History

The first record of any scouting activity at Blackmans Bay was when a Robin Charles Petrie applied to be Scoutmaster on 4th October 1962. The establishment of a Scout Troop was quickly followed by the formation of a Wolf Cub Pack. When some of the older scouts turned 15, a Senior Scout Patrol was established and this met with the Scouts but undertook more challenging activities.

Both Scouts and Wolf Cubs met in the old weatherboard clubrooms on Wells Parade used by the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes and the local Boxing Club. This was “home” to scouts at Blackmans Bay for many years until the Parents Committee decided that it was time the group had its own hall.

A parcel of land on Tinderbox Road was leased from the Kingborough Council and the first thing to be set up on the site was the Bottle Depot. This was one of many fundraising activities undertaken to raise the much needed funds to start building. The site was excavated in 1986 and building started in 1987. The official opening took place on 2nd July 1989 presided over by His Excellency the Governor and Chief Scout of Tasmania, General Sir Phillip Bennett.

The Scout Group expanded rapidly and at one time had a Joey Mob, two Cub Packs, a Scout Troop and Venture Unit.

In 1999 the Huntingfield Scout Group and Blackmans Bay Scout Groups combined. This put some strain on the existing building so an extension was added in 2001 to provide ground floor storage with an upstairs Venturer Den which doubled as a large meeting room.

With the gradual acquisition of more boats and trailers, a large boatshed was built in 2010 and this has proved to be a valuable asset.

2019 saw the opening of a campfire circle on the grounds of the old bottle depot. This was named in honour of long serving Group Leader Brian Williams.

In 2020, after a successful grant application, a second boat shed was built. This was mainly to hold a safety boat that the group houses for use by them and by other scout groups in the district.

The Group still boasts a Joey Mob, Cub Pack, Scout Troop and Venturer Unit and a good number of dedicated leaders and enthusiastic parents (but we could always use more).

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