The Crossing History

The Crossing property was purchased by Dean and Annette Turner in 1994. In their professional lives at the time Dean was Development Officer for the YMCA in NSW and the ACT, while Annette founded and directed the Australian Council of Tourism Students.

Apart from a desire to spend time between their two favourite environments, the sea and the mountains, a sustainable living centre for young people and a unique walk from sea to snow were imagined. These ideas were influenced strongly by Ian Stapleton's Mittagundi and Wollangarra outdoor education camps in Victoria; as well as by involvement with youth in the YMCA, Kosciusko Huts Association, Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Youth Hostels Association of NSW.

For three years Dean and Annette directed the Wollangarra Outdoor Education Centre and established inspiring, positive and purposeful opportunities for young people to help the mountains by adopting trail and hut conservation projects. This became Dean and Annette's apprenticeship for the Crossing project.

An event-filled journey in a remodelled Bedford bus began The Crossing project and the bus is still part of the Directors residence. A whole network of enthusiastic helpers from the Wollangarra community assisted in the foundation years of the project. Today the Wollangarra Staff Team still visits annually to lend a hand.

A Company and volunteer Board was established in 1999. A 1930's red rattler train carraige arrived soon after and became the bunkhouse. A Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) with National Parks and Wildlife was signed in 2003 and an Environmental Education Trust was established in 2006 resulting in the Federal Minister for Environment and Heritage recognising The Crossing Land Education Trust on the Register of Australian Environment Organisations as a gift deductible organisation. In 2007 Dean and Annette formally gifted the land to the newly formed Trust with support and encouragement from the IMB Community Foundation.

Today, Annette has assumed a Trustee Advisers position with the Board along with two other inspiring women, Laurel Lloyd Jones and Heather O'Connor. Together these three oversee the use of all gift monies by the Trust Fund. Dean has resigned his founding role as Board President to take on the role of Project Director overseeing staff and volunteers.

In 2005 with help from volunteer staff The Crossing won the International Student Volunteers Award for best Conservation Project in Australia. The Trust consistently rates at the top of the ISV Conservation projects in Australia.

The Board of The Crossing Land Education Centre anticipates an exciting few years as the 'Sea to Snow Journey' project now gains momentum, and many more organisations and individuals lend support to young people and their journeys toward sustainability.