At the 2023 Annual General Meeting, Life Membership of Orienteering ACT was awarded to Hugh Moore in recognition of his significant contribution to orienteering mapping.
Hugh was attracted into orienteering in 1982 from long distance running by running mates who were also orienteers, and joined the Red Kangaroos (later Red Roos) Club. From around 1984, orienteering became his main sport and, as he gradually improved as a competitor, he became involved also in course planning and controlling. In 1996, he won his first Australian Championships (in M45) and remained near the top of his age class nationally for the next 13 years. From 2003, he regularly travelled overseas, particularly to compete in the World Masters Orienteering Championships, with his best result being 10th in M60 in Portugal in 2008.
Hugh’s mapping career began in 2004, when he teamed up with Bob Allison (also an OACT Life Member) to learn the intricacies of field mapping. Working with Bob as partners in Red Roo Maps, they updated, reviewed, extended and created numerous maps for OACT. Many of these were used for national events or ACT Championships, including Wild Deer Sands, Boboyan Divide, The Gib and Isaacs Ridge.
Hugh’s competition and mapping career experienced a major setback in 2009 when, as a result of a tick bite in Finland, he contracted tick-borne encephalitis. Within days of returning to Australia, he was admitted to Canberra Hospital, spending a week in intensive care, suffering a brain seizure and nearly dying on three occasions. After three months in hospital and having to learn to walk again, he gradually recovered over the next few years but was left with permanent nerve damage affecting his strength and balance.
He eventually returned to orienteering, but not at his previous competitive standard, due to problems with balance. Importantly for OACT, he resumed his commitment to mapping, producing what he considers to be his best maps including Broulee Dunes, used for National Orienteering League events in 2022, and Highlands, used for this year’s Easter events near Nimmitabel. He is planning to continuing his mapping role for years to come.