Our History

Scouts in Cessnock

The 1st Cessnock Scout Troop was registered on the 12th May 1915. It comprised 22 boys plus the Scout Master, Reginald A. Newton. Meetings were held in the Scout Club Room in Vincent Street, Cessnock, on Tuesday and Thursday nights starting at 7.15PM. The Cub Pack was registered on 21st May 1931 with 21 boys and 1 Leader, Frederick Anderson, with the Senior Scout Troop registered on 28th May 1970 with 9 boys and J. Bate as the Senior Scout Leader.

The 2nd Cessnock Troop was registered on the 21st January 1926, comprising 6 boys and Walter Leslie Phee as the Scout Master. This Troop met on Monday nights at 6.30PM in the Parish Hall of St. John's Church of England Church. The Group was registered on the 16th September 1931 with 9 Cubs and 12 Scouts. The Group was called "2nd Cessnock ‘St John's’ ".

3rd Cessnock registered a Senior Scout Troop with 18 boys and W.G.T. Gleghorn as the SSL in September 1962. Further details of 3rd Cessnock are presently unknown. (please contact us if you have any information regarding 3rd Cessnock).

Both 1st and 2nd Cessnock were deregistered on the 2nd December 1980 and became the "Cessnock Scout Group".

In nearby Aberdare, "1st Aberdare" registered a Pack and a Troop on the 28th September 1972. The Pack consisted of 12 Cubs and 1 Leader, with the Troop consisting of 12 Scouts and 2 Leaders. Both Sections are listed as meeting on Saturday afternoons from 1.00 to 4.30PM. Although the registration date is unknown, 1st Aberdare also registered a Venturer Unit with 8 Venturers and 1 Leader. This Unit was deregistered on 14th April 1997. The Joey Mob was registered on the 13th April 1993 with 8 Joey's (6 boys and 2 girls) and 2 Leaders.

Changes in the 80's

"Cessnock Scout Group" was registered on the 3rd December 1980 with the following Sections: 

  • "Wakalatoe" Pack: 24 Cubs and 2 Leaders.

  • "Wakalatoe" Troop: 26 Scouts and 3 Leaders.

  • "Buloaratoe" Pack: 35 Cubs and 3 Leaders.

  • "Buloaratoe" Troop: 35 Scouts and 3 Leaders.

The Cessnock Venturer Unit was registered on the 21st February 1981 with 9 Venturers and 2 Leaders. "Kullai" Pack was registered on the 16th March 1983. It started with 18 Cubs and 2 Leaders and was deregistered on 13th March 1995.

"Kullai" Troop was registered on the 13th September 1986 with 1 Leader and an unknown number of Scouts. It was deregistered on the 12th August 1996.

The Cessnock Joey Mob was registered on the 11th May 1992 with 20 Joey's (19 boys and 1 girl) and 3 Leaders. This Mob was then deregistered on the 13th November 1995 and re-registered on 11th November 1996 with 16 Joey's (14 boys and 2 girls) and 2 Leaders. It was deregistered again on 13th November 2000.

Fire Destroys Hall and all Equipment

In the early hours of Thursday, 11th April 1996 the Cessnock Scout Hall was totally destroyed by fire. All of the equipment, around $60,000 worth, and memorabilia stored in the hall was lost in the blaze, which it is believed was deliberately lit. All records, including the Queen Scout honour rolls, were also lost in the fire. At the time it was estimated that the total damage would exceed $200,000. Although the hall was insured, with the new council building regulations and other changes it was expected that the insurance would not cover the full costs of replacing the hall and all equipment.

Following the loss of the old hall, which was built in 1952, Scouts and Cubs continued to operate out of the Aberdare Scout Hall, with the Venturers operating from a section of the Cessnock Girl Guides Hall. Through the donation of equipment and use of alternate halls, most of the activities that had been planned were still held, with only a few events having to be cancelled.

In the true spirit of the Hunter Valley, the Group was overwhelmed by the offers of support from the community that came flooding in soon after the fire. In a newspaper article covering the opening of the new hall, association president Mrs Julie Rankin is quoted as saying:

"We were contacted by groups and individuals with offers of assistance from the day the hall burnt down and for many months following. The help received from these groups has enabled us to rebuild.[...]"

And,

"We are still receiving offers of assistance even now which is really wonderful, and I cannot remember another incident which has generated so much community support over such a long period of time."

Over a year from the date that the old hall burnt down, the new Cessnock City Scout Hall was officially opened in a public ceremony on Saturday, 15th November 1997.

More Information?

The links below will open a new browser window with JPEG images of newspaper articles regarding the fire, and the opening of the new hall.

Groups Merge

The Cessnock Scout Group and 1st Aberdare Scout Group are listed as having merged and registered as the "Cessnock City Scout Group" on 14th April 1997. The Group formed with 15 Joey Scouts (13 boys and 2 girls), 22 Cub Scouts (20 boys and 2 girls), 13 Scouts (9 boys and 4 girls) and 9 Venturers (5 boys and 4 girls). At this time the new Cessnock hall was still being rebuilt following the fire in 1996 so the new merged Group continued to meet at the Aberdare hall and the Cessnock Girl Guides hall.

Today the Cessnock City Scout Group continues with the Wakalatoe Mob, Pack and Troop with a total of over 50 youth members and 14 Leaders, and is one of the largest Groups in the Hunter & Coastal Region. It is hoped in the near future that the Venturer Unit will be revived and further members and Leaders added.

Venturers are Back!

As of Term 1, 2008, the Cessnock City Venturer Unit "Birralee" restarted with 4 youth members and 2 Leaders. Discussions regarding the reopening of the second Cub Pack "Kullai" were also underway as the Wakalatoe Pack had a healthy membership of 34 youth, however there were no immediate plans to reopen Kullai Pack as this move would require a number of changes as well as the recruitment and training of new Cub Scout Leaders.