VALE
Vale Rob Plowright
Vale Tony Mount
rienteering Australia is saddened to share the news that much-loved Australian orienteer and mapper Rob Plowright has passed away. He died suddenly at the age of 59 in Mishima, Japan, where he lived with his wife Masumi and sons Rui and Caio. Rob had recently made several mapping trips to Tasmania to map the areas intended for the 2020 Australian Championships. He also mapped frequently in Canada.
ue (Mount) gave Tony a 40th birthday present of a six-week Adult Ed course in how to orienteer, and their lives were never the same again. He took to it like a duck to water and has been a major force in the development of orienteering in Tasmania.
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Rob’s contribution to orienteering is considerable. In his 20s, he represented Australia at four World Championships as an elite competitor. His first World Championships was in 1985 at Mt Kooyoora in Rob’s home state of Victoria, where he finished 36th. Rob subsequently represented Australia at the 1987, 1989 and 1991 World Championships. In addition, Rob achieved much success in the domestic Australian elite competition and was famously involved in a sprint to the finish with Rob Vincent on the final day of the 1987 Easter 3-days. A chasing start format was used to decide the winner, and Rob emerged victorious - aided somewhat by a wardrobe malfunction involving Rob Vincent’s o-pants. All those who ran with and against Rob during his elite career knew he was an exceptional navigator and tough competitor. He also coached and inspired numerous juniors and young elite orienteers, both in Australia and Japan.
Most significantly. Rob left us an extraordinary legacy of maps across Australia. He considered mapping more akin to an artform than a skill, and his maps reflected his ability to interpret complex terrain and render it highly readable on the run. He leaves behind many close friends in the orienteering community and will be sorely missed. His maps – Bells Marsh and Hunt Tin Mine – will be used for the Oceania Long Distance and Middle Distance races in January 2023, where a tribute is planned. Our deepest sympathies go out to his friends and family.
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(from Sally Salier eulogy)
No sooner had he learned the art of O, Tony became involved in every aspect of the sport, and within a few months was President of the State Association, mapping officer, and involved in course setting and coaching. Within 12 years he was made a life member, an honour given to only three other people in the history of Tasmanian orienteering.
Early on, the State Association held a meeting to split into 3 different clubs. Each group went into a huddle for a while to discuss matters, and when we reconvened we discovered that the other two clubs had elected a president and a secretary – our group hadn’t. But we DID have a name, thanks to Tony Mount. He initially wanted the name Southern Strollers, which was vetoed by all, so he came up with Austral, meaning southern, and lopers, which (according to Tony at least) was a Scandinavian word for running.
Tony’s national orienteering career started very early on in the piece, when he came 3rd in the Men’s 43 age class in 1973. His name continued to appear at the top of the list in every age category for the next 40 years, winning every age class from M50 to M80, Australian champion 11 times. He represented Australia against New Zealand on at least 8 occasions, as well as travelling overseas to compete. And, looking though the statistics, I noted that the winner of M12A in 1973 was Christopher Mount, and the winner of M18 in 1978 was Stephen Mount, so obviously it was very much a family affair.
Tony could be best described as an “enabler”, a word that wasn’t invented back in the day. He had the ability to encourage people to believe in themselves and achieve great things. I recall one member who had “volunteered” to map an area and set some courses, muttering to themselves “That Tony Mount, he’s so …. persuasive!” He spent a great deal of his time with newcomers, always sharing his wisdom with enthusiasm, patience and good humour. Whether it be shadowing (following a learner through the bush and then discussing ways to improve) or sharing an extremely mysterious (to me anyway) method of measuring how much time was lost on each leg. And who remembers the advice “If you are looking for a waterhole, listen for frogs” and “don’t stand at the control, pretend to run off in the wrong direction”? Wherever there were Tony and Sue, there was bound to be fun. On one occasion we decided to “dress up” for an event. It was a relay, so Tony wore a tuxedo and bow tie, complete with a white napkin over his arm, as he offered a glass of champagne to runners as they sped up the Finish chute.
And then there was the indoor orienteering event inside the Mount’s house in Taroona. The controls were tiny squares of paper with a letter on them stuck all over the place, behind chairs, under tables, on the ceiling, under the lounge and on top of doors, with people clambering over each other to find them. Even the loo was wallpapered with a lovely bush setting, complete with a control flag in the corner.
Rob at WOC 1985 in Australia.
Rob out mapping in more recent times.
44 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER JUNE 2022
I don’t think it’s too much to say that Tony was, and will remain, a legend in the world of orienteering in Tasmania. He has left us a wonderful legacy, and I feel privileged to have known him. I suspect that his spirit is somewhere in the heavens, even now, busily mapping the clouds, working out his kilometre rates and plotting his course. We’ll miss him.
