Skiing in Australia
There is skiable terrain in three States: New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the Southern Hemisphere winter.
Recreational skiing in Australia began in 1861 at Kiandra, New South Wales, when Norwegian gold miners introduced the idea to the frozen hills around the town.
Alpine ski clubs were first founded in Munich, Germany 1891, Switzerland 1893, Arlberg, Austria 1901, followed by France and Italy.
[25] By 1933 team racing was open to virtually all competitors from any club or imported talents but Arthur Balmain of Cooma believed this was unfair to local enthusiasts.
He donated a perpetual trophy open only to competitors residing in or about the Southern Districts and only for members who held membership for twelve weeks in the local ski club.
[26] In the wilderness region south of Kiandra, The Alpine Hut, near Mount Jagungal, was built in 1939 to cater for skiers.
[27] The Kiandra Goldrush was short-lived, but the township remained a service centre for recreational and survival skiing for over a century.
[30] Selwyn is the most northerly of Australia's ski resorts with a base elevation of 1492 m and a top elevation of 1614 m. Selwyn is well suited to families and first timers, with 88% of terrain catering to beginners and intermediates, however the steeper gradient of the Racecourse Run provides some more challenging terrain for advanced skiers and boarders.
[33] The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain.
[34] In 1964, Australia briefly boasted the "World's Longest Chairlift" [citation needed], designed to carry skiers from the Thredbo Valley to Charlotte Pass, but technical difficulties soon closed the facility.
[35][36] At 1760 m, Charlotte Pass has the highest village base elevation of any Australia ski resort and can only be accessed via over-snow transport in winter.
[42] Anton also recognised the potential of the Thredbo Valley for construction of a major resort and village, with good vertical terrain.
[46] A hospice was built at Mount Saint Bernard (elevation 1540m) around 1863 along a track developed to link the Victorian gold fields.
[52] The first ski lift went into service at Mount Buller in 1949, and in the same year a rope tow was installed at Falls Creek.
- in the Brindabella Ranges which rise to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T.
[63] Tasmania's premier Alpine skiing operations are located at Ben Lomond, 60 km (37 mi) from Launceston.
[69][70] The club was formed in 1861 by three Norwegians, Elias Gottaas, Soren Torp and Carl Bjerknes on the Kiandra Gold Fields, NSW.
The FIS joins the congratulations for this important Australian anniversary, together for Kiandra's inaugural position in alpine skiing in the world.
[80] Alpine skier Zali Steggall won Australia's first skiing medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics winning bronze in the women's slalom event.
Australian freestyle skiers emerged as a world force from the mid-1990s, when Kirstie Marshall was placed 6th in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.
[86] Torah Bright, of the Snowy Mountains town of Cooma, New South Wales, won gold for Australia at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 in the women's snowboard halfpipe event.
High country huts, often a legacy of the era of cattle grazing in the mountains, provide emergency shelter in these regions.
The Kangaroo Hoppet is a leg of the Worldloppet cross-country race series which is conducted on the last Saturday of August each year, hosted by Falls Creek in Victoria.
[37] Cross country skiing can be possible in the Brindabella Ranges which rise to the west of Canberra, in the A.C.T, and include the Namadgi National Park and Bimberi Nature Reserve.
[94] Cross Country skiing is also practised at Mount Gingera, elevation 1855 m, a prominent snow-covered peak above the city of Canberra.
[59][60] When conditions allow, Australia's rugged island State of Tasmania also offers cross country skiers some scenic terrain - notably in the UNESCO World Heritage area around Cradle Mountain.
[63] The Australian High Country is populated by unique flora and fauna including wombats, wallabies, echidnas, and the Snow Gum.
[99] According to the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology, in most years snow is sufficient above about 1500 metres to sustain a "viable ski industry".
[12][101] The official opening of the ski season for most resorts coincides with the Kings Birthday Long Weekend on the second Monday in June.
Climate change is predicted to substantially reduce natural snowfall and opportunities for snowmaking at Australian alpine resorts, representing a threat to the viability of Australia's ski industry.
