The Gunns Plains Caves first gained attention in 1908. Found on the land of Mr William Woodhouse, they contain diverse formations. They were supervised by the early members of the Ulverstone Tourism Association, who installed gates to ensure that they were kept safe. This was done none too soon – when they installed the gates, they found several stalactites had been broken off! In the 1920s, the caves were mentioned in the same suggestions for holidays as Tom Horsham’s Leven River trips to Lobster Creek. Electric lights were installed in 1928.
The Wing family of Gunns Plains have spent over a century cultivating both land and appreciation of the natural beauty of this place. Starting as dairy farmers, they supplied the milk for some of the earliest cheese manufacturing in the Central Coast. Today, the Wing family owns Wings Wildlife Park, which is the largest in Tasmania. Despite massive flooding events in the last few years, they have continued to protect the wildlife in their care. Since around 1963, the Gunns Plains Caves have also been in their care.
The first Tasmanian to die in World War One was James Argent Wing. Argent, as he was known, was born in Preston and was working as a farmer. In 1910 he accidentally shot himself across the stomach and chest – which resulted in a scar that is noted on his war records. He joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 at the age of 21, two weeks after the declaration of war. He was a Private in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. Argent Wing died on 6 February 1915 of pneumonia in Cairo, where he was buried.
Caves, Cows, and a Distinct Honour was a story in A Town is a Tapestry… and every person’s story is a stitch, now showing at Hive.
Image credit: Argent Wing was the first Tasmanian casualty in WWI, c.1914. History Collection.