Freda Du Faur

Du Faur was born in Croydon, Sydney, on 16 September 1882. She was the daughter of Frederick Eccleston Du Faur (1832–1915), a public servant who, after retirement, became a stock, station, and land agent, and patron of the arts, and his second wife, Blanche Mary Elizabeth Woolley (1845–1906), daughter of Professor John Woolley and sister of Emmeline M. D. Woolley. Du Faur was educated at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School. She probably developed her passion for mountaineering when she lived with her family near the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. As a young woman, she explored the area and taught herself to rock climb. She did not finish nursing training due to her "sensitive and highly-strung nature". ==Encountering Mount Cook (1906)==

Du Faur summered in New Zealand. In late 1906, she saw photographs of Mount Cook at the New Zealand International Exhibition in Christchurch. This prompted her to travel to the Hermitage hotel at Mount Cook Village, where she became determined to climb to the snow-capped summit, managing to do so four years later. ==Mountaineering experiences (1906–1910)==

In 1908, a second trip to Mount Cook led to Du Faur's introduction to a New Zealand guide, Peter Graham. Graham agreed to teach Du Faur ropework and add snow and ice climbing to her skill on rocks. Du Faur found this freedom an enjoyable escape from the constraints and frustrations of family and society. who became her life partner. After the training, Du Faur returned to Mount Cook in November 1910. ==Summiting Mount Cook (December 1910)==

On 3 December 1910, Du Faur became the first woman to climb to the summit of Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak at . Her guides included Peter and Alex (Alec) Graham, and together they ascended in a record six hours. The boulder, now called "Freda's Rock" is located approximately 200 metres into the Hooker Valley Track at Mount Cook National Park. ==Subsequent climbing seasons==

Du Faur made many other noteworthy climbs. In the same season as her Mount Cook ascent in 1910, she climbed Mounts De la Beche () and Green (), and was the first person to climb Chudleigh (). In the next climbing season, she scaled a virgin peak now named Du Faur Peak () after her. She also made the first ascents of Nazomi () and Mount Dampier (), and the second ascents of Mount Tasman () and Mount Lendenfeld (). In her final season, she made the first ascents of Mount Pibrac () and Mount Cadogan (), both of which she named. Perhaps her most notable climb was in January 1913 with Peter Graham and David (Darby) Thomson, when they made the first grand traverse of all three peaks of Mount Cook. This 'grand traverse' is now regarded as a classic climb of New Zealand's Southern Alps and continues to be associated with Du Faur's name. On 10 February 1913, the same climbing party made the first traverse of Mount Sefton (). Du Faur stopped climbing the next month. ==Life after mountaineering (1914–1935)==

Du Faur and her partner, Muriel Cadogan, moved to England in 1914, spending time in Bournemouth. Though they had intended to climb the European Alps, Canada, and the Himalayas, World War I put an end to their plans. The following year, Du Faur published her book The Conquest of Mount Cook in London. In June 1929, Cadogan died. Du Faur returned to Australia, where she lived in Dee Why, Sydney. At first, she lived with her brother's family and later in her own cottage. Her main interest was bushwalking in Dee Why and Collaroy. She had been, in 1908, the principal beneficiary of her aunt Emmeline's will and her own will, benefiting Jean Lord, was contested by relatives who disputed her sanity. The Coroner, after examining Du Faur's notebook and several letters, denied the claim, finding her "the opposite of insane". Du Faur was privately interred in the Church of England cemetery at Manly, Sydney. ==Acknowledgements==

At a ceremony on 3 December 2006, Du Faur's previously unmarked grave was marked by a group of New Zealanders. A memorial stone made of New Zealand greywacke and a plaque commemorating her alpine achievements were placed at the gravesite. In 2017 there was a theatre play about Du Faur written by Jan Bolwell and premiered at BATS Theatre in New Zealand. The play is called Taking the High Ground, and also features New Zealand climber Lydia Bradey. ==References==