - Legge is an experience journalist, so I wouldn't have expected anything less.
Thanks to Melbourne University Publishing for the preview copy, and I’m sorry I can’t give a more positive review. I’m sure it will be well received in spite of my remarks.
How disappointing. I was excited to receive a very handsome hardback of this book from the publisher. I’ve reviewed other biographies and non-fiction from Melbourne University Press in the past and always been very pleased with the quality.
Unfortunately, the beginning of this book has some errors that I’m aware of, and I’m surprised the author and publishers weren’t, so I don’t think I can comment much on the accuracy of the rest of the book. I think it’s more than a matter of disagreement. It's also ironic, considering MUP's recent decision to stick to scholarly works
It is beautifully presented with wonderful old photos, many more than a century old. It’s the history of the couple who put Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, on the map, so to speak.
My problem is with the introductory material about national parks in general, and Yosemite National Park in the US in particular. I grew up in the States and my brother was a Park Ranger for a while. This book refers (more than once) to Yosemite as the first American National Park.
No it wasn’t. Yellowstone was, in 1872, and it gets nary a mention (that I found) in this book, which surprises me. It is arguably the most famous national park in the world (I’m prejudiced – I have family living near it), and it seems a mighty odd oversight.
Yosemite was, indeed, the first place in the US to be set aside as parkland for public enjoyment (by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864), but it was under California state control, not a national park until 1890. John Muir features a few times in this book because he was so influential later in lobbying President Teddy Roosevelt for more lands around Yosemite to be better protected (1903), and because Australia was influenced by his success to preserve national areas.
I’m not explaining this terribly well, and I apologise, but I cannot believe that a book that begins about national parks would not even mention Yellowstone, let alone give the title of first to another.
So I simply skimmed the rest of it, not terribly certain how accurate anything is. I hope it’s fine, but I’ll leave that for others to decide. The writing is good - Legge is an experience journalist, so I wouldn't have expected anything less.
Thanks to Melbourne University Publishing for the preview copy, and I’m sorry I can’t give a more positive review. I’m sure it will be well received in spite of my remarks.
March 20, 2019
‘A Cradle Mountain Love Story.’
Part of my family comes from the area around Cradle Mountain. Many of my family and friends have walked in the area. It’s a beautiful part of Tasmania. In this book, Kate Legge writes about the couple whose love of Cradle Mountain led to the creation of the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park.
Gustav Weindorfer, a migrant from Austria, (1874-1932) and Kate Cowle, born in Tasmania, (1863-1916) met in Victoria and moved to Tasmania when they married in 1906. They spent their honeymoon on Mount Roland collecting and classifying plant species. It was during this trip that they first saw Cradle Mountain. In 1910 they each bought 200 acres of land near Cradle Mountain as the first step in their dream to establish a tourism venture, a national park for all.
‘This is not history. This is a story. Not his-story or hers but theirs. The story of their love and their legacy.’
Accompanied by beautiful black and white photographs, this book tells of the achievements of Gustav and Kate and their efforts to share Cradle Mountain with the world. Their tourism venture was the forerunner to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. While neither lived long enough to see their vision fully realised, both are remembered for their work in being part of the beginning of Tasmania’s tourist industry before World War I and in pioneering eco-tourism.
This is a remarkable story and it is beautifully written. The story is slightly marred for me by the inclusion of two incorrect details which, while they don’t impact on the main story, irritated me. The first is a reference to Yosemite as the first National Park in America in 1890 (p18). Yosemite was declared a ‘public trust’ of California by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to prevent it from exploitation. This was the first time land in the United States was set aside in this way. But I believe that the first National Park in America was Yellowstone National Park which was established in 1872. The second is a reference to Burnie as being on the west coast of Tasmania (p37). Burnie, where I was born many years ago, is on the north-west coast of Tasmania.
Note: My thanks to Melbourne University Pulishing (the Miegunyah Press) for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Part of my family comes from the area around Cradle Mountain. Many of my family and friends have walked in the area. It’s a beautiful part of Tasmania. In this book, Kate Legge writes about the couple whose love of Cradle Mountain led to the creation of the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park.
Gustav Weindorfer, a migrant from Austria, (1874-1932) and Kate Cowle, born in Tasmania, (1863-1916) met in Victoria and moved to Tasmania when they married in 1906. They spent their honeymoon on Mount Roland collecting and classifying plant species. It was during this trip that they first saw Cradle Mountain. In 1910 they each bought 200 acres of land near Cradle Mountain as the first step in their dream to establish a tourism venture, a national park for all.
‘This is not history. This is a story. Not his-story or hers but theirs. The story of their love and their legacy.’
Accompanied by beautiful black and white photographs, this book tells of the achievements of Gustav and Kate and their efforts to share Cradle Mountain with the world. Their tourism venture was the forerunner to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. While neither lived long enough to see their vision fully realised, both are remembered for their work in being part of the beginning of Tasmania’s tourist industry before World War I and in pioneering eco-tourism.
This is a remarkable story and it is beautifully written. The story is slightly marred for me by the inclusion of two incorrect details which, while they don’t impact on the main story, irritated me. The first is a reference to Yosemite as the first National Park in America in 1890 (p18). Yosemite was declared a ‘public trust’ of California by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to prevent it from exploitation. This was the first time land in the United States was set aside in this way. But I believe that the first National Park in America was Yellowstone National Park which was established in 1872. The second is a reference to Burnie as being on the west coast of Tasmania (p37). Burnie, where I was born many years ago, is on the north-west coast of Tasmania.
Note: My thanks to Melbourne University Pulishing (the Miegunyah Press) for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 30, 2021
Thank you to Melbourne University Press for a copy of Kindred, in exchange for my honest review.
Shortly after receiving my copy of Kindred, I had the pleasure of attending an author talk by Kate Legge. Kate spoke passionately about her book , and how excited she was to tell this amazing love story between two extraordinary people. She has obviously invested a lot of herself, both physically and emotionally, in this book. I really wanted to love this book.
MUP, through their imprint The Miegunyah Press, have created a beautifully presented book: hard cover with a sturdy dust jacket. The text is supported by wonderfully reproduced original black & white photos. It is obvious that a lot of love has gone into publishing this book.
However, I found the writing style very hard going, and I kept asking myself “Who is the intended audience for this book?” It is way too detailed for an average reader. Each chapter contains dozens of in-text references; some chapters contain over 70 notes! In total there are 20 pages of notes! In my opinion, this indicates an academic audience, and yet the subtitle reads: “A Cradle Mountain Love Story”. I actually asked Kate who her intended audience was, and she said she didn’t know. I feel this has created a book that doesn’t fit well anywhere: it’s confused. It is apparent that Legge has done enormous research, but has felt compelled to include every single detail that she discovered. This makes for a very laborious read. There are sentences that go on, and on, and on, for example:
“The shroud of clouds a curse, they trooped through the valley, pausing at the clear, pebbled stream that flows from Dove Lake beneath the Cradles into Dove River, scooping seedlings of King Billy pine, turning this way and that to admire the citizens of this native garden, catching the scent of pale pink boronia and the denser, sweeter smelling buds of its kin Boronia rhomboid: ‘At the river’s edge swayed merrily the white flowering pine leafed daisy - Olearia pinifolia - quick rushing streams almost hidden in the long grass run in all directions and little stagnant pools, bordered by thick sphagnum beds…In our eager search for specimens we did not notice that a thick fog had surrounded us and we had passed the saddle which connects the ridge we ascended…it was necessary to retrace our steps and we succeeded in getting a glimpse through the broken clouds of the little horn…enabling us to preserve a proper directions.’” Gasp - that is one sentence!
This is really disappointing, as the story is thrilling, and has so much scope to be an exciting read. Kate and Gustav are fascinating people, and should be widely known. I would love Kate Legge to have another go at writing this story, editing out all the technically correct geographical and botanical terms, and the blow by blow descriptions of every single step Kate and Gustuv and others took on their hikes in these beautiful places.
I’d love for her to distill the essence of this beautiful love story, and make it accessible to a wider audience. I feel it also has scope to be made into a wonderful picture book for young readers. This is an Australian story that needs to be heard by as many people as possible.
Shortly after receiving my copy of Kindred, I had the pleasure of attending an author talk by Kate Legge. Kate spoke passionately about her book , and how excited she was to tell this amazing love story between two extraordinary people. She has obviously invested a lot of herself, both physically and emotionally, in this book. I really wanted to love this book.
MUP, through their imprint The Miegunyah Press, have created a beautifully presented book: hard cover with a sturdy dust jacket. The text is supported by wonderfully reproduced original black & white photos. It is obvious that a lot of love has gone into publishing this book.
However, I found the writing style very hard going, and I kept asking myself “Who is the intended audience for this book?” It is way too detailed for an average reader. Each chapter contains dozens of in-text references; some chapters contain over 70 notes! In total there are 20 pages of notes! In my opinion, this indicates an academic audience, and yet the subtitle reads: “A Cradle Mountain Love Story”. I actually asked Kate who her intended audience was, and she said she didn’t know. I feel this has created a book that doesn’t fit well anywhere: it’s confused. It is apparent that Legge has done enormous research, but has felt compelled to include every single detail that she discovered. This makes for a very laborious read. There are sentences that go on, and on, and on, for example:
“The shroud of clouds a curse, they trooped through the valley, pausing at the clear, pebbled stream that flows from Dove Lake beneath the Cradles into Dove River, scooping seedlings of King Billy pine, turning this way and that to admire the citizens of this native garden, catching the scent of pale pink boronia and the denser, sweeter smelling buds of its kin Boronia rhomboid: ‘At the river’s edge swayed merrily the white flowering pine leafed daisy - Olearia pinifolia - quick rushing streams almost hidden in the long grass run in all directions and little stagnant pools, bordered by thick sphagnum beds…In our eager search for specimens we did not notice that a thick fog had surrounded us and we had passed the saddle which connects the ridge we ascended…it was necessary to retrace our steps and we succeeded in getting a glimpse through the broken clouds of the little horn…enabling us to preserve a proper directions.’” Gasp - that is one sentence!
This is really disappointing, as the story is thrilling, and has so much scope to be an exciting read. Kate and Gustav are fascinating people, and should be widely known. I would love Kate Legge to have another go at writing this story, editing out all the technically correct geographical and botanical terms, and the blow by blow descriptions of every single step Kate and Gustuv and others took on their hikes in these beautiful places.
I’d love for her to distill the essence of this beautiful love story, and make it accessible to a wider audience. I feel it also has scope to be made into a wonderful picture book for young readers. This is an Australian story that needs to be heard by as many people as possible.
April 1, 2019
‘Magnificent. Legge brings to light a hidden tale of Australia’s wilderness and unearths a love story of daring unconventionality in the process. This is a book about two remarkable people who yearned to escape the rat-race over a century ago, and founded a national park in the process.’—Nikki Gemmell
‘Here is a stirring homage to a couple of unsung heroes of an all too rare but persistent breed in Australia’s European history—the outliers for whom the Australian bush incited not violence, indifference or contempt, but wonder, reverence, a near-religious devotion. Believing that the bush enlarged the human mind and spirit, they gave their lives to preserving what they could of it in the hope that the country might also be blessed. People who love the bush—and Cradle Mountain in particular—will read this book: everyone else should read it. It’s a gem.’—Don Watson
‘Enthralling, deeply touching and superbly researched. This story of the love and legacy of Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowle is reminiscent of the great Hazel Rowley’s impeccable memoirs. Kate Legge renders the staggeringly magnicent landscape as alive as the people who brought it to the world.’—Quentin Bryce
‘Here is a stirring homage to a couple of unsung heroes of an all too rare but persistent breed in Australia’s European history—the outliers for whom the Australian bush incited not violence, indifference or contempt, but wonder, reverence, a near-religious devotion. Believing that the bush enlarged the human mind and spirit, they gave their lives to preserving what they could of it in the hope that the country might also be blessed. People who love the bush—and Cradle Mountain in particular—will read this book: everyone else should read it. It’s a gem.’—Don Watson
‘Enthralling, deeply touching and superbly researched. This story of the love and legacy of Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowle is reminiscent of the great Hazel Rowley’s impeccable memoirs. Kate Legge renders the staggeringly magnicent landscape as alive as the people who brought it to the world.’—Quentin Bryce
November 20, 2023
Incredibly well researched and beautifully written story about the passion and dedication of Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowle in setting up Cradle Mountain as a national park.
December 5, 2023
Given that Margaret Giordano's A Man and a Mountain: The Story of Gustav Weindorfer (1997) and Sally Schnackenberg's Kate Weindorfer: The Woman behind the Man and the Mountain (1998) are both in print and readily available, some might wonder if another biographical account of the Weindorfers, Waldheim and the origins of tourism to Cradle Mountain was necessary. Perhaps it wasn't necessary, but this more literary telling of the story is worth reading nonetheless. It has plenty of context and historical detail, in fact I think in some ways it does a better job of giving an idea of the world of botanical societies and natural history clubs that Kate and Gustav both enjoyed than the two earlier biographies. But anyone who knows the country being invoked in this book will appreciate its more lyrical and descriptive style. The backdrops of the rolling farmland country around Kindred and Sheffield, the coastal towns of Ulverstone and Burnie and the high country of Mount Roland, Middlesex and Cradle Valley are vividly invoked to great effect. The descriptions will also bring back memories of anyone who has hiked in the Cradle Mountain region, especially the references to rain, wet boots and freezing temperatures. And the sounds and smells of the unique highland country that enchanted the books' characters are also nicely sketched. The result is an eloquent and humanistic account of the early history of one of Australia's most beloved wild places and the people who opened it to the world.
Given this, I must say I find some of the other reviews here distinctly strange. The highest ranked one by likes doesn't review the book at all and the reviewer didn't bother to actually read it because she was annoyed at a minor error in the introduction. Despite this, someone commented saying "great review!" How a "review" by someone who didn't read the book and didn't review it can be "great" is a mystery. Another reviewer complained that the book was "way too detailed for the average reader" and seemed to think that it was going to be a traditional romance story because of the words "love story" in the title. They seemed to think a book on two enthusiastic naturalists and botanists should have edited out "all the technically correct geographical and botanical terms" to dumb the text down. They were also mystified as to the "intended audience of this book". I'd guess it is people who love Cradle Mountain and all those "technically correct geographical and botanical terms". There are quite a few of us. These reviewers appear to have been sent copies by the publisher. I think the publisher chose the wrong reviewers.
Given this, I must say I find some of the other reviews here distinctly strange. The highest ranked one by likes doesn't review the book at all and the reviewer didn't bother to actually read it because she was annoyed at a minor error in the introduction. Despite this, someone commented saying "great review!" How a "review" by someone who didn't read the book and didn't review it can be "great" is a mystery. Another reviewer complained that the book was "way too detailed for the average reader" and seemed to think that it was going to be a traditional romance story because of the words "love story" in the title. They seemed to think a book on two enthusiastic naturalists and botanists should have edited out "all the technically correct geographical and botanical terms" to dumb the text down. They were also mystified as to the "intended audience of this book". I'd guess it is people who love Cradle Mountain and all those "technically correct geographical and botanical terms". There are quite a few of us. These reviewers appear to have been sent copies by the publisher. I think the publisher chose the wrong reviewers.
May 17, 2020
I first learnt of this book via this podcast: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs....
I found the book a little dry, more focused on the botany and every.last.historical.detail, than the unconventionality of the central characters and their relationship. This focus lost a little of the authors excitement, as evident in the podcast.
It was interesting to learn more about Gustav and Kate and the establishment of the Lake St Clair- Cradle Mountain National Park, but a bit slow and dry for this fiction reader.
I found the book a little dry, more focused on the botany and every.last.historical.detail, than the unconventionality of the central characters and their relationship. This focus lost a little of the authors excitement, as evident in the podcast.
It was interesting to learn more about Gustav and Kate and the establishment of the Lake St Clair- Cradle Mountain National Park, but a bit slow and dry for this fiction reader.
November 28, 2019
We did a quick tour of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake early this year and I was fascinated by the snippets of Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowie's story that the guide passed on, so I was excited to read this more detailed history. It's a great story - two amateur botanists fall in love with each other and with Cradle Mountain and work to protect it (and to profit off it via a tourism business). These were hardy people - hand=building a beautiful lodge in freezing, wet Alpine Tassie and surviving happily miles from other people. At times the book feels a little hagiographic - it's clear that the couple's motives were at least partly about profit - but they're wonderful characters and Legge has done a great job of drawing out their story (and the stories of a fabulous supporting cast of hikers, naturalists and farmers who they spent time with). Worth a read if you've spent time around Cradle Mountain, a truly spectacular part of the world.
March 7, 2024
A moving historical account of the couple who laid the foundations for tourism in the Cradle Mountain area including the establishment of a national park. The book is littered with fascinating details for geography, botany and Australian history fans.
I felt, despite an attempt through a topical chapter midway through, there was a natural 21st century reader's yearning to know more of indigenous history of this area, but that is, understandably not the focus of the book which is very much spotlighted on the lives of Kate and Gustav.
The ingenuity, dedication and passion of the two of them shone through.
It didn't quite hit the mark for me as I think I would have preferred a more sweeping history of Cradle Mountain, or a fully fictional story of their lives, but I still got a lot out of the book.
I felt, despite an attempt through a topical chapter midway through, there was a natural 21st century reader's yearning to know more of indigenous history of this area, but that is, understandably not the focus of the book which is very much spotlighted on the lives of Kate and Gustav.
The ingenuity, dedication and passion of the two of them shone through.
It didn't quite hit the mark for me as I think I would have preferred a more sweeping history of Cradle Mountain, or a fully fictional story of their lives, but I still got a lot out of the book.
August 29, 2019
Cradle Mountain is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most breathtaking natural parks. The World Heritage listed landscape attracts over 280,000 adventurers to its peaks every year.
‘Kindred- A Cradle Mountain Love Story’ by Kate Legge is a luminous account of two remarkable people who created a legacy of environmental preservation, that continues to resound today.
This is the unlikely love story of Botanists, Kate Cowle and Gustav Weindorfer, that despite social expectations fell in love not only with one another but the nature encompassing them.
Both wild at heart, they understood the human spirit’s need to explore, to embrace the wilderness and to escape the rat-race- over a century ago.
This book is scintillating to the senses, the use of reproduced photographs generously spotted throughout the pages adds remarkable life to the reader.
A magnificent read, that will find a prideful home on your coffee table for all to enjoy!
‘Kindred- A Cradle Mountain Love Story’ by Kate Legge is a luminous account of two remarkable people who created a legacy of environmental preservation, that continues to resound today.
This is the unlikely love story of Botanists, Kate Cowle and Gustav Weindorfer, that despite social expectations fell in love not only with one another but the nature encompassing them.
Both wild at heart, they understood the human spirit’s need to explore, to embrace the wilderness and to escape the rat-race- over a century ago.
This book is scintillating to the senses, the use of reproduced photographs generously spotted throughout the pages adds remarkable life to the reader.
A magnificent read, that will find a prideful home on your coffee table for all to enjoy!
January 7, 2025
As a botanist I deeply enjoyed the tales of their botanical adventures and facts about ecology that have been woven together by the author. Particularly chapter 9. However I found the book hard to follow. It has lots of fluff that made me want to skip parts.
January 29, 2020
I'm always intrigued by the decision writers must make when they choose to tell history. Too much factual information and it reads like a tax return, too much narrative intervention and it looses credibility. And then there's the decision about which history - which facts and what version? Another dead-white-male tale of political domination or something more social and intimate and perhaps less academically respectable?
In this account, I think Legge treads the right path for her subject. This is a tale of both the political history of a very significant part of the Australian landscape (literarily and figuratively) and the intimate relationships that gave the project vitality. Kindred is filled with the facts and figures that show just how important the history of Cradle Mountain National Park is to the history of Australia but it is also threaded with the relationship and character of the two imposing figures who were so integral to making the project come to fruition.
The scientific and political history is important, but human endeavour becomes truly meaningful when we can see the passion behind the achievements. Legge's history brings the wonder and beauty of Cradle Mountain to life through her telling of the tale of two people who knew and loved it intimately.
In this account, I think Legge treads the right path for her subject. This is a tale of both the political history of a very significant part of the Australian landscape (literarily and figuratively) and the intimate relationships that gave the project vitality. Kindred is filled with the facts and figures that show just how important the history of Cradle Mountain National Park is to the history of Australia but it is also threaded with the relationship and character of the two imposing figures who were so integral to making the project come to fruition.
The scientific and political history is important, but human endeavour becomes truly meaningful when we can see the passion behind the achievements. Legge's history brings the wonder and beauty of Cradle Mountain to life through her telling of the tale of two people who knew and loved it intimately.
July 9, 2020
Despite some minor negative criticisms, Legge has researched well and widely and this book about early European life in Tasmania and the promotion of this important beautiful region is well worth reading.
This novel was chosen by my book discussion group and all of our members shared similar sentiments for a change. We had consensus regarding the style which detracted from the storytelling by fictionalising the real people in an attempt to fabricate a story and yet included quotes from historical sources.
I did appreciate the back story which included Legge’s own introduction to Cradle Mountain and her growing interest in the history of its development as a National Park which led to her learning about Gustav and Kate. She describes meticulously the people who went to this undeveloped region and how they were intrigued by the foreign (to them) fauna and flora, and describes their sheer determination to get to this remote and (sometimes) life-threatening location. The first and last “chapters” titled Beginnings and Coda are well written and lyrical. Legge combines her personal life with the brief glimpses into the lives of her subjects and this makes the whole story much more relevant and fascinating.
As an ecologist I appreciated her inclusion of the development of this science e.g. p33 the realisation that denuding river course of vegetation will have an adverse effect of the river courses. Also her comments about the (ghastly) attitudes of these people she mentions as being typical of the times they lived in e.g. p29 Emblazoning the unknown was how great men made their name” And on p71 in Welcome to Country “the forced removal of Tasmanian blacks wiped these first people from the consciousness of later generations, enabling a great forgetfulness”, thus the people exploring the flora in the mountains did not acknowledge indigenous people but dismissed them as a “remnant from by gone days”.
Nevertheless, I was frustrated by her inconsistent voice and/or style. In Awakenings the (second chapter) she suddenly becomes extremely detailed and almost ponderous with so much information packed into very long sentences. She uses lots of metaphors and some mysterious phrases that may be colloquialisms but nevertheless are jarring…p27 middle paragraph and p29 “big-picture men unafraid of horned beasts”. She includes many direct quotations and then follows this with her fictional account of what Kate or Gustav might have felt whereas when she paraphrases a researched observation her story flows very well. She also includes miscellaneous people such as Ray Tilley who she introduces in a line on p 139, mentions his name in passing on p164 and paraphrases a comment by him as an aged person on p212. His inclusion may be admirable but I found his presence confusing and unnecessary.
This novel was chosen by my book discussion group and all of our members shared similar sentiments for a change. We had consensus regarding the style which detracted from the storytelling by fictionalising the real people in an attempt to fabricate a story and yet included quotes from historical sources.
I did appreciate the back story which included Legge’s own introduction to Cradle Mountain and her growing interest in the history of its development as a National Park which led to her learning about Gustav and Kate. She describes meticulously the people who went to this undeveloped region and how they were intrigued by the foreign (to them) fauna and flora, and describes their sheer determination to get to this remote and (sometimes) life-threatening location. The first and last “chapters” titled Beginnings and Coda are well written and lyrical. Legge combines her personal life with the brief glimpses into the lives of her subjects and this makes the whole story much more relevant and fascinating.
As an ecologist I appreciated her inclusion of the development of this science e.g. p33 the realisation that denuding river course of vegetation will have an adverse effect of the river courses. Also her comments about the (ghastly) attitudes of these people she mentions as being typical of the times they lived in e.g. p29 Emblazoning the unknown was how great men made their name” And on p71 in Welcome to Country “the forced removal of Tasmanian blacks wiped these first people from the consciousness of later generations, enabling a great forgetfulness”, thus the people exploring the flora in the mountains did not acknowledge indigenous people but dismissed them as a “remnant from by gone days”.
Nevertheless, I was frustrated by her inconsistent voice and/or style. In Awakenings the (second chapter) she suddenly becomes extremely detailed and almost ponderous with so much information packed into very long sentences. She uses lots of metaphors and some mysterious phrases that may be colloquialisms but nevertheless are jarring…p27 middle paragraph and p29 “big-picture men unafraid of horned beasts”. She includes many direct quotations and then follows this with her fictional account of what Kate or Gustav might have felt whereas when she paraphrases a researched observation her story flows very well. She also includes miscellaneous people such as Ray Tilley who she introduces in a line on p 139, mentions his name in passing on p164 and paraphrases a comment by him as an aged person on p212. His inclusion may be admirable but I found his presence confusing and unnecessary.
April 29, 2023
A biography of Kate Cowle and Gustav Weindorfer, a couple who fell in love with Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, and were pivotal in its preservation at the start of the twentieth century.
Gustav, an Austrian immigrant, mountain enthusiast and amateur botanist meets Kate at a meeting of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria where she is presenting a paper. Bonding over a love of tough mountainous hikes and Australian fauna they marry and move to Tasmania to run a small farm. But secretly, they both foster a secret dream –to preserve the natural beauty of Cradle Mountain and and share its wonders with as many people as possible.
This emotive and readable biography follows the lives of the couple as they build Waldheim, a wood chalet in the entrance to Cradle Mountain, and the trials of attempting to create a national park. They are fascinating characters, both ahead of their time and sharply constrained by it. Kate cuts a formidable figure, climbing through thick bushland and up sharp inclines in long skirts and corsetry, but is also left alone to run the farm for long stretches with farmhands who refuse to listen to a woman’s instruction. Gustav struggles with isolation, both because of the physical location when trying to build the chalet through long winters, and his shunning during WWI. He is a jumble of contradictions and occasional hypocrisy – he warns of overhunting native animals while eating and skinning wombats, he dedicates his life to protecting the forest but at one low point flirts with the idea of letting loggers buy the land.
It is also a story of the emergence of eco-tourism in Tasmania – now so pivotal a part of the island’s economy it is hard to imagine a time where it not only wasn’t a priority but was a relatively new concept. It raises important questions we are still trying to answer – how best to share the natural wonders of our world while still protecting them?
The legacy of indigenous Tasmanians is touched on briefly, and should have been expanded upon more, especially in the context of white immigrants attempting to identify, label, sell, and then ‘protect’ lands that were never ceded.
Gustav, an Austrian immigrant, mountain enthusiast and amateur botanist meets Kate at a meeting of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria where she is presenting a paper. Bonding over a love of tough mountainous hikes and Australian fauna they marry and move to Tasmania to run a small farm. But secretly, they both foster a secret dream –to preserve the natural beauty of Cradle Mountain and and share its wonders with as many people as possible.
This emotive and readable biography follows the lives of the couple as they build Waldheim, a wood chalet in the entrance to Cradle Mountain, and the trials of attempting to create a national park. They are fascinating characters, both ahead of their time and sharply constrained by it. Kate cuts a formidable figure, climbing through thick bushland and up sharp inclines in long skirts and corsetry, but is also left alone to run the farm for long stretches with farmhands who refuse to listen to a woman’s instruction. Gustav struggles with isolation, both because of the physical location when trying to build the chalet through long winters, and his shunning during WWI. He is a jumble of contradictions and occasional hypocrisy – he warns of overhunting native animals while eating and skinning wombats, he dedicates his life to protecting the forest but at one low point flirts with the idea of letting loggers buy the land.
It is also a story of the emergence of eco-tourism in Tasmania – now so pivotal a part of the island’s economy it is hard to imagine a time where it not only wasn’t a priority but was a relatively new concept. It raises important questions we are still trying to answer – how best to share the natural wonders of our world while still protecting them?
The legacy of indigenous Tasmanians is touched on briefly, and should have been expanded upon more, especially in the context of white immigrants attempting to identify, label, sell, and then ‘protect’ lands that were never ceded.
May 10, 2019
I read Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story, 2019, by the amazing Kate Legge, 216 pages. I met the author, who signed the book during the week of its release, at Cracked and Spineless in Hobart.
Gustav Weindorfer from Austria and Kate Crowle from West Tasmania established a lodge at the base of Cradle Mountain before the start of WWI. They were both science and nature enthusiasts. The lodge attracted regular visitors, scientists, and politicians. The ’road’ to the lodge was still just a muddy track when Gustav died, aged in his fifties, in 1932. Kate had sadly died about 10 years earlier.
It seems that Gustav never made any money from the lodge. He had an amazing capacity for getting things done and for entertaining and providing for his guests. He was very concerned about the environment being destroyed and was central in the establishment of the now world famous Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park. He was also concerned about native animals being wiped out.
There was a paradox because he seems to have cut down some ancient trees and killed many animals for food and skins. He did also salvage and use trees that had fallen on their own. There are references to an animal that he calls a tiger cat, but I think this may be a quoll, and unfortunately no specific references to thylacines.
I am walking the Overland Track again, this time from south to north, from 10-17 June. I will be so much more appreciative of the Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain part of the track after reading this book. I am hoping for clear days so that I can climb both.
This book is heavily referenced and researched. It is an important story and the photographs included are wonderful.
Gustav Weindorfer from Austria and Kate Crowle from West Tasmania established a lodge at the base of Cradle Mountain before the start of WWI. They were both science and nature enthusiasts. The lodge attracted regular visitors, scientists, and politicians. The ’road’ to the lodge was still just a muddy track when Gustav died, aged in his fifties, in 1932. Kate had sadly died about 10 years earlier.
It seems that Gustav never made any money from the lodge. He had an amazing capacity for getting things done and for entertaining and providing for his guests. He was very concerned about the environment being destroyed and was central in the establishment of the now world famous Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park. He was also concerned about native animals being wiped out.
There was a paradox because he seems to have cut down some ancient trees and killed many animals for food and skins. He did also salvage and use trees that had fallen on their own. There are references to an animal that he calls a tiger cat, but I think this may be a quoll, and unfortunately no specific references to thylacines.
I am walking the Overland Track again, this time from south to north, from 10-17 June. I will be so much more appreciative of the Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain part of the track after reading this book. I am hoping for clear days so that I can climb both.
This book is heavily referenced and researched. It is an important story and the photographs included are wonderful.
February 8, 2020
Part niche Australian history, part mini-biography for Gustav Weindorfer and (less so) Kate Cowle, this book is a thoroughly researched and beautifully presented book. A lover of detail myself, i appreciated the copious footnotes although would not have been upset if some of the minutia was edited out. Despite that it is a fairly quick read at about 200 pages, with around a fifth of those filled with incredible historic photos from a century ago.
Regarding the content, I am a sucker for Australian history and loved the peppered references to politicians like Alfred Deakin and Billy Hughes, and artistic giants like John and Sunday Reed. The photos paced the book well, breaking up what would have been an overly dense book and far from a mere descriptive history, emotions span between joy, anxiety, heartbreak and hope - giving it's subtitle of a 'love story' apt substance.
A worthy addition to any Australian bookshelf, this will inspire any lover of the outdoors to get (back) down to Cradle mountain and spot the recognisable stories behind the names of the peaks and lakes in the area, appreciating the reserve even more for its history.
Regarding the content, I am a sucker for Australian history and loved the peppered references to politicians like Alfred Deakin and Billy Hughes, and artistic giants like John and Sunday Reed. The photos paced the book well, breaking up what would have been an overly dense book and far from a mere descriptive history, emotions span between joy, anxiety, heartbreak and hope - giving it's subtitle of a 'love story' apt substance.
A worthy addition to any Australian bookshelf, this will inspire any lover of the outdoors to get (back) down to Cradle mountain and spot the recognisable stories behind the names of the peaks and lakes in the area, appreciating the reserve even more for its history.
April 19, 2020
What a beautiful homage to a couple who loved and valued the natural world- it’s intricacies and it’s grandeur- and shared their delight in it with others, inviting them to come and experience Tasmania’s unique Cradle Mountain.
In his review, Don Watson says , “Believing that the bush enlarged the human mind and spirit, they gave their lives to preserving what they could of it, in the hope that the country might also be blessed”.
Gustav Weindorfer’s legacy enjoys international reknown; Cradle Mountain has become iconic. The dream that he and his beloved Kate shared became a reality they never lived to see. We are the beneficiaries of their vision.
In his review, Don Watson says , “Believing that the bush enlarged the human mind and spirit, they gave their lives to preserving what they could of it, in the hope that the country might also be blessed”.
Gustav Weindorfer’s legacy enjoys international reknown; Cradle Mountain has become iconic. The dream that he and his beloved Kate shared became a reality they never lived to see. We are the beneficiaries of their vision.
September 8, 2020
A beautifully told story of two people from opposite sides of the world who share a love for nature, especially the mountains of Tasmania. A pioneering love story set in Kindred, Tasmania where the protagonists create a legacy that we all still benefit from today.
One small issue - with the characters, not the storytelling - is the lack of acknowledgement of the local Indigenous people of Cradle Mountain and surrounds.
Anyone with a love of mountains, nature and conservation will enjoy this book. Eco-tourism in practice, well before it was ever known as such.
One small issue - with the characters, not the storytelling - is the lack of acknowledgement of the local Indigenous people of Cradle Mountain and surrounds.
Anyone with a love of mountains, nature and conservation will enjoy this book. Eco-tourism in practice, well before it was ever known as such.
October 31, 2022
A really nice account of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer and the beautiful Cradle Mountain area of Tasmania that was their love. A lot of interesting context of the times described and prevailing attitudes towards wild places. I have visited this area many times and undertaken a lot of walking there and it was great to see the story behind some of the place names. Not only factually interesting but also an incredibly beautiful and poignant story. Highly recommended particularly if you have an interest in Tasmanian history.
June 1, 2019
Gaby’s fellow 2-star review hits everything that’s left me frustrated with this. The title definitely doesn’t match the writing, but even one chapter doesn’t match the chapter following. The notations are ridiculously long and something akin to a textbook. Some chapters are just as dry. Others verge toward more whimsy and storytelling and those are the only ones I found much enjoyment in reading. Ah, for a consistent voice.
March 30, 2019
Amazing story of two environmental pioneers of Tasmania. Kate Legge tells the Weindorfers story with heart, enthuasiasm and a kindness they both deserve.
Also incredibly honoured to have worked on locating and supplying the images for this book. Totally chuffed to be thanked in the acknowledgements!
Also incredibly honoured to have worked on locating and supplying the images for this book. Totally chuffed to be thanked in the acknowledgements!
May 1, 2019
Very interesting story but let down by the writing
Needs some more editing (and a decent map)
It did however motivate me to find other material such as
Sally Schnackenberg’s “Kate Weindorfer”
which is excellent
Needs some more editing (and a decent map)
It did however motivate me to find other material such as
Sally Schnackenberg’s “Kate Weindorfer”
which is excellent
September 19, 2023
The life and times of Gustav Weindorfer and Kate Cowle, botanists and adventurers who were part of the history of Cradle Mountain and its changes from pristine wilderness to major tourist attraction.
June 27, 2019
Not a review. Just an observation. This one of best biographies/histories I have read.
July 25, 2019
Over descriptive, read opening chapter decided to stop there.
March 5, 2020
Fascinating. A delight to read. Well paced and frank in judgement. The author’s own personality is a welcome bonus element. A great advertisement for our wilderness.
May 10, 2022
Stunning’
September 21, 2023
Kate Legge pays homage to two amazing people in an amazing place. I could not put it down.
January 8, 2024
This is a deeply researched and deeply felt biography of the couple who introduced Cradle Mountain to the rest of Australia. Legge brings a novelist’s detail to this piece of nonfiction, which is sometimes a little overwhelming, but I’m grateful for her research and her passion for Gustav and Kate Weindorfer and Cradle Mountain.
August 31, 2020
Definitely overly detailed, and I confess to skim reading whole sections. However I did get something out of this, and some of the language about botany was very beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews