Four Friends Memorial Trust

Correspondence, please contact:

Secretary, Dorothy Symes 143 Victoria Ave, Whanganui, 4501

Phone 06 345 7039 or 027 256 4665.

The Four Friends Trust - The History

Tragedy Strikes: Four Friends Killed

In 1977, a group from the Wanganui Tramping Club went South to the Lake Ohau-Hopkins River region for several says of camping and climbing. Included in that party were Tom and Betty Luff and family, Irene Back and family, Cushla McKay , and Neil and Barbara Simpson. When the family groups were pulling out, Hollis (Bill) Bennett, Rob McLean, Fennella Druce and Craig Benge were intending to come out at the Hermitage via Hopkins and Dobson Rivers then up to Three Johns Hut and down Mueller Glacier. (The Luffs had decided that son John was a little young to be part of this party).

The four friends reached Three Johns Hut at Barron Saddle above the Mueller Glacier, and reported in via radio at 7 pm on January 30th. A severe storm hit that night, and having failed to hear from the party for the next two nights, two rangers were sent to investigate. The rangers discovered that the guy wires that anchored the hut had been either torn from the ground, or sheared apart at ground level, and the hut had been lifted and blown off a 2135 metre saddle into Dobson Valley, killing those inside.

Trust Formation 

During 1977, The Four Friends Trust was brought into being to commemorate their deaths, through no fault of their own, at the Three Johns Hut: Dr Fenella Druce (age 25, only recently graduated, a keen alpinist with close associations with Wanganui), Craig Benge (25, president of the Wanganui Tramping Club and an NZR signals specialist), Rob McLean (19, club member and National Park Service trainee and Hillis (Bill) Bennett (19, club committee member and National Park Service trainee). It was felt that the most suitable way of commemorating these young people was to perpetuate their memory by stimulating others in outdoor pursuits. The Trust would provide interest that would be used to pay for or subsidise a person onto some outdoor pursuit course. The Trust was initially set up and run by members from the Wanganui Ski Club (now Wanganui Ski and Snowboard Club), The Mountain Safety Committee and the Wanganui Tramping Club.

This Trust is still functional and further details can be obtained from the Trust Secretary.
Up-to-date contact details are on the 

Objectives of the Four Friends Memorial Trust:

Deed of Trust creating "The Four Friends Memorial Trust":

This deed of trust is made on the 30th day of January 1978 by the Wanganui Tramping Club (Inc) a duly incorporated society under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

Whereas the Club has had donated to it by the public a sum of money for the purpose of establishing a trust to be known as The Four Friends Memorial Trust. Such a trust be created to record with gratitude the memory of Craig Wilson Benge aged 25 years, Hillis Leonard Dorrell (Bill) Bennett aged 19 years, Robert Lachlan McLean aged 19 years and Jean Fenella Druce aged 25 years, who were all killed on the night of January 30th 1977, when the Three Johns Hut (at the head of the Dobson Valley in the Mt Cook National Park) in which they were sheltering was destroyed by a freak accident. All four of the young people being remembered had a deep love, enjoyment and respect for New Zealand outdoor life which they shared with so many others.

The Trustees may use the net annual income to be derived from the Trust Fund...within New Zealand for, or awards any one or more of the following:

1. To promote safety in the mountains.

2. To promote safe tramping.

3. To provide lessons in safe alpine work.

4. To provide grants to any person or persons interested in starting a career in the National Park Service or furthering such a career.

5. To promote the work of the National Park Authority or the work of the State Forest Park Authority.

6. To provide grants to any person or persons wishing to extend their knowledge of any of the sciences such as botany, geology etc. associated with the outdoors.

7. To provide grants to any person or persons wishing to extend the knowledge of appreciation of photography of the outdoor or of the scientific application of photography.

8. The Trust shall act primarily in the Wanganui, Rangitikei, Waimarino and South Taranaki districts but the Trustees shall have power to extend beyond this are should they so desire.

Fenella Druce Memorial Hut

"Beyond Cobb Hut the track climbs about one hour up a series of glacier-worn rocky steps to Fenella Hut (20 bunks)."

Following the death in 1977 of his second daughter Fenella (one of the Four Friends), Tony Druce, one of the greatest contributors to the botanical exploration and discovery of New Zealand, assisted by family and friends, organised the building of Fenella Hut in the Upper Cobb Valley as a memorial to her.

Four Friends Remembered 40 Years On

The death of the four friends was marked in January 2017 by a reunion and chapel service at Collegiate School during which a plaque was unveiled for the four. There was also a boat trip on the Wairua during which a wreath was thrown into the river in their memory. Another plaque is planned on a bench beside the river. There is already a plaque for the four at Mangaturuturu Hut. 

Many people, young and not so young, have been assisted on outdoor courses such as Outward Bound, Outdoor Pursuits Centre and Spirit of Adventure. Two tracks at Ohakune have received substantial grants-- the Rimu Track which provides for wheelchair access and the Mangawhero Walk. In addition, at Raetihi the Ameku Road Walkway and Whanganui’s riverbank walk have also received assistance. Grants to the Waimarino Forest Kiwi Research Project and the printing of the map of Mangapurua Valley historic sites show the diversity of assistance given.