Ronald Gunn Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
By
WazzaAndWenches on 31-Jan-17. Waypoint GA9877
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | History |
| Container: | Other |
| Coordinates: | S41° 26.012' E147° 8.567' (WGS 84) |
| 55G 511929E 5413105N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 9 m |
| Local Government Area: | Launceston |
/147.142783,-41.433533,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
Ronald Campbell Gunn
Ronald Campbell Gunn, botanist, public servant and politician, was born at Cape Castle, Cape Town in 1808. At the age of 22, after having studied in Aberdeen, he sailed for Tasmania to become an assistant superintendent of convicts in Launceston. Soon after he was titled a Justice of the Peace then Police Magistrate at Circular Head in 1836. He returned to Hobart and further employment in the judicial field. Numerous jobs saw him holding positions in parliament, estate management, crown lands, court registrar and as a coroner.
In addition to his busy public life, Gunn was an energetic botanist and traveller. He became a plant collector for a professor from Glasgow University and spent a lot of his time travelling through half-explored country collecting specimens. His experiences travelling Tasmania gave him great material for numerous journal articles and books on botany along with editorship of Tasmanian Journal of Natural Science -a position he held for seven years.
Sir Joseph Hooker, in his Flora Tasmaniae said 'There are few Tasmanian plants that Mr Gunn has not seen alive, noted their habits in a living state, and collected large suites of specimens with singular tact and judgment. These have all been transmitted to England . . . accompanied with notes that display remarkable powers of observation, and a facility for seizing important characters in the physiognomy of plants, such as few experienced botanists possess’.
Gunn died at his home at Newstead, near Launceston, after a long illness, on 13 March 1881
To log this History Cache you must answer some questions and submit the codeword. Look for the Questions and Answers Get Codeword link on the cache page.
Near the sculpture of Ronald Gunn is a signboard containing some of the information you require. The other information is also nearby.
- Gunn collected specimens for who?
- Gunn wore out his legs and was probably a little saddle sore after travelling 76 miles in how many hours?
- Ben Lomond was home for Gunn for how many nights?
- How many plant species bear Gunn's name?
- Gunn's statue was cast by?
Logs
An interesting read. Thanks for the history lesson.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Thanks for highlighting this interesting man.
Found during my wander through City Park
Found during my wander through City Park
Rated: for Overall Experience
I have been to this true numerous occasions and often was all about Mr Gunna exploits. He must have been very physically strong to do what he did.
Retrieved the answers to the questions and discovered code word. TFT history Lesson.
On our way to Scottsdale via Lilydale we did a driveby so i could gather the required information to complete this history cache.
Love the fascinating history. TFTHC
Love the fascinating history. TFTHC
Parked nearby for an appointment early so had a few minutes to check this one out, tftc
Drove to Launceston today to checkout a few shops and to have lunch at Hog's Breath Cafe. Whilst in Launny thought we should grab a few History caches as well. Decided to head over to Trevallyn to check out the dam and possibly pick up a couple of caches. Then headed home via Exeter. The main reason we went to Treyallyn Dam was to do a bit of recon work. I have never been there before. So I wanted to suss out the area so we can have a better plan to head back soon and walk the trails around the area. TFTC 
After an afternoon of cruising the Tamar, we dropped by this magnificent park to have a look at the monkeys. Alas, they had all gone to bed by the time we arrived so I mosied on over here to gather the clues for this one at 16:25.
Another great spot and
Thanks for the history cache WazzaAndWenches.
Another great spot and
Thanks for the history cache WazzaAndWenches.
Rated: for Overall Experience
A nice history cache, found with stainless steel rat whilst looking for 1toolman.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Rated: for Overall Experience
quick find while waiting for a mainlander to turn up........
Rated: for Overall Experience
Was a lovely evening so decided to get the caches around city park...
Rated: for Overall Experience
Quick find in Launceston on the way back from Badgers Head to Hobart
TFTC and Happy New Year
Found this cache while out and about today
Journey or Destination
Game Period: 01-Dec-2018 00:00:00 to 31-Jan-2019 23:59:59 AEST
It is sometimes said [citation needed] that the game of geocaching is not about the destination it is about the journey. This game is about the choices you make in the experience of the journey or the destination.
On your entry to the game you will be asked to create a playing field with a number of ground tiles. Your playing field is a grid 20 x 20 ground tiles making a total number of 400 possible steps you can take on your journey or destination. You choose whether you want to find and follow the path or whether you wanted to meander around. A playing field is unique to each player so there is no benefit in teaming up to beat the system through brute force.
For each qualifying geocache that you hide or find during the game period you will be offered the opportunity to click on a ground tile and reveal what lies beneath. There are a number of different ground tiles that will be revealed when you click on your playing field. It should be noted that there are no punishments for clicking a tile but there will not always be the reward you were hoping for as you reveal each tile.
Dirt. The ground beneath the ground tile is just plain old brown dirt.
Dirt with some points. The ground beneath the tile is brown dirt but it has some points associated with it.
Concrete. The ground beneath is part of the pathway that will lead you on your way to your destination but has no point value.
Start. A concrete ground tile that has a blue map marker.
Destination. A ground tile that has a green map marker.
Meandering around and avoiding the path will accumulate points that will be used to place on you the ladder of wanderers. The more you stay off the path the higher the number of points you will accumulate and it will be your journey that will be the determining factor in whether you place into a prize winning position. You are free to select any ground tile to click on; they do not need to be next to each other.
Trying to find the path may mean you strike out on the dirt until you eventually come across the path and as a geocacher who can't say that this isn't a tried and true method. Once you find the path however will you try and follow the path as it changes direction around your playing field? Do you go North, South, East or West to try and find the next concrete tile along the path? If you head one way are you heading towards the start or towards the destination? When you do happen upon the destination tile then you will automatically be in a winning position.
At any point you are free to change from the journey to the destination and vice versa but you won't be able to regenerate your playing field. You are also free to keep playing as long as you have qualifying geocaches, accumulating more and more dirt tile points and placing you higher and higher on the ladder.
Qualifying geocaches fall into two categories. Finds and Hides.
A qualifying find is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date prior to the game commencing
The geocache was logged by you on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache was physically found by you during the game period
The geocache is not owned by you unless it is a moveable geocache
The geocache has not previously been found by you during the game period
The geocache is one of the following types:
Burke and Wills
Moveable (you will qualify only once for a find on a moveable geocache)
Traditional
TrigPoint
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
A qualifying hide is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date after the game has commenced
The geocache was published on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache has a container size of regular or larger (Note: A regular geocache has a volume of 1 litre or more)
The geocache is one of the following types:
Moveable
Traditional
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
The game tracking mechanism relies upon your honesty when logging geocaches as found or hidden.
The games administrators will undertake verification of a statistically significant number of logs.
Players who continually log inaccurate information will be disqualified from the game. The game administrators decision is final.
The game administrators will subtract qualifying hide or find geocaches from your tally if they are found to be not genuine.
The game administrators reserve the right to provide clarifications to the rules at any point during the game.
Don't forget to claim your limited time game trophies, if your qualify, while the game is in progress. Once the game completes the ability to claim your trophies is lost for ever.
TFTC and Happy New Year
Found this cache while out and about today
Journey or Destination
Game Period: 01-Dec-2018 00:00:00 to 31-Jan-2019 23:59:59 AEST
It is sometimes said [citation needed] that the game of geocaching is not about the destination it is about the journey. This game is about the choices you make in the experience of the journey or the destination.
On your entry to the game you will be asked to create a playing field with a number of ground tiles. Your playing field is a grid 20 x 20 ground tiles making a total number of 400 possible steps you can take on your journey or destination. You choose whether you want to find and follow the path or whether you wanted to meander around. A playing field is unique to each player so there is no benefit in teaming up to beat the system through brute force.
For each qualifying geocache that you hide or find during the game period you will be offered the opportunity to click on a ground tile and reveal what lies beneath. There are a number of different ground tiles that will be revealed when you click on your playing field. It should be noted that there are no punishments for clicking a tile but there will not always be the reward you were hoping for as you reveal each tile.
Dirt. The ground beneath the ground tile is just plain old brown dirt.
Dirt with some points. The ground beneath the tile is brown dirt but it has some points associated with it.
Concrete. The ground beneath is part of the pathway that will lead you on your way to your destination but has no point value.
Start. A concrete ground tile that has a blue map marker.
Destination. A ground tile that has a green map marker.
Meandering around and avoiding the path will accumulate points that will be used to place on you the ladder of wanderers. The more you stay off the path the higher the number of points you will accumulate and it will be your journey that will be the determining factor in whether you place into a prize winning position. You are free to select any ground tile to click on; they do not need to be next to each other.
Trying to find the path may mean you strike out on the dirt until you eventually come across the path and as a geocacher who can't say that this isn't a tried and true method. Once you find the path however will you try and follow the path as it changes direction around your playing field? Do you go North, South, East or West to try and find the next concrete tile along the path? If you head one way are you heading towards the start or towards the destination? When you do happen upon the destination tile then you will automatically be in a winning position.
At any point you are free to change from the journey to the destination and vice versa but you won't be able to regenerate your playing field. You are also free to keep playing as long as you have qualifying geocaches, accumulating more and more dirt tile points and placing you higher and higher on the ladder.
Qualifying geocaches fall into two categories. Finds and Hides.
A qualifying find is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date prior to the game commencing
The geocache was logged by you on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache was physically found by you during the game period
The geocache is not owned by you unless it is a moveable geocache
The geocache has not previously been found by you during the game period
The geocache is one of the following types:
Burke and Wills
Moveable (you will qualify only once for a find on a moveable geocache)
Traditional
TrigPoint
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
A qualifying hide is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date after the game has commenced
The geocache was published on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache has a container size of regular or larger (Note: A regular geocache has a volume of 1 litre or more)
The geocache is one of the following types:
Moveable
Traditional
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
The game tracking mechanism relies upon your honesty when logging geocaches as found or hidden.
The games administrators will undertake verification of a statistically significant number of logs.
Players who continually log inaccurate information will be disqualified from the game. The game administrators decision is final.
The game administrators will subtract qualifying hide or find geocaches from your tally if they are found to be not genuine.
The game administrators reserve the right to provide clarifications to the rules at any point during the game.
Don't forget to claim your limited time game trophies, if your qualify, while the game is in progress. Once the game completes the ability to claim your trophies is lost for ever.
Hi Wazza
Didn't realise I'd left this cache unfound for so long
Enjoyed gathering the info for this cache
The park is always an interesting place to visit
Sainted the cache at 1425 hours
(PS Too much info - the short pit stop was handy too!)
Great cache - I don't think the legs he's got at the moment will ever give way on him
Cheers OldSaint
My FINDS: GCA 3011; GC 3516; Tot 6527
Didn't realise I'd left this cache unfound for so long
Enjoyed gathering the info for this cache
The park is always an interesting place to visit
Sainted the cache at 1425 hours
(PS Too much info - the short pit stop was handy too!)
Great cache - I don't think the legs he's got at the moment will ever give way on him
Cheers OldSaint
My FINDS: GCA 3011; GC 3516; Tot 6527
Rated: for Overall Experience
Quick find and read while jr and wife looked at monkeys
Rated: for Overall Experience
#GA2880 - 16:25; Arrived in Tasmania last Saturday and after a few days in Hobart we were now spending some time in Launceston. After catching up with some friends, I had a bit of time for some caching. After picking up the CORS further up the hill, stopped to grab the information for this cache on the way back to the hotel. Always enjoy a visit to this park and this cache provided the excuse today. TFTC WazzaAndWenches
Rated: for Overall Experience
So, my final day in Tassie for this trip and before heading to the airport there was time for a few History caches...this was about number 6 for the day...with about 3 still to go.
Walked up from the Mac House cache and once at the location set about grabbing the correct answers. Wasn't that clever though and stuffed one up so had to make a calculated guess....and got there eventually. Not sure what I did wrong.
Anyways, all was good and it's another History cache crossed off. Another interesting subject, just one hadn't heard off before.
Thanks W&W....nicely done.
Walked up from the Mac House cache and once at the location set about grabbing the correct answers. Wasn't that clever though and stuffed one up so had to make a calculated guess....and got there eventually. Not sure what I did wrong.
Anyways, all was good and it's another History cache crossed off. Another interesting subject, just one hadn't heard off before.
Thanks W&W....nicely done.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Enjoyed myself caching around Launceston with girls.
Thanks for bring me here and virtual cache.
Thanks for bring me here and virtual cache.
Rated: for Overall Experience
A great history cache. In the area for a few days. TFTHC
Rated: for Overall Experience
Out logging GA caches this evening.
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Rated: for Overall Experience
Out logging GA caches this evening.
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Rated: for Overall Experience
Out logging GA caches this evening.
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Have walked past the statue many times without taking much notice of the story behind it.
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Rated: for Overall Experience
After a nana nap, it was time to have a walk around Launceston and do some discovering. First we visited the motor museum and then we'd hoped to see the monkeys but we were too late, so we found Mr Gunn instead. A really lovely park! THanks WazzaAndWenches.
Rated: for Overall Experience
On an early morning walk, I found myself at City Park. So of course I took the opportunity to do a cache whilst in such beautiful surroundings. I enjoyed learning about Robert Gunn and his major contribution to Botany in this part of the world. Thankyou WazzaAndWenches for the cache.
Staying the night in a motel opposite so after checking in we wandered across to the park to get the three new caches in it. This was by far the simplest and the information needed was quickly obtained. Thanks.
We were in Launceston at the weekend to visit family and managed to grab an hour to do some caching. Didn't know this statue was here even though we've visited the park many times, isn't it wonderful the places and things you find through caching. TFTC and the history lesson
Enjoyed collecting the information for this history Cache. Gunn was certainly an interesting character who made a large contribution to Northern Tasmania in many areas.
Thanks for this history cache WazzaAndWenches
Thanks for this history cache WazzaAndWenches
Soon had info sorted on another intetesting history cache. Tftc WazzaAndWenches...cheers ST.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Tried to get here earlier in the day but it wasn't to be. Came after school to get the information I needed - I can only imagine how cold Mr. Gunn would have been up on Ben Lomond if it was anything like this morning!! TFTC
Another great history cache helping me find out more about the local dignitaries. Thanks for getting me out and about on this cold day...I was waiting for it to warm up just a bit but a new cache is a good reason to get out sooner. TFTC.
A fine looking statue and tribute to a great man. Have passed by many a time when visiting this spectacular city park.. thanks..!!
Rated: for Overall Experience
