Sources:

• Tintookies Orienteering Club by Jeffa Lyon as published in Australian Orienteer Aug 1986
• 50 Golden Years by John Lyon & John Williams OASA 2005
• Tintookies Orienteers 1976-2001
• Club minutes, Annual Reports and other informal records

 The club was officially formed at a meeting held at the State Library on1st June 1976 chaired by John Hicks.

Shortly after this another meeting was held on 8th June. Key people at this meeting included John Hicks, Basil Baldwin, Ron Larsson and Robert Smith. Ron & Robert are still involved in the club to this day. Inaugural office holders were John Hicks (President) and Adrian Heinrich (Secretary & Treasurer). It was also at this meeting that the club’s name was decided based on research by John Hicks. John consulted a book of aboriginal names and read that a Tintookie is a “little man of the forest.

Click here to see a record of Office Holders over the Years. updated June 2022

TT Champions over the Years:

Long Distance

Middle Distance

Sprint Distance

Highlights over the Years:

• 1976: First Tintookie event held at Para Wirra South (now referred to as Mack Creek) Image to left
• 1977: Basil Balwin produced our first colour map known as Para Wirra. The map to the left shows a B course of 5.1km. Robert & Reuben Smith produced a two colour map of Mt Pleasant
•  

1978: Tintookies organised its first State Championship event at Mt Gawler.

1979: Maps of Mack Creek and Carisbrooke Park (Ron Larsson) were produced.

1981: Involved with organisation of the Easter 3 Day event at Wirrabara. Basil Baldwin was the coordinator.

1987: Wilpena Spurs (together with Wilpena Creek belonging to Saltbush Orienteers) was mapped by Basil & Jean Baldwin. This area remains arguably the most complex spur gully terrain of any orienteering map made in South Australia

1990: Robert Smith did cartography for a map of Rock Oyster near the mouth of the Marne River. Map to left.

Ron Larsson mapped Simmonds Hill

1994: Ron Laarson mapped Mt Pleasant with assistance from club members

1997: Mt Gawler (later to be renamed Kersbrook Glades) was mapped by Robert & Reuben Smith

1998: Reuben Smith produced MTBO map of Portuguese Bridge in the Mt Crawford Forest.

1999: Tintookies website established by Fi Pahor & George Reeves.

 2000: New trailer completed

2001: 20th Birthday Celebrations. Ron Laarson was made a life member of the club

2002: Sad passing of John Hall. Tintookies assisted in running Australian Championships in the Flinders.

2003: Establishment of mapping committee. Work on Dry Creek map (cartography & fieldwork by Ron Larsson & Barry Wheeler with assistance from John Hall (he mapped much of the western part prior to his death) George Reeves and Helen Smith.

2004 North Adelaide map completed.The first of many editions.mapped by Robert Smith with assistance by numerous club members. The map was unique in that Robert developed a number of symbols that were peculiar to this map. Map section to left.

2005: Tintookies is Australian Club Champion.

In collaboration with Yalanga Orienteers the Torrens Mapping Project (managed by Ken Thompson) was established. This is possibly the largest urban master map system in Australia covering 27.8 sq km and including 22 sub maps stretching from Hackney to Highbury.

Part of Henley Beach mapped by Ken Thompson for Summer Series.

2006: Club organises SA Champs on new map at Ngaralta Country produced by Paul Hoopmann

With support from UniSA Ken Thompson produced sprint map of their Magill Campus

2007: With further support from UniSA Ken Thompson produced a sprint map of their campus at Mawson Lakes. Map snippet at left

 2008: With the support of the Adelaide City Council permanent orienteering courses were established by

the club in North Adelaide.All courses, originally designed by Fi Pahor start and finish near the Festival Centre adjoining the John Glover Memorial Fountain. Can you see the start marker at left?

 Keithcot Farm was also mapped by Ken Thompson in 2008.

 2012: Following a SA Government grant work began on building a club shed at Athelstone on land leased from the Cambelltown City Council. This was a massive undertaking with lots a voluntary work put in by club members. (particulary Barry Wheeler and Geoff Bennett)

2013: Wth support from Campbelltown Council and the Rotary Club of Morialta permanent orienteering courses were established  at Thorndon Park. The sprint map and courses were produced by Ken Thompson

2015: Using a MTBO map originally drawn by Andrew Slattery & updated by Ken Thompson and courses planned by Kay Haarsma two sets of permanent courses suitable for MTBO and foot O were established  adjoining Melrose and at the Melrose Showgrounds. Support for this project was provided by the McCallum family who own the land used for the Ups & Downs map, The District Council of Mt Remarkable and the Over the Bike Shop who make maps available to visitors to the area.This is currently the largest permanent courses project in the state with a total of 10 courses and 38 controls. The photograph shows the start/finish sign at the Melrose showgrounds with Mt Remarkable in the background.

During 2015 permanent courses were also established at Para Wirra Conservation Park (supported by the Dept of Environment Water & Natural Resources) and St Peters River Park (supported by the City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters as well as the Town of Walkerville)  utilizing a grant from the Australian Sports Commission. Courses were designed by Ken Thompson.

View of billabong at St Peters River Park shown at left.

 2016: Gil Hollamby converted the 1992 map of what was then called St Johns Bushland Park into an OCAD version following permission from the Hills Council to allow restricted use of the park for orienteering.

2017: The renamed Lobethal Bushland Park was remapped by Ken Thompson using Gil Hollamby's 2016 OCAD conversion. Permission has been sought from the Hills Council to re-establish permanent courses in the park. To the left is the southern part of this map.