Friends of the Great South West Walk
The friend’s group is an incorporated, not for profit organization and consists of an active and hardworking group of volunteers. An Executive Committee includes the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Officer, Works Officer, Landcare Co-ordinator and Recreational Walks Officer. Meetings are held monthly with the AGM held in August.
Around 100 volunteers work in excess of 7000 hours a year to maintain the tracks in safe and good walking condition. Activities include regular maintenance work such as scrub trimming and mowing (One hundred and thirty kilometres of track are mown each year), construction of lookouts (10 lookouts on Cape Bridgewater in 1999), staircases, bridges, gravel paths, marketing, administration and organisation.
See our Volunteers in action.

Local Support
The friend’s group also relies on the generosity of many local businesses and individuals who are very supportive. The friends have a very co-operative and good working relationship with our local Parks Victoria and rely heavily on their assistance and guidance.
The Friends of the GSWW would like to acknowledge the following sponsors:
Silver Corporate Sponsors:
Bronze Corporate Sponsors: Get Away Trekking, Nelson Cottages, A2C International, Bindaree Outdoor Education Services.
Corporate Complimentary: Julia Street Creative Space, Glenelg River Cruises, Mibus Bros – Portland, Brewster Walsh & Assoc – Portland, Portland Community Garden, Parks Victoria.
Schools: St. Leonards College Mt Gambier, Brighton Grammar Melbourne.
Our thanks also to the many Not-For-Profit community groups and associations that support our efforts.
Land Care Volunteers.
This is a subgroup of volunteers who have been busy working on erosion control measures to arrest the effects of water and wind.
In particular, we would like to acknowledge the support of the teachers and students of Wesley College, Melbourne. The friend’s group and Wesley have co-operated for several years in forming a partnership that has been of mutual benefit to both parties, as well as to the environment.
Become a member of the friends of the GSWW
The Friends of the Great South West Walk is not for profit organisation that is largely self funded. We depend on members contributions, sales of merchandise, donations and when successful, small business and government grants. We also gratefully receive from Parks Victoria some financial, technical and administrative assistance.
The friends group has a steadily rising membership, which currently numbers approx. 140 financial members. We greatly appreciate this patronage, and the assistance that we draw on from our pool of volunteers, whose contribution we highly value.
Members choose the level of participation that suits – some members wish to only support us with funds, others like to give up some of their time for work in kind, while others are happy to do both.
Memberships are for the financial year.
Note: New members please download and complete the membership form below and forward via email.
All members receive a monthly e-newsletter celebrating achievements and upcoming events.
Corporate sponsors are acknowledged on this website.
Individual | $40 |
Family membership | $60 |
Concession | $25 |
Bronze Corporate | $140 |
Silver Corporate | $1000 |
Choose your Membership type (below) and pay online…..
Download: GSWW Membership Donation 2023-2024
All donations and sponsorship will be gratefully accepted.
Please download and complete the membership/donation form above and forward via email to: [email protected]
See our Volunteers in action.