Article Index
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Australia's ski heritage extends back to 1861 and the Kiandra Gold Rush, when miners formed the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club. This was later to become the Kiandra Alpine Club, whose members are shown with their skis in the 1896 Photo No. 1. AAC currently has no heritage material predating the 1930's, but welcomes scans of any old ski photos that our members might have. |
 Photo No. 3 shows a ski party setting out from Betts Camp in September 1941 for the challenging slopes of the Kosciusko Main Range, about 6 km distant. The nearest ski tow was at the Chalet, Charlottes Pass, 2.5 km from Betts Camp. Kiandra was the only existing ski village at that time, but it lacked the long, steep slopes of the Kosciusko Main Range. The shortage of ski accommodation in the NSW snowfields resulted in the building of Whites River Hut by the Kosciusko Alpine Club in 1935 and the Alpine Hut by a group of skiers in 1939. |
 These ski pioneers seen on the challenging western faces of the Kosciusko Main Range in Photo No. 4, needed to ski 6 km cross-country from the nearest overnight accommodation (the Chalet, Charlotte's Pass) to enjoy some of the longest and steepest ski slopes in Australia. |
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Having climbed back up to Mt Twynam after a couple of runs off 'The Sentinel Ridge' (Photo No. 5), they then face the 6 km return trip back to the Chalet, Charlotte's Pass. Three years later, they got together with many other keen skiers to form a club to make the Australian Alps more accessible to skiers. Initially known as the Ski Tourers Association, it became the Australian Alpine Club in 1962.