The main walking track once took a different route through the lower slopes with a pedestrian track hacked into the hillside during the Great Depression, by a team of men as part of the Canberra Unemployment Relief Program.
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00:00While most tourists drive to the top of Mount Ainslie, for many locals it's a half from puff up the 2.3km long Mount Ainslie summit trail as part of their daily or weekly exercise regime.
00:14However, for around 50 years last century, the main walking track took a different route, at least on the lower slopes.
00:21During the Great Depression, a pedestrian track was hacked into the hillside by a team of men as part of the Canberra Unemployment Relief Program.
00:29It began near the back of the Hotel Ainslie, since known as Ollams or McCure Canberra.
00:35Today, the track is long abandoned, eroded and partially overgrown, but if you know where to look, you can still follow it to where it meets the current summit trail about one third of the way up the hill.
00:46While it's not signposted, a new book by local author Trevor Lipscomb documents the route of this former track, which is cut into the south-western side of the hill and edged with stones in places.
00:59According to the Canberra Times of 14 July 1930, soon after the track was opened, our Prime Minister of the day, James Scullin, expressed his approval of the work,
01:08and was apparently quite charmed with the views from the many lookouts along the track, which were referred to as, undoubtedly, the finest obtainable in Canberra.
01:20Sure, you need to be a little bit more careful where you tread, but if you want to avoid the Congo line of walkers on the main track, it really is a great alternative.
01:30I just wish the seats that used to be at these lookouts were still here, as they are a lovely place to linger in the shade of a hot day.