MOUNTAINEERING NEWS ITEM

One of the World's Great Mountaineering Pioneer

FRIDAY, 30 MARCH 2007

Freda Du Faur was the first person to climb Mount Cook in New Zealand. She was also the first person to climb Mount Dampier and Mount Sefton and the second person to climb Mount Tasman.

Born in Croydon in 1882, Freda was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School for Girls and developed her passion for mountaineering. She met Muriel Madogan in 1910 where she had a relationship but they were not accepted by their own family. They moved to England but were separated to each other when Muriel was claimed by her family. In 1930, Muriel died of heart attack and Freda's broken heart never recovered and so she killed herself in 1935.

Muriel was buried in Waverly whose remains had lain in an unmarked grave for 70 years, far away from her partner Muriel Madogan and with no recognition of the climbing achievements Du Faur had last century. It was only last year that she was given an honorary burial attended by a number of dignitaries and she was finally marked in Manly Cemetery with a memorial stone.

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