December 28, 2009
From the 19th century
The State Library of Victoria has an online copy and PDF of the Illustrated Guide to the Australian Alps issued by the Bright Alpine Club.
Further information on the creation of the Illustrated Guide can be found on Visit Mount Buffalo. One interesting quote from that article is the following (emphasis is mine)
> Under the energetic leadership of Dr. John Wilkinson and William Staker, the Bright Alpine Club actively publicised the values of the plateau and invited influential visitors to witness them at first hand. It produced an Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Alps, and concluded that the best way to experience the plateau was to camp out. The complete isolation from the world of business, the exhilaration, the wildness and magnificence of the surroundings brings the tourist in close sympathy with nature.
There is more information on the history of Mount Buffalo over at Wikiski.
Mount Buffalo had the first tow in Australia. Charlotte Pass was the first ski resort in Australia. Smiggin Holes followed as a ski destination some time around 1939. Perisher followed in the early fifties with Telemark (near the T-bar of the same name) and Snow Revellers' (further up the hill and towards Pretty Valley) being constructed and over snow transport commencing in the following years.
The first building erected in Perisher Valley occupied a position (30 on this PDF) between the current Eiger Chalet and Marritz. It was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1959, it is now the Rock Creek Ski Club. Rock Creek Ski Club sleeps six people.
Rock Creek joins up with the Perisher Creek down near the Skitube terminal. The camera view over Rock Creek Valley looks south-east over the other end of Rock Creek.
There are 88 club lodges in Perisher built from the 1950s onwards. Most of those clubs have websites and some of those that have websites also have a history page detailing both the club formation and the building of the club lodge.
The question is - after all that time - does that quote regarding Mount Buffalo from the 1890's apply to Perisher Valley today?
NB: All effort has been made to maintain accuracy. Contact us for any corrections.
Posted at 11:53 PM