skiing in Australia

File:AustAlpsRegionMap.png

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. The ski season runs from June/July to September/October.Toomey, Jade; Glenday, James; Twyford, Lottie (2024) [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-06/australia-snow-season-shorter-climate-change-summer-options/104313858 As Australia's ski seasons get shorter, towns and operators who rely on the snow are looking to summer to diversify] ABC News[https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/2749/how-climate-drivers-affect-australias-snow-season/ Australia's snow season] Bureau of Meteorology A number of well serviced resorts have been developed, including: Thredbo, Perisher Ski Resort, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snowfields in New South Wales; Mount Buller, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, Mount Baw Baw and Mount Buffalo in Victoria; as well as the small resorts of Ben Lomond and Mount Mawson in Tasmania.{{Cite web

| last = Australian Bureau of Meteorology

| authorlink = Bureau of Meteorology

| title = Climate Education

| work = BOM Website

| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp.htm

| accessdate = 4 May 2010

|archiveurl=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090317054300/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/96122/20090317-1643/www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp.html

|archivedate=17 March 2009

}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

New South Wales has the highest terrain and ski resorts: Thredbo's Karel's T-bar terminates at 2037 metres, Perisher's highest lifted point is a close second at 2034 metres and Charlotte Pass at 1990 metres. In Victoria, the highest lifted points are at Mount Hotham with 1845 metres, Falls Creek at 1842 metres, and Mount Buller at 1805 metres.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/activity/ski-and-winter/home-and-away-20081113-650l.html#ixzz1P2DCrERR | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=13 November 2008 | title=Home and away}}

Jindabyne is the main service town for the New South Wales resorts, but most Australian resort centres have on-snow accommodation. Other ski-service towns include Cooma and Adaminaby in NSW and Bright in Victoria. Canberra is situated around two hours' drive from the New South Wales ski-fields, while Melbourne is in good proximity to some of the Victorian resorts (less than two and a half hours’ drive to Mount Baw Baw and three to Mount Buller). The resort village of Dinner Plain in Victoria also has ski facilities.

The mainland's highest peak is Mount Kosciuszko at 2228 m.Footnote: As regards regions with skiable terrain, the Australian Government's Geoscience Australia Website records the highest mountains by State and Territory as follows: Mount Kosciuszko, NSW, 2228 m; Mount Bogong, VIC, 1986 m; Bimberi Peak, ACT, 1912 m; Mount Ossa, TAS, 1617 m (while the highest mountain on Australian Territory is actually Mawson Peak, Heard Island, at 2745 m, which despite being snowbound, has no ski industry owing to its extreme isolation).

File:Kiandra carnival 1900 Charles Kerry.jpeg of skiers from the 1900 Kiandra Snow Shoe Carnival. Kiandra, NSW, is where skiing began in Australia in 1861.]]

{{Main|Skiing in New South Wales}}

New South Wales is home to Australia's highest snow country, oldest skifields and largest resort. 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.{{Citation

| title = Kiandra - Culture and History

| work = Sydney Morning Herald

| url = http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/kiandra--culture-and-history-20081121-6df7.html

| accessdate = 4 May 2010

| date=21 November 2008}} The first and longest surviving ski club in the world, The Kiandra Snow Shoe Club, was formed at Kiandra in that year.{{Citation

| last = Clarke

| first = Norman W.

| authorlink = Norman W. Clarke

| title = World's First Alpine Ski Club

| isbn = 978-0-646-58842-1

| work = Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club (1870) Ltd

| year = 2012

| page = 17/21

}}

{{cite web|url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~sealark/kiandra.html |title=The first and oldest identifiable alpine ski club in the world |access-date=24 February 2019}}

File:Selwyn Snowfields July 2011.jpg, July 2011.]]

File:Cabramurra Ski Club.jpg is Australia's highest town and has a private ski club slope for the use of members.]]

Kiandra is often isolated by deep snow which made it inaccessible during winter. In 1861, Norwegian miners introduced recreational skiing to the snowbound mining settlement after manufacturing over forty pairs‘'Scores of young people are frequently engaged climbing the lofty summits with snow shoes'’ 6 August 1861. of both short skis known as skates and the longer snow shoes’'The roads were passable except with snow shoes or the more novel mode of travelling on skates'’. Braidwood Observer. 12 August 1861. during the months before the first winter snow. To avoid confusion with a conventional skate the skates were described as (two palings turned up at the front end and about four-foot long). There were no fence palings or posts in Kiandra in 1861."There is little or no timber in the country here, and whatever there is, is of no use for fencing or house building purposes." The Yass Courier, 4 August 1862.

Other early ski clubs reported in 1861 include the "Trysil Skytte- og Skiløberforening" (Shot and Ski Practitioner Association) in Norway, and the Onion Valley Snow Shoe Club in the United States.{{Cite news |date=10 April 1861 |title=Snow Shoeing |pages=3 |work=Daily National Democrat (Marysville, California) |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038814/1861-04-10/ed-1/seq-3/}}Butte Record, Marysville, "Daily Appeal" 26 January 1861. The Norway association held their first competition in January 1862. Alpine ski clubs were first founded in Munich, Germany 1891, Switzerland 1893, Arlberg, Austria 1901, followed by France and Italy. Sir Arnold Lunn founded the Kandahar Ski Club of Great Britain in 1924.

The "Kiandra Snow Shoe Club" held separate ski races for both ladies and children as early as 1885. Barbara Yan was the first identifiable woman documented as to having won a Downhill Skiing Championship. Yan also won the ladies downhill in 1887, the year her siblings won the girls' under-8 section and second in the under-12s.Manaro Mercury, Cooma & Bombala Advertiser, 10 August 1887. In 1908 the club held the first ever documented International and Intercontinental Downhill Skiing Carnival. Results - America 1st, Australia 2nd, England 3rd.The Melbourne Argus, 6 July 1908.

Australia's longest running skiing competition is the Balmain Cup.{{cite web|url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~sealark/balmain.html|title=The Balmain Cup - Snow Skiing Competition from 1933|website=members.ozemail.com.au|access-date=31 May 2012|archive-date=11 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211032228/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~sealark/balmain.html|url-status=dead}} 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. Arthur Balmain, whose company transported skiers to all localities, envisaged a competition that would encompass all clubs. He decreed that a team must compete for the Balmain Cup with all members competing in four disciplines: Downhill, Slalom, Jump and Langlauf. In 1946 the competition format for competitors eligibility was changed and the jump section was removed."Kiandra GoldFields To Ski Fields" {{ISBN|0646463373}}

In the wilderness region south of Kiandra, The Alpine Hut, near Mount Jagungal, was built in 1939 to cater for skiers. Access was arduous - via packhorse and ski.[http://www.australianalpineclub.com/pages/H_prt2/heritage_2_01.html AAC - History]

The Kiandra Goldrush was short-lived, but the township remained a service centre for recreational and survival skiing for over a century. The Kiandra courthouse closed as a police station in 1937, and was for a time used as a private residence, before becoming the Kiandra Chalet (until 1953) and later the Kiandra Chalet Hotel,{{cite web |title=Kiandra landmark brought back to life |url=https:coomaexpress.com.au/news/local/news/general/kiandra-landmark-brought-back-to-life/1463598.aspx|website=coomaexpress.com.au |access-date=27 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227064038/coomaexpress.com.au/news/local/news/general/kiandra-landmark-brought-back-to-life/1463598.aspx |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=usurped}} The owner of the Chalet ran a ski rope tow. The Chalet closed in 1973 and the building became a Roads Depot building.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Kiandra/2005/02/17/1108500196974.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Kiandra | date=8 February 2004}} Australia's first T-bar lift was installed on Township Hill in 1957, but in 1978, Kiandra's ski lift operations re-located permanently to nearby Mount Selwyn (Selwyn Snowfields).{{cite web|url=http://www.selwynsnow.com.au/templates/sel/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=69|title=Selwyn Snow Resort - History|website=www.selwynsnow.com.au}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://selwynsnow.com.au/templates/sel/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=60|title=Selwyn Snow Resort - Mountain Information|website=selwynsnow.com.au}} The longest run at Selwyn is the 800 m "Long Arm Run".

Longer slopes and more reliable snows lie further to the south and in the 20th century, the focus of recreational skiing in New South Wales shifted southward, to the Mount Kosciuszko region.The history of skiing at Kiandra has been the subject of several studies, including 1959's "Historic Kiandra", written by the Kiandra Historical Society and Kiandra Goldfields to Skifields (2006) by Norman W. Clarke

File:Kosciuszko Perier SLNSW FL3419792.jpg

File:Charlotte Pass 2008.jpg, NSW, was a pioneer of the Australian ski industry. Village elevation is at 1760 m.]]

In 1900, a hut was built at Bett's Camp, above the Thredbo Escarpment, and came into use for winter skiers. The Hotel Kosciusko was opened by the New South Wales Government in 1909 at what is now Sponars Chalet, near Smiggin Holes.[http://www.kac.org.au/history.html :: Welcome to Kosciusko Alpine Club ::] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913173939/http://kac.org.au/history.html |date=13 September 2009 }}

File:Thredbo July 2011.jpg (NSW) vertical drop of 672 m is the greatest of Australian ski resorts.]]

File:Perisher from Mount Perisher.jpg, NSW, from near the summit of Mount Perisher.]]

The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain.[http://www.charlottepass.com.au/chalet.html Charlotte Pass Ski Resort - Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310170458/http://www.charlottepass.com.au/chalet.html |date=10 March 2011 }} In 1964, Australia briefly boasted the "World's Longest Chairlift" {{citation needed|date=March 2021}}, designed to carry skiers from the Thredbo Valley to Charlotte Pass, but technical difficulties soon closed the facility.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/of-ice-and-men-20090121-7mbh.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Of ice and men | date=24 January 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://www.colongwilderness.org.au/RedIndex/NSW/Jagu99.htm |title= Jagungal|website=www.colongwilderness.org.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912023409/http://www.colongwilderness.org.au/RedIndex/NSW/Jagu99.htm |archive-date=12 September 2009}} 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.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/50-reasons-to-love-australian-snow-20090603-bv3f.html?page=-1 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=50 reasons to love Australian snow | first1=Robert | last1=Upe | first2=Jim | last2=Darby | first3=Russell | last3=Holt | first4=Susan | last4=Bredow | date=6 June 2009}} The growing number of ski enthusiasts heading to Charlotte Pass led to the establishment of a cafe at Smiggin Holes around 1939, where horse-drawn sleighs would deliver skiers to begin the arduous oversnow journey on skis to the Kosciuszko Chalet.{{cite web|url=http://www.perisher.com.au/resort-information/history.html |title=Perisher - History |access-date=8 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006165957/http://www.perisher.com.au/resort-information/history.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 }} It was the construction of the vast Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme from 1949 that really opened up the Snowy Mountains for large scale development of a ski industry and led to the establishment of Thredbo and Perisher as leading Australian resorts.{{cite web|url=https://www.thredbo.com.au/about-thredbo/history/|title=Thredbo's History}}{{Cite web|url = http://www.perisher.com.au/resort-information/history.html|title = perisher.com.au|accessdate = 9 December 2014}} The Construction of Guthega Dam brought skiers to the isolated Guthega district and a rope tow was installed there in 1957.{{cite web|url=http://www.christianacapital.com/intermediate-only/guthega-ski-resort|title=Christiana Capital : Guthega Ski Resort|website=www.christianacapital.com}}

Ski fields up by Kosciuszko's side were also established during this period, though their existence is now little realised. The Australian Alpine Club was founded in 1950 by Charles Anton with a view to establishing a chain of lodges for ski touring across the Australian Alps. Huts were constructed in the "Back Country" close to Mount Kosciuszko, including Kunama Hut, which opened for the 1953 season. A rope tow was installed on Mount Northcote at the site and opened in 1954. The site proved excellent for speed skiing, but the hut was destroyed in an avalanche, which also killed one person, in 1956.[http://www.australianalpineclub.com/index.html History of the Australian Alpine Club]

Anton also recognised the potential of the Thredbo Valley for construction of a major resort and village, with good vertical terrain. Construction began in 1957. Today, Thredbo has 14 ski-lifts and possesses Australia's longest ski resort run, the 5.9 km from Karel's T-Bar to Friday Flat; Australia's greatest vertical drop of 672 m; and the highest lifted point in Australia at 2037 m{{cite web|url=https://www.thredbo.com.au/about-thredbo/|title=About Thredbo}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mynrma.com.au/membership|title=NRMA Membership - 24/7 Roadside Assistance Breakdown Cover - The NRMA|website=www.mynrma.com.au}}

The last establishment of a major skifield in NSW came with the development of Blue Cow Mountain in the 1980s. In 1987 the Swiss-designed Skitube Alpine Railway opened to deliver skiers from Bullocks Flat, on the Alpine Way, to Perisher Valley and to Blue Cow, which also opened in 1987. The operators of Blue Cow purchased Guthega in 1991, and the new combined resort later merged with Perisher-Smiggins to become the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2011 Perisher had 47 lifts covering 1,245 hectares and four village base areas: Perisher Valley (elevation 1720m), Blue Cow Terminal (1890 m), Smiggin Holes (1680 m) and Guthega (1640 m).{{cite web |url=http://www.perisher.com.au/winter/info/stats.html |title= File Not Found|website=www.perisher.com.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324145158/http://www.perisher.com.au/winter/info/stats.html |archive-date=24 March 2010}} The resort is spread across seven mountain peaks, with the highest lifted point being Mount Perisher Double Chair at 2,034 m and the greatest vertical drop on a single run being 355 m from the Ridge Chair at Blue Cow.

{{Main|Skiing in Victoria, Australia}}

File:MarysSlide.jpg Victoria]]

Victoria is the state with the greatest number of ski resorts in Australia. The highest peak in Victoria is Mount Bogong at 1986m.{{cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/highest-mountains.jsp |title=Highest Mountains - Geoscience Australia |access-date=28 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406044856/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/highest-mountains.jsp |archive-date=6 April 2010 }}

A hospice was built at Mount Saint Bernard (elevation 1540m) around 1863 along a track developed to link the Victorian gold fields. Snowshoes were developed locally to assist winter travellers, with a larger hospice being built around 1884. Recreational and practical skiing was practised in the area by the 1880s and 1890s with skis made from local timbers, and making use of single steering poles. The first winter traverse of the Victorian Alps was made in 1900, via the Hospice and Mount Hotham. The Hospice operated as a recreational ski location into the 1930s, but was destroyed by bushfires in 1939.

[http://www.australianalpineclub.com/pages/H_prt4/H_prt04_03.htm Australian Alpine Club Heritage]

Skiing began at Mount Buffalo in the 1890s, and the Mount Buffalo Chalet was constructed in 1910. Australia's first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo in 1936.{{cite web|url=https://theaustralianalps.wordpress.com/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/mount-buffalo-national-park/|title=Mount Buffalo National Park|date=19 November 2013}} Buffalo's first ski lodge was built at Dingo Dell in 1954. A bushfire in 2006 forced the temporary closure of the resort, and negotiations are continuing over a new lease on the property.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtbuffaloresort.com.au/environment_chalet_history_time.php |title=Environment - A Short History of Mt Buffalo - Mt Buffalo Resort |access-date=23 July 2009 |archive-date=15 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515155218/http://www.mtbuffaloresort.com.au/environment_chalet_history_time.php |url-status=dead }}{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/lodge-destroyed-on-mount-buffalo/2006/12/12/1165685681152.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | first=Daniella | last=Miletic | title=Lodge destroyed on Mount Buffalo | date=13 December 2006}}

File:Mt Buffalo, Victoria, Australia.jpg

A stone cottage was built at Mount Hotham in 1925 to cater for a growing interest in skiing, and a Club was built in 1944, with the first ski tow installed in 1951.{{cite web|url=http://www.mthotham.com.au/resort/about/history/|title=Mount Hotham - History}} A ski hut was erected at Mount Baw Baw, 120 km east of Melbourne, in 1945, and a ski rope tow added in 1955.{{cite web|url=http://www.mountbawbaw.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=221 |title=About Mt Baw Baw |access-date=23 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612230754/http://www.mountbawbaw.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=221 |archive-date=12 June 2009 }} 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.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/mount-buller--culture-and-history-20081126-6idd.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Mount Buller - Culture and History | date=26 November 2008}} In 1957, Australia's first chairlift was installed at Falls Creek,[http://www.fallscreek.com.au/HistoryoftheResort History of the Resort - Official Home of Falls Creek Alpine Resort] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925091145/http://www.fallscreek.com.au/HistoryoftheResort |date=25 September 2009 }} and the area is now the largest ski resort in Victoria.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}

The Interschools Event, hosted in Mount Buller, claims to be the largest interdisciplinary snow-sports event, attracting 3500 participants in 2008.

Snow play is also available at Mount Donna Buang.

{{Main|Skiing in the Australian Capital Territory}}

File:Road Closed Mount Franklin.jpg, was built by the Canberra Alpine Club in the 1930s]]

The most northerly ski fields in Australia are located in the A.C.T. - 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. and Bimberi Nature Reserve and Brindabella National Park in New South Wales. The highest mountain in the ACT is Bimberi Peak, which lies above the treeline at 1912 metres, at the northern edge of the Snowy Mountains.

A ski chalet was constructed at Mount Franklin in 1938 to service the Canberra Alpine Club.{{cite web|url=https://theaustralianalps.wordpress.com/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/bimberi-nature-reserve/|title=Bimberi Nature Reserve|date=19 November 2013}} Ski runs were cleared and ski tows were improvised.[http://www.cac.org.au/wotzon.htm#OpenDay What's On] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125020249/http://cac.org.au/wotzon.htm |date=25 January 2014 }} The chalet later operated as a museum before being destroyed in the 2003 bushfires.[http://www.cac.org.au/history.htm Canberra Alpine Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125015838/http://cac.org.au/history.htm |date=25 January 2014 }} A new shelter designed and built by University of Adelaide students opened in 2008. Today, cross country skiing is possible in the area, when conditions allow.{{cite web|url=https://theaustralianalps.wordpress.com/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/namadgi-national-park/|title=Namadgi National Park|date=19 November 2013}} Cross Country skiing is also practised at Mount Gingera, which rises above the city of Canberra to an elevation of 1855m, and is the most prominent snow-covered peak above the city.[http://www.australia.com/destinations/icons/namadgi.aspx Namadgi National Park, ACT - Tourism Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221221947/http://www.australia.com/destinations/icons/namadgi.aspx |date=21 February 2012 }}INSTRUMENT NO. 111 OF 1999 ACT Legislation

Snow play is available at Corin Forest, near Canberra, at an elevation of 1200 m. A development plan was drafted following the 2003 Canberra bushfires which would see three 600 m chairlifts installed together with snowmaking facilities and accommodation at this site.[http://www.corin.com.au/futurePlans.htm Corin- Future Plans] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912180014/http://www.corin.com.au/futurePlans.htm |date=12 September 2009 }}

As has proved to be the case throughout the neighbouring Kosciuszko National Park ski resorts, recent developments in artificial snowmaking capacity would allow for the enhancement of previously utilised ski slopes in the ACT, but the Namadgi National Park Draft Management Plan of September 2005 downplayed the future development of skiing as a sport in the Park, citing environmental concerns and suggesting that "climate change" has made conditions "less favourable":{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/380673/34peNamadgi.pdf|title=Inquiry into Namadgi National Park Management|accessdate=2017-11-21}}

{{blockquote|Ski touring is a minor activity in Namadgi as snowfall is only adequate for skiing for short periods in winter and spring. In most years, snow play can occur over several weeks, even if snow is present in small patches on the higher peaks...

No facilities exist for alpine or downhill skiing within Namadgi, although there is a history of downhill skiing associated with the Canberra Alpine Ski Club and the Mt Franklin Chalet (destroyed in the 2003 bushfires). It is unlikely that Namadgi will be suitable for this activity in the future as climate change is causing conditions to become less favourable. More suitable locations exist and opportunities are available within Kosciuszko National Park.

}}

{{Main|Skiing in Tasmania}}

File:Summit run.jpg]]

The most southerly ski fields in Australia are located in Tasmania, a mountainous island off the southern coast of Eastern Australia. Much of the state is subject to at least occasional winter snows. Mount Ossa is the highest point on the island at {{convert|1614|m|abbr=on}} but Tasmania has eight mountains exceeding 1500 m and 28 above 1,220 m. Also notable is the Central Plateau, at an elevation of around 900 m. The capital city of Hobart is built at the base of Mount Wellington, which at 1270 m is snow-capped in winter.{{cite web|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/bb8db737e2af84b8ca2571780015701e/876720A0621CD8E5CA25710E00756155?opendocument|title=Chapter - Mountains|first=c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of|last=Statistics|date=13 September 2002|website=www.abs.gov.au}}

Tasmania's premier Alpine skiing operations are located at Ben Lomond, {{convert|60|km|abbr=on}} from Launceston.{{cite web |url=http://www.ltvtasmania.com.au/content/view/14/74/ |title=What to Do |access-date=2011-05-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070505154224/http://www.ltvtasmania.com.au/content/view/14/74/ |archive-date=5 May 2007}} The village is at 1460 m and the top elevation is {{convert|1570|m|abbr=on}}.[http://www.skimountain.co.uk/resort-guide/ski-ben-lomond Ben Lomond | Offpiste | Piste Maps | Snow Conditions / Reports | Ski Images] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007020629/http://www.skimountain.co.uk/resort-guide/ski-ben-lomond |date=7 October 2013 }} Its season usually begins in mid-July and in peak season, its runs are served by seven lifts.[http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/06/30/341571_tasmania-news.html Snow's up on Ben Lomond Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania] Limited downhill ski operations also exist in the Mount Field National Park at Mount Mawson, which is approximately 89 kilometres north west of Hobart and rises from 1200 m to 1320 m altitude.[http://stsa.webbed.com.au/ Southern Tasmanian Ski Association]

One of Australia's most scenic alpine locations is located in Tasmania at Cradle Mountain, where cross country skiing is possible. Cradle Mountain is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, inscribed by UNESCO in 1982.[http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=391 Parks & Wildlife Service - Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]

File:The start of girls' snowshoe race, Kiandra.jpg c. 1900]]

Australia was a pioneer nation in the sport of ski racing, with annual ski races being conducted at Kiandra during the 19th Century. The Kiandra snow shoe club is the oldest ski club in the world."World's First Alpine Ski Club" second edition {{ISBN|9780646588421}}{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/kiandra--culture-and-history-20081121-6df7.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Kiandra - Culture and History | date=21 November 2008}} The club was formed in 1861 by three Norwegians, Elias Gottaas, Soren Torp and Carl Bjerknes on the Kiandra Gold Fields, NSW. This original Kiandra ski club is now recognised as the first alpine snow ski club in the world, it also carries the distinction of being the longest continuously operating club. In 2006, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum confirmed that the first two ski clubs in the world were formed by Norwegians in 1861, "both in Australia and Norway".Ski Museum letter published "World's First Alpine Ski Club" second edition {{ISBN|9780646588421}}

10 May 2011 The Federation of International Skiing included in a letter signed by the President Gian Franco Kasper the following statement: "I would like to commend you for having organised the first alpine ski races in the history of our sport."FIS letters published "World's First Alpine Ski Club" second edition {{ISBN|9780646588421}}

29 June 2011 Federation International Skiing wrote:

"2011 is an historic year for Australian skiing, and the 150-year milestone is being celebrated across the nation's ski fields by many organisations. The FIS joins the congratulations for this important Australian anniversary, together for Kiandra's inaugural position in alpine skiing in the world."

Ski races were conducted from 1861 then in 1908 the club held the world's first documented "International Ski Carnival". The results were: America, 1st. Australia, 2nd. England, 3rd.The Melbourne Argus, 6 July 1908Full race results: "Kiandra - Gold fields to Ski Fields" {{ISBN|0646463373}} In addition to the International Downhill Race, events included races for boys under eight, ten, eleven and fourteen; boys and girls Open Championships were also conducted. The events concluded with a "New Chum" event and toboggan race.This has been referenced to "Kiandra : gold fields to ski fields" / by Norman W. Clarke. [Sydney : Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club (1870) Ltd. ], 2006. Description: 187 p. : {{ISBN|0-646-46337-3}}

The Federation Internationale de Ski calendar lists various alpine and cross country skiing, as well as snowboarding and moguls competitions in Australia during the month of August.{{cite web|url=http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/fiscalendar.html?place_search=&seasoncode_search=2009§or_search=&date_search=&gender_search=&category_search=ANC&codex_search=&nation_search=&disciplinecode_search=&search=Search&limit=20&date_from=today|title=International Ski Federation Listed Events in Australia}}

{{Clear}}

{{Main|Australia at the Winter Olympics}}

Australian skiers competed in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Oslo, 1952. Australian skiers have competed in all subsequent Winter Olympic Games and won medals at every Games since 1998.

Australians have competed in Olympic alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, and Nordic combined (one competitor in 1960).{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/sports |title=Vancouver 2010: Winter Sports |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212064959/http://www.olympics.com.au/sports |archive-date=12 February 2010 }} Of these ski events, Australia has been most successful in the sport of Freestyle Skiing in which it has won Olympic medals, produced World Champions and over 100 world cup medals.http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/freestyle-skiing {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212065729/http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/freestyle-skiing |title=Vancouver 2010: Freestyle Skiing |date=12 February 2010 }}

Malcolm Milne competed for Australia in Alpine skiing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games. His 1968 Olympics 24th placing in the Slalom Event remains the best performance by an Australian male in that event.{{cite web|url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/games/457/Grenoble+1968|title=Australian Olympic Committee: 1968 Grenoble}} In 1969 he became the first non-European to win a men's World Cup downhill event - winning first place at Val d'Isère.{{cite news| url=http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives/2007/07/snow_divide_-_australia_vs_new_zealand.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=The Age Blogs: Travel}} Steven Lee became the second Australian to take a World Cup victory, winning at Furano, Japan in 1985, and Zali Steggall became the third Australian (and first woman) at Park City, Utah in 1997.

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. The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia was established by the Australian Olympic Committee in June 1998 in an effort to improve the performances of its Australian Winter Olympic Teams,{{cite web|url=http://olympics.com.au/|title=Best of Buenos Aires 2018|website=olympics.com.au}} and Alisa Camplin won Australia's first Alpine Olympic gold medal in the Freestyle Skiing Women's Aerials at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Camplin won Bronze at the subsequent Torino Olympics in 2006, while Dale Begg-Smith won Australia's second skiing Gold in 2006 in the Freestyle Skiing Men's Moguls.{{cite web|url=http://olympics.com.au/olympian-search/aus-olympic-champions|title=Australian Olympic Committee: AUS Olympic Champions|website=olympics.com.au}}A history of Australia's involvement at the Winter Olympics can be found on the Australian Olympic Committee's corporate website at [http://corporate.olympics.com.au/games.cfm?GamesID=461] Begg-Smith won silver in the same event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics,{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/winter-olympics/australian-dale-beggsmith-settles-for-silver-20100215-o07b.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Australian Dale Begg-Smith settles for silver | first1=Will | last1=Brodie | first2=Scott | last2=Spits | date=15 February 2010}} while Lydia Lassila won gold for Australia in the Women's Aerials.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/freestyle-skiing/sportnews/newsID/234CEB20%2D21CD%2D11DF%2DADF2005056B0333F |access-date=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226070210/http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/freestyle-skiing/sportnews/newsID/234CEB20%2D21CD%2D11DF%2DADF2005056B0333F |title=Vancouver 2010: Freestyle Skiing |archive-date=26 February 2010 }}

The sport of snowboarding is also popular in the Australian skifields and Australia has been represented at the Olympics in this sport ever since it debuted at Nagano in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/snowboard |title=Vancouver 2010: Snowboard |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212070230/http://www.olympics.com.au/sports/snowboard |archive-date=12 February 2010 }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/news/bright-lands-golden-run |title=Vancouver 2010: Bright lands golden run |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222021046/http://www.olympics.com.au/news/bright-lands-golden-run |archive-date=22 February 2010 }} Bright's gold medal - combined with the gold and silver skiing event medals - made 2010 Australia's most successful winter Olympic Games.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/news/australia-records-best-ever-winter-games |title=Vancouver 2010: Australia records best ever Winter Games |access-date=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305063312/http://www.olympics.com.au/news/australia-records-best-ever-winter-games |archive-date=5 March 2010 }} The Australian team was the only Southern Hemisphere team to secure medals and was ranked 13th in the overall medal tally. Australia's two gold medals equalled the gold medal haul of former Winter Olympic host nation France and surpassed those of former host nations Italy, Japan and Croatia (in the Former Yugoslavia).{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/countryTally |title=Vancouver 2010|access-date=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226064345/http://www.olympics.com.au/countryTally |archive-date=26 February 2010 }} A parodical bid for Australia to host the Olympic Games at Smiggin Holes was launched by satirical sports commentators Roy and HG during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics: see Smiggin Holes 2010 Winter Olympic bid.

File:Towards Kosciuszko from Kangaroo Ridge in winter.jpg.]]

The Kosciuszko Main Range in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales offer some of the most challenging cross-country and back-country skiing in Australia, notably Watsons Crags and Mount Twynam on the steep Western Face of the Range.{{cite web|url=http://www.ozbc.net/nsw_crags.htm|title=OzBC.net - NSW Backcountry - Watson's Crags|access-date=10 December 2009|archive-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127105141/http://www.ozbc.net/nsw_crags.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ozbc.net/nsw_twynamwest.htm|title=OzBC.net - NSW Backcountry - Twynam West Spur / Tenison Woods Knoll|access-date=10 December 2009|archive-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127110738/http://www.ozbc.net/nsw_twynamwest.htm|url-status=dead}} The Mount Jagungal wilderness area provides some of the most isolated back-country ski terrain. High country huts, often a legacy of the era of cattle grazing in the mountains, provide emergency shelter in these regions.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kosciuszkohuts.org.au/thehuts.html |title=The Huts |access-date=23 July 2009 |archive-date=17 June 2005 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050617024653/http://www.kosciuszkohuts.org.au/thehuts.html |url-status=dead }} Seaman's Hut, near Kosciuszko, was built as a refuge in 1929 to commemorate Laurie Seaman, who was separated from his party and died in a 1928 blizzard while attempting to cross-country ski to Mount Kosciuszko.{{cite web|url=http://www.snowymountains.com.au/High_Country_Huts.html |title=High Country Huts |access-date=21 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603125923/http://www.snowymountains.com.au/High_Country_Huts.html |archive-date=3 June 2009 }}

File:Hoppet-2005-sun-valley.jpg, an annual 42 km Cross Country Ski Race, at Falls Creek, Victoria.]]

File:Jagungal.jpg.]]

Dedicated Cross Country ski resorts are located at Lake Mountain, Mount Stirling and Mount St Gwinear in Victoria and popular areas for back country skiing and ski touring in the Alpine National Park, Yarra Ranges National Park and the Baw Baw National Park include: Mount Bogong, Mount Feathertop, Bogong High Plains, Mount Howitt, Mount Reynard and Snowy Plains. 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. The showpiece 42-kilometre race attracts thousands of spectators and competitors.

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. Mount Franklin Chalet, built in 1938, in the A.C.T. played a pioneering role in providing lifted ski runs in Australia, however the chalet was converted to a museum and subsequently destroyed by fire in 2003, so today only cross country skiing can be practised in the area (when conditions allow).[http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/act/content/2003/s826091.htm Stateline Canberra] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102231916/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/act/content/2003/s826091.htm |date=2 November 2011 }} Cross Country skiing is also practised at Mount Gingera, elevation 1855 m, a prominent snow-covered peak above the city of Canberra.

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. Tasmania has 28 mountains above 1,220 m and much of the island is subject to at least occasional winter snow.

The Australian High Country is populated by unique flora and fauna including wombats, wallabies, echidnas, and the Snow Gum.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/50-reasons-to-love-australian-snow-20090603-bv3f.html?page=-1 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=50 reasons to love Australian snow | date=6 June 2009}} The Alpine regions are subject to environmental protection, which has limited the scope of commercial development of skiable terrain,See "Kosciuszko National Park: Contemporary Management". New South Wales Department of Education and Training, Riverina Environmental Education Centre. however Australia has extensive cross-country skiing terrain.{{cite web|url=http://www.hoppet.com.au/xc/|title=XC - The Australian cross country skiing site|website=www.hoppet.com.au}}[http://www.australia.com/destinations/icons/alps.aspx Australian Alps - Tourism Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221222217/http://www.australia.com/destinations/icons/alps.aspx |date=21 February 2012 }}

A landmark expedition in early Australian cross country skiing was conducted in 1927, when William Hughes, of the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club, together with four members of the Ski Club of Australia made the first historic ski traverse from Kiandra to the Hotel Kosciusko (now Sponars Chalet). Their eventful journey, via the Mount Jagungal Wilderness and across freezing rivers, is retold in Klaus Hueneke's book "Kiandra to Kosciusko" and was commemorated by 150 ski tourers in 1977 in an event organised by the Kosciuszko Huts Association.{{cite web|url=http://nordicskiclub.org.au/kag_arch/kiandra_to_kosciusko.shtml |access-date=21 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121114509/http://nordicskiclub.org.au/kag_arch/kiandra_to_kosciusko.shtml |title=NSW Nordic Ski Club - Kiandra to Kosciusko |archive-date=21 November 2008 }}

{{See also|Snow in Australia}}

File:Spencers Creek Average Depths.png]]

File:Snow making machine.jpg at Smiggin Holes, New South Wales.]]

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". However, snow falls can vary greatly from year to year.{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/public/sigwxsum/sigw1206.shtml|title=SIGNIFICANT WEATHER - December 2006|website=www.bom.gov.au}} Snow making equipment at ski resorts has reduced uncertainty in recent times.{{cite web|url=http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowDepth.asp?pageID=46&parentID=6 |access-date=20 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511030203/http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowDepth.asp?pageID=46&parentID=6 |title=Snowy Hydro - Water Resources - Snow Depths Calculator |archive-date=11 May 2009 }}[https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090317054300/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/96122/20090317-1643/www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp5.html]{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

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. Australia's ski resorts are located near the top of some of the highest mountains in Australia, and there is therefore little scope to relocate to higher, colder areas if the existing ski fields become too warm.{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=R.M.B. |last2=Remenyi |first2=T. |last3=Bindoff |first3=N.L. |title=The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Victorian AlpineResorts |url=https://www.arcc.vic.gov.au/uploads/publications-and-research/The%20Potential%20Impact%20of%20Climate%20Change%20on%20Victorian%20Alpine%20Resorts%20Study_FINAL.pdf |publisher=Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council |access-date=18 March 2022 |date=2016}}

File:Perisher Olympic Ski Trail.JPG from Mount Perisher. Perisher is Australia's largest ski resort.]]

Alpine Skiing:

• New South Wales
• Thredbo
• Perisher
• Perisher Valley
• Blue Cow Mountain
• Smiggin Holes
• Guthega
• Selwyn Snowfields
• Charlotte Pass
• Victoria
• Mount Hotham
• Dinner Plain
• Falls Creek
• Mount Buller
• Mount Baw Baw
• Tasmania
• Ben Lomond
• Mount Mawson

File:CradleMountain.jpg in Tasmania's UNESCO World Heritage Wilderness Area]]

File:Lake-Mountain-trail.jpg cross country ski resort, Victoria.]]

File:Telemark-skier-mt-stirling-1.jpg cross country ski resort, Victoria]]

Cross country ski resorts:

• Victoria
• Falls Creek
• Lake Mountain
• Mount Baw Baw/Mount St Gwinear
• Mount Buffalo
• Mount Stirling

Major ski locations:

• New South Wales:
• Kosciuszko National Park
• Jagungal Wilderness
• Kiandra
• Kosciuszko Main Range
• Bimberi Nature Reserve
• Victoria
• Alpine National Park
• Bogong High Plains
• Mount Bogong
• Mount Feathertop
• Baw Baw National Park
• Lake Mountain
• Mount Buffalo National Park
• Tasmania
• Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
• Ben Lomond National Park
• Mount Field National Park
• Australian Capital Territory
• Namadgi National Park
• Mount Ginini
• Mount Franklin

Image:perisher_valley_snow_fields.jpg | Perisher

File:Mount Blue Cow July 2011.jpg|Blue Cow, Perisher

File:Mt-Hotham-Village-2008.jpg|Mount Hotham Village

Image:SnowMobileSnowys.jpg| An OverSnow Vehicle at Perisher

Image:Smiggin_holes.jpg| Smiggin Holes, New South Wales

File:Falls-creek-ruined-castle-and-terrain-park.jpg|The Ruined Castle chairlift and terrain park, Falls Creek, Victoria

File:Mount Mawson.jpg|Top of Mount Mawson tow, Tasmania

File:Baw-baw-view-gippsland.jpg|The view across Gippsland from Mount Baw Baw, Victoria

File:Mt Buller village Stevage.jpg|Mount Buller village, Victoria.

File:Mount Kosciuszko01Oct06.JPG|Mount Kosciuszko, New South Wales - Australia's highest peak - October 2006

File:Mount Bogong.jpg |Mount Bogong, the highest mountain in Victoria

File:Mount Ossa From Pelion Plains.jpg|Mount Ossa, the highest mountain in Tasmania, seen from Pelion Plains

• Skiing in Victoria, Australia
• Skiing in New South Wales
• Skiing in Tasmania
• Skiing in the Australian Capital Territory
• List of ski areas and resorts in Australia
• Winter sport in Australia
• Kiandra snow shoe club

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|Skiing in Australia}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxeuUqJ3jDE Mini-documentary on Skiing Kiandra]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vY9RQniLd8 15oth Anniversary of skiing at Kiandra] from the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
• [http://www.australianalps.environment.gov.au/index.html Australian Alps National Parks]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090511030203/http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowDepth.asp?pageID=46&parentID=6 Snowy Hydro Snow Depth Charts]
• [http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/96122/20090317-1643/www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/temp.html Bureau of Meteorology Climate Education]
• [http://corporate.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=23 Australia at the Winter Olympics]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120415065257/http://www.skiingaustralia.org.au/index.asp Ski & Snowboard Australia]
• [http://www.vicjuniorxcski.com Victorian Cross Country Ski Team]
• [http://www.hoppet.com.au/xc/ Cross Country Skiing Australia]
• [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=391 Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]
• [http://www.smh.com.au/travel/50-reasons-to-love-australian-snow-20090603-bv3f.html?page=-1 50 Reasons to Love Australian Snow, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2009.]
• [http://www.australianalpineclub.com/ The Australian Alpine Club]
• [https://iluvaussie.com/best-places-to-enjoy-and-see-snow-in-australia/ Snow in Australia]
• [http://australianmountains.com/australianskilifts/ Australian ski lift directory]. Details of all of the 400 ski lifts that have been built in Australia.
• [http://www.thredbo.com.au/ Thredbo - Ski Resorts in NSW]
• [http://www.perisher.com.au/ Perisher - Ski Resorts in NSW]

{{Skifields of Australia}}

{{Australian State Highest Points}}

{{Oceania topic|List of ski areas and resorts in}}

{{Australian sport}}

{{Australia topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skiing In Australia}}

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