People

Charles Kerry

Charles Kerry has been called the ‘father of Australian skiing’ due to his many contributions to the sport. Kerry was a professional photographer in Sydney at the turn of the twentieth century and was official photographer to the NSW Governor. He took photographs all around Australia and in the Pacific islands and was the first to photograph skiing in Australia in 1896 at Kiandra. For many years thereafter he published photos and stories about skiing, mostly in the Sydney Mail newspaper. Thousands of his photos remain as original glass plate negatives in the Powerhouse Museum and in the Macleay Museum of Sydney University. In 1897 Kerry led the first winter ascent of Mt Kosciuszko via the Thredbo Valley and Friday Flat. In 1898, Kerry founded the NSW Alpine Club in Sydney, the precursor of the Kosciusko Alpine Club, with a view to competing in the annual races at Kiandra. Also in that year members of the NSW Alpine Club made the first ascent of Mt Jagungal in winter. In 1909 Kerry became the foundation president of the Kosciusko Alpine Club and remained president until 1918. Further reading:  Charles Kerry and the Tyrrell Collection by Dave Woods, PHS Newsletter 18, p.14. Charles Kerry by Percy Hunter, Aust Ski Yr Bk, 1928, p.55.

Clement Wragge

In 1895 Clement Wragge, who had  done meteorological work in Scotland, persuaded the Tasmanian Government to establish a weather station on the top of Mt Wellington. In 1897 he was Government Meteorologist for the Colony of Qiueensland and obtained approval  to establish an observatory on the top of Mt Kosciuszko.

Government funds were not provided but £150 was raised in Adelaide enabling the project to begin. The observers bought an arctic tent, pyramidal in form, together with arctic sleeping bags of tanned sheepskin. Personnel were: Overseer, Captain Iliff of Cape Morton, First Observer, Bernard Ingelby of Adelaide, Second Observer, B. de Burgh Newth, of Candelo. Wragge led the party which left Brisbane on 28 November, 1897, obtained final stores in Jindabyne and left that township on 2 December. They reached the summit on 4 December. All instruments were set up by 10 December and Wragge left to establish a corresponding observatory at Merimbula on the NSW coast.

By 1 January, 1898 both observatories were functioning.  When snow came in March it was necessary to replace the tents with a more substantial structure and and a hut with two apartments was constructed, walled around with mountain stone.

The only records found were from 1898 and it is believed that later records were destroyed by a fire in New Zealand where they were taken by Wragge after the observatory closed.

Further reading: Wragge’s Hut by Wendy Cross, PHS Newsletter 14, p.4.

Wragge’s Observatory by C.D.V. Heyde, Aust NZ Ski Yr. Bk., 1939, p.118.

Percy Hunter

In the early years of the twentieth century Percy Hunter had been Secretary to the first Federal Agent General in London. Whilst there he had visited Switzerland and been impressed by the potential of snowsports for tourism.

On return to Australia he was appointed to the NSW Department of Intelligence and Tourism, the precursor to the NSW Government Tourist Bureau. In 1906 he made a trip to Kiandra with members of the NSW Alpine Club and there learned to ski. He was smitten.

Immediately Hunter suggested to the Government of Joseph Carruthers that it build a hotel in the Kosciusko area where the snow was better and more reliable than in Kiandra with a view to encouraging winter tourism. He also wrote many articles both in the popular press and of a departmental nature promoting winter sports.

Percy Hunter became a foundation member of the Kosciusko Alpine Club in 1909, President from 1919-1922 and remained a member all his life. He edited The Australian Ski Year Book from its inception in 1928 until 1933.

Further reading: An Appreciation, Aust. Ski Yr. Bk., 1934, p.34.

Percy Pearson

Percy Pearson was a successful competitive cyclist as was his father Joseph Pearson. Percy heard about skiing in 1906 and in 1908 joined a group of eight which went to see the embryonic Hotel Kosciusko being built at Diggers Creek. The group camped in the partly completed hotel and Pearson suggested the formation of the Kosciusko Alpine Club. This did not happen immediately but did so the following year.  Pearson was elected foundation Honorary Secretary, a position he held for the next 27 years.

During that time he was involved in all activities of the club including racing, importation of skis,  development of ski technique and instruction  and manually clearing ski runs with an axe. He was a meticulous recorder of minutes and records and it is due to him that KAC has such an excellent record of its earlier years. In failing health he was elected President in 1938 and died in 1939.

Further reading:  My Pioneer Trip to Kosciusko – Percy Pearson, PHS Newsletter 25, p.5.

Sir Herbert Schlink

Sir Herbert Schlink, a gynaecologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, was a towering figure in the early years of skiing in the Kosciusko area.

Schlink joined the Kosciusko Alpine Club (KAC) as a foundation member in 1909 and became its second president in 1918 before leaving one year later to help found the Ski Club of Australia.

Schlink was the first downhill champion of KAC and, in 1910, led the first winter ascent of Mt Kosciuszko from the Hotel Kosciusko along the Kosciuszko Road. The first trip took 3 days staying overnight both times at Betts Camp.

As a result of this trip, Schlink proposed that KAC institute the Summit Badge and Summit Competition. The original by-laws stipulated that the journey  should be completed in 48 hours, subsequently reduced to 24 and finally 10 hours for men and 12 for women. The fastest time by a team or individual in any season would win the Summit Trophy for that year.

Schlink himself made many attempts over the years. The first record of 15 hr, 15 min, was set by Drs Schlink and Shorney and J. Jacobsen, a Norwegian, in 1914.

Subsequently, Schlink led the first crossing from Kiandra to the Hotel Kosciusko in 1927. Schlink Pass, near Mt Gungartan, the highest in the Australian Alps, and the Schlink Hilton Hut, nearby are named in honour of him.

Further reading: Sir Herbert Schlink by Ashleigh Davy, Aust. Ski Yr. Bk. 1963, p.36.

Charles Maclurcan

Charles Maclurcan  joined Kosciusko Alpine Club  (KAC) in 1914, became Treasurer in 1916 and President in 1931. He was already a champion skater and pioneered skating on the lake in front of the Hotel Kosciusko.  He soon learned to ski very well and  initiated the club’s (and Australia’s) first ski proficiency tests in 1918. In the beginning there was just one test  and it was modelled on the third class tesrt of the Ski Club of Great Britain. Maclurcan described the test in the first Year Book of the KAC in 1919.

There are three parts to the test. The first part consists of climbing a steep grade within a given time. The candidate has to execute to the satisfaction of the judges all the various methods of climbing such as kick turning, herringboning, sidestepping etc.  The second part consists in descending a slope of fair grade within a time limit.  In this part the runner has to show that he can run downhill swiftly and safely, and in good form.  Good form consists in (a) a narrow track (b) an easy balance without any appearance of stiffness and (c) an erect position with arms held easily beside the body (not straight out from the shoulders, as one often sees). Finally, in the third part, the candidate has to make four stemming turns at a fair speed, and has to stop on a slope by means of snow-ploughing or stemming.

Throughout the whole Test all candidates must carry their usual touring equipment. Both ladies and gentlemen must carry their rucksacks, weighing with contents, not less than 5 lb and 7 lb respectively.

Further reading: In Memoriam  Charles D. Maclurcan, Aust. Ski Yr Bk. 1958, p.23.

The Speet Family

Piet and Cornelia Speet managed the Hotel Kosciusko from 1922-1939 and lived there with their family, Teddy, Sidney, Ronald and daughter Corrie.

Piet and Cornelia arrived in Australia from Java in 1914, Piet having previously held hotel positions in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Java. Piet took a job as sub-manager at the Hotel Australia in Sydney and, soon after, as Chef at the Hotel Kosciusko.  He enlisted during WWI and returned to the Creel, and later the Hotel, after the war. He was the longest serving manager of the Hotel and the only manager with significant prior experience in hotel and restaurant management.

Piet Speet had an excellent reputation as manager and got on well with politicians, Tourist Bureau officers, skiers, Hotel guests staff and the local community.

When he left the Hotel, many loyal staff followed him to the Hotel Canobolas in Orange where he remained a further 21 years.

The Seaman/Hayes Tragedy

Laurie Seaman and Evan Hayes were members of the newly-formed Millions Ski Club who set out from Betts Camp on 14 August, 1928 with a group of fellow members on a day tour without a predetermined goal.

Early in the day the weather was good and when Seaman and Hayes had reached Charlotte Pass, they were ahead of the their companions and decided to push on to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko.

As so often happens in the mountains, the weather turned on them and conditions were akin to a whiteout. Both men reached the summit, as we have photographs of them there, but then they lost track of each other.

On 9 September, 1928, Mr Mander Jones and a party of schoolboys  located Laurie Seaman’s body near Sentinel Rocks, beside the summit road, close to where Seaman’s Hut now stands, while stockman, Jack Willis discovered Evan Hayes’ body 12 months later.

This was the first skiing tragedy in the Australian Alps and Laurie Seaman’s parents donated money for a shelter hut in his memory which the NSW Government built in 1929. The Hut still stands and has been invaluable to tourers and picnickers alike.

Photo: Laurie Seaman (left) and Evan Hayes.

Further reading:  The Kosciusko Fatality of 1928, Aust Ski Yr Bk, 1929, p.97.

Paddy Pallin

Frank Austin ‘Paddy’ Pallin was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England in 1900.  He disliked his nickname but had to give in when everybody started using it. Paddy’s love of the outdoors began with family outings in his local countryside.

After service in the Royal Flying Corps (RAF) in 1918 Paddy worked as an average adjustor in an insurance office before being transferred to London in 1920.

In 1926 Paddy and his fiancée May decided to emigrate to Australia.  Paddy left first and tried farming at Singleton, NSW. This was not a success and he returned to Sydney and a job in insurance. While there he joined the Sydney Bushwalkers Club in 1927 and did a lot of bushwalking in the Blue Mountains. May joined him in 1927.

Paddy lost his job during the depression but decided to start an outdoor equipment business. As he was used to making some of his own camping equipment, he soon began selling groundsheets, tents, sleeping bags and rucksacks.

In 1930 Paddy opened his first shop in George St, Sydney and, by 1934, it had established a sound reputation and was beginning to make a profit. He established a mail-order system and opened shops throughout Australia.

Paddy published his first edition of Bushwalking and Camping in 1933 and its fourteenth edition was published in 1995.  He was often asked to help locate lost bushwalkers and, in 1944, helped set up Bushwalkers Search and Rescue and was its convenor until 1976.

A keen environmentalist, Paddy was instrumental in establishing the National Parks Association of NSW and was its first president. At its formation in 1971, the Kosciusko Huts Association (KHA) elected him Patron.

At age 54 Paddy decided to learn to ski in Kiandra and became a devotee of cross-country skiing. He first skied at Perisher in 1955 and decided to learn downhill skiing at Thredbo in 1958. Now he was capable on all terrain and undertook many ski touring expeditions in NSW and Victoria. He completed the Kiandra to Guthega crossing in 1957, 1972 and 1977.

The Kiandra to Guthega crossing inspired Paddy to start the Paddy Pallin Cross-Country Classic following that route in 1965. The first event took place in foul and dangerous weather and led to Bob Maddison withdrawing at Whites River Hut. The remaining five competitors, Ross Martin, Kore Grunnsund, Robbie Kilpinen, Otto Pinkas and Charlie Derrick, crossed the finishing line together at Perisher.

Subsequent Paddy Pallin Classics followed a route from Perisher Valley to Charlotte Pass to Smiggin Holes and back to Perisher with one or more circuits. The Paddy Pallin Classic was run for the last time in 1999.  The race continues as the Snowy Mountains Classic and is run by Snowsports ACT.

Paddy died in 1991 and is remembered by the Paddy Pallin Reserve at Lindfield and a bust outside the National Parks and Wildlife Headquarters at Jindabyne.

Further reading: Paddy Pallin: a mountain legend, Newsletter 23, p.7.

The Day Family

Herbert Lamble, Director of the NSW Tourist Bureau, knew George Day Snr well as manager of Yarrangobilly Caves House. When the Chalet opened  at Charlotte Pass in 1930, Herbert offered George Snr the job as manager of the Chalet. George took the job for one year before handing over to his son, also George who, with wife Eva, managed the Chalet from 1932 to 1949.

George Jnr and Eva were remembered as extremely capable managers, George being able to turn his hand to any problem. During his tenure he tried repeatedly to create a reliable oversnow transport service between the Hotel and the Chalet with a wide variety of machines.

All of the Day family were excellent skiers with George and his children all representing Australia, in the case of Billy Day, at three consecutive Winter Olympic Games.

George was a fine horseman and one of his hobbies, particularly in summer, was catching, breaking and selling brumbies. He erected a corral at the Chalet for his horse work.

In 1938, George was substantially involved in the construction of the ‘ski hoist’, the first large mechanical ski lift in Australia.

When the first Chalet burnt down in 1938 George was put in charge of the rebuild and it was ready for the 1939 season.

Photo L-R: George, Eva, Gordon and Bill Day.

Further reading:  Bill Day returns home, PHS Newsletter 1, p.3.

Billy Day: A Profile by Donald Maclurcan, Aust. Ski Yr. Bk, 1965, p.37.

George Lamble

George was the son of Herbert Lamble and the oldest of the Lamble children.  The family went to live at the Hotel Kosciusko in 1917 and George remained at the Hotel long after the family returned to Sydney in 1922.

George became the first Australian-born and trained skier to win the National Four Event Championship in 1934. He represented Australia in Interdominion competition and FIS Championships in Europe.

In 1933 George set up the Kosciusko Ski School at the Hotel Kosciusko which began the formal process of teaching skiers the proper technique. It was the first ski school in Australia.

Ernst Skardarasy

Ernst Skardarasy (Zürs am Arlberg) was the first overseas qualified ski instructor to teach in Australia, brought out in 1935 by the NSW Government.  Ernst taught the Arlberg technique (snowplough turn, stem turn, stem-christiania, and christiania)  and established branches of the Kosciusko Ski School at the Hotel Kosciusko and the Chalet, dividing his week between the two venues.

Ernst was a very successful instructor and was really appreciated by all his students. During his time at Kosciusko (1935 – 1937), he was responsible for a dramatic improvement in skiing standards. He also involved himself in the organisation of races and all things to do with skiing.

His family owned a hotel in Zürs, the Zürserhof, which was very popular with all of his former Australian pupils.

Skardarasy wrote a skiing instruction book “Skiing for Fun”,
The PDF (15mb) of the book can be downloaded here.

George and Bess Petersen

George and Bess Petersen were the much loved managers of the Hotel Kosciusko from 1939 to 1951. In their first year they experienced large bushfires which came very close to the Hotel and in 1951 fire destroyed the Hotel.

The 1951 fire was a tragedy for George who was a keen historian and had accumulated thousands of photos, articles etc pertaining to the area.  All were lost. Despite this, George had a wonderful memory and was able to construct 44 historical articles which were published during the 1950s in ‘Snow Revelry’, the magazine of the Kosciusko Snow Revellers Club (KSRC). Subsequently, KSRC combined these articles and published them in book form as ‘George Petersen’s Kosciusko’, a wonderful read and most valuable resource.

George became the first president of KSRC in 1932, before he was manager of the Hotel.

Further reading:  In Memoriam. George Petersen, Aust. Ski Yr Bk., 1958, p.25.

Ken Breakspear

Ken was one of Australia’s best cross-country skiers during the thirties and forties. Originally a member of the Public Service Ski Club, Ken joined KAC in 1936. He participated in all disciplines but was most at home  with cross-country (langlauf).

In 1938 Ken set a Summit record of 6 h, 1.5 min which stood until 1966 when broken by Ross Martin (4h, 55 min). Ken was Australian cross-country champion in 1939 and 1946 and represented Australia in the Interdominion meeting of 1937 and NSW in the Inter-State meeting of 1946. The second world war undoubtedly deprived Ken of Winter Olympic Honours (the Olympic Games were not held in 1940 and 1944).

Ken was KAC Captain from 1939-1947, a KAC Director from 1948-1962 and President from 1963-1964. He continued competing in club races until the age of 92.

In 1950, Ken helped Charles Anton to form the Ski Tourers Association and was its first vice-president.

Ken was known for feats of superhuman strength and endurance such as when he carried a pot-belly stove on his back into White’s River Hut. The stove was so heavy that he could not sit down to rest so he had to lean against trees.

In the very heavy snow year of 1946 Ken skied almost all the way from Cooma Railway Station to Alpine Hut (70 km).

Charles Anton

Charles Anton has been described as a ‘fly in a bottle’ which gives some idea of the buzzing personality he was, very energetic, full of ideas and always willing to have several projects on the go at once.

Charles came to Australia in 1938 but did not see the Snowy Mountains until the Allied Services Meeting in 1945 at Charlotte Pass in which he competed for Australia. He was immediately entranced by the wonderful ski touring country he found and, had the idea of building a chain of touring huts on the Main Range, similar to those in his native Europe.

In 1950, he formed the Ski Tourers Association (STA), members of which came from all existing clubs. In 1951 STA built Lake Albina Lodge on the shores of Lake Albina, only the second ski club lodge in the Kosciuszko area (the first was Kosciusko Snow Revellers temporary hut in Perisher Valley). Also in December 1951 STA commenced summer races on the Mt Northcote South America Drift.

In 1953 STA completed Kunama Huette in the Kunama Basin and in 1954 the Northcote Ski Tow and Tow Hut next to Kunama.

Tragedy struck in 1956 when Kunama Huette was destroyed by an avalanche and Roslyn Wesche died as a result.  About one month later the Northcote ski tow hut burnt down. Neither Kunama nor the ski tow were rebuilt.

In 1957 STA completed its final Main Range hut project with the extension of Pound’s Creek Hut to produce Illawong Lodge.

While all this was going on, Anton was also part of the Kosciusko Thredbo syndicate and STA built Kareela Lodge and Roslyn Lodge at Thredbo.

Further reading:   Undaunted by Adversity by Charles Anton, Ski Australia, 1961.

Tony Sponar

Tony Sponar

Ex-Czech Olympic skier, Tony Sponar, arrived in Australia with his wife Elizabeth in 1951, and both gained jobs at the Hotel Kosciusko.  Within a week of arrival the Hotel burnt down and Tony and Elizabeth relocated to the Chalet where Tony worked as a ski instructor and Elizabeth as a receptionist.

Tony always had the ambition to create a first class ski resort in Australia and, at the end of his first winter, began to seek out suitable locations.

Between 1951 and 1953 he examined all possible areas, and hit upon the Thredbo Valley as easily the best location. He was not the first to think about Thredbo but was the first to get the ball rolling. He formed the Thredbo syndicate with, Charles Anton, Geoff Hughes and Eric Nicholls, later joined by Thyne Reid.

Sponar, who at the time was working for the Snowy Scheme, resigned his position in 1957 to work for the Thredbo syndicate full-time.  He chose the location for a hotel at Friday Flat, plotted the line of the new chairlift,  cleared a lot of trees on the Crackenback slope by hand and built and operated the first commercial lodge with Elizabeth.

Despite his heavy involvement with the original syndicate, when the prospectus for Kosciusko Thredbo Ltd was issued, Sponar found himself excluded from being a director. Fortunately he had been issued with shares for his early work and was able to sell them.  With the proceeds he took out the lease on the burnt-out staff quarters building of the Hotel Kosciusko, renovated it and changed its name to Sponar’s Lakeside Inn. Tony and Elizabeth turned it into a successful enterprise which continues to this day.

Further reading:  Vale Elizabeth Sponar, PHS Newsletter 11, p.9.

Johnny Abbottsmith

Johnny Abbottsmith was one of our great unsung heros in the development of the Perisher ski resorts and his contribution on the basis of his own physical efforts was immense.

Johnny came to the Hotel Kosciusko as an assistant grease monkey in 1936 and by 1938 had become a ski instructor.

During WWII he served as a gunner in the 2^nd/4^th Field Park Company of the 9^th Australian Division, became part of the first Australian Ski Corps in Lebanon and was subsequently blown up and lost his eye in the second battle of El Alamein.

Repatriated to Australia, he later joined the American Small Ships programme and was later sunk in the Philippines.

After the war he returned to the Alps installing and maintaining radios in the mountain huts.

He then spent a year on Heard Island with the Australian Antarctic Expedition before returning again to the Alps to work with the NSW Water Irrigation Commission.

In 1952 he moved his family to Smiggin Holes and built the first Hamilton rope tow in the Kosciusko area and only the second tow after the NSW Government lift at the Chalet.

Also in 1952 he established a transport service for Perisher Valley using his dog sled team and then, in 1953, began the motorised service for the Alpine Transport Company using M29 Weasels.

He then helped contruct the Big Tow and Tow Hut at Perisher (1955), the Village Tow at Perisher (1956) and the Northcote Ski Tow in the Kunama basin (1953).

In 1959, Johnny moved down to the Creel where he established the Snowline Caravan Park and then later moved it to the junction of the Kosciusko Road and Alpine Way at Jindabyne.

Further reading:  Johnny Abbottsmith: a mountain legend, Newsletter 5, p.4.

Recovery of Johnny Abbottsmith’s First Snow Cruiser, Newsletter, 6, p.12.

11th PHS Dinner and History of Johnny Abbottsmith, Newsletter 20, p.9.

Sverre Kaaten

Sverre Kaaten emigrated from Norway in 1929, initially to Victoria, and then to NSW.  He was Australian Four Event Champion in 1931 and 1932 and Australian Ski Jump Champion at least four times. He represented NSW in interstate competition and Australia in International Competition at the triangular meeting (Australia, New Zealand and the USA) in 1937 and the Allied Services Meeting in 1945. In 1933 he set an Australian Jump record of 43.5 m which lasted until 1953.

Sverre joined KAC in 1931 and remained a member until he joined the new Telemark Ski Club in 1952 and started to become more involved with Perisher Valley. In 1953 a syndicate of KAC members, including Sverre, formed the Alpine Transport Company (ATC) to begin a motorised oversnow transport service for Perisher Valley. ATC bought two M29 Weasels from the Snowy Mountains Authority and Johnny Abbottsmith became their driver. This was the precursor of Hans Oversnow.

In 1955, Sverre’s syndicate engaged Johnny Abbottsmith to help it build the Big Tow and Tow Hut in North Perisher. The Big Tow was the first permanent ski tow in Perisher Valley and only the third in the Kosciusko area. The Tow Hut was the first private, non-ski club accommodation in the Kosciusko area.

In 1959, Sverre formed Perisher Valley Enterprises (PVE) with John and Pat Davis and Dick Gilkes. PVE converted Beaver Lodge into the Alpine Gate Hotel and engaged Dulmison to build a Poma lift next to the Smiggins turn-off. In 1961, Alan Limbrick, Peter Clark and Neville Andrews joined PVE to provide money for a T-bar in the Smiggins Bowl.

In 1963, a consortium of James Wallce Holdings, Ansett Pioneer and H.C. Sleigh (known as Smiggins Kosciusko Ltd (SKL)) took over PVE.

Marie and Stan McGuinn

Marie and Stan McGuinn were the very well regarded managers of the Chalet from 1954-1962. It was a favourite holiday destination, a happy place full of wonderful memories. The same staff returned year after year and it was like an extended family.

In 1962, Perisher Valley was on the way to becoming a substantial resort and Ken Murray needed an experienced hand to manage it while leaving him more time to his core business, magazines.

Murray chose Stan McGuinn to take over, probably the most experienced ski resort manger in Australia at the time.

Stan and Marie remained at Perisher until Murray sold to Sir Frank Packer in 1973.

Brian Davidson

Brian Davidson was a larger-than-life member of staff at the Chalet during the fifties and then later at Perisher during the sixties. His lifestyle was envied by all.  During summer he was a beach inspector at Bondi during the era of the bikini swim suits when he had to monitor their length and sometimes evict bathers for being too saucy.

Every winter he would return to the Chalet and run everything. He was head barman, also an envied position, he ran the oversnow transport between Smiggins and the Chalet, and organised the Chalet Ski Patrol.

When Stan McGuinn went to Perisher in 1962, he asked Brian to go with him and Brian experienced the next phase of his career there.

John and Pat Davis

John and Pat Davis were well-known identities of the Perisher-Smiggins area between 1957 and 1968 and keen observers of all development in the resorts during that time.

In 1957 John and Pat took over the running of the Big Tow and Tow Hut in North Perisher for the Sverre Kaaten syndicate and continued to run them until 1962.

Sverre Kaaten invited the Davis’ to join him and Dick Gilkes in forming Perisher Valley Enterprises (PVE) to develop Smiggin Holes as a resort in 1959.

In 1960 PVE converted Beaver Lodge into the Alpine Gate Hotel and installed a Poma lift at the entry to the Smiggins Bowl while continuing to run the Big Tow and Tow Hut in Perisher and the transport service from Smiggin Holes into Perisher Valley.

In 1961 PVE resited the original Poma lift into the Smiggins Bowl and, with help from new partners, Alan Limbrick, Peter Clark and Neville Andrews, constructed the first T-bar in the Bowl.

PVE converted the Big Tow in North Perisher into a T-bar in 1962 and subsequently sold it to Ken Murray in Perisher.

In 1963 a new consortium, Smiggins Kosciusko Ltd, made up of Ansett Pioneer, James Wallace Holdings and H.C. Sleigh, took over PVE in a share exchange and John and Pat sold out their shares in the new company and left the mountains.

After a sabbatical year in Sydney John and Pat returned to the mountains in 1964 to manage the Mt Perisher chairlift and restaurant for Ken Murray. The year 1964 has been known ever since as ‘The Year of the Shovel’ due the enormous snow falls, possibly the deepest of the twentieth century, and the great difficulties of keeping everything running.

In 1965 John and Pat left the Mt Perisher chairlift to manage the Australian Golf Club Lodge  where they remained for four years.

John and Pat moved to Jindabyne in 1969 where they ran a septic tank/grease trap cleaning service, a garbage service and finally Jindabyne Hire.

Further reading:  Vale John and Pat Davis, PHS Newsletter 20, p.4.

Life above the Snowline by John and Pat Davis, PHS Newsletter 9, p.1.

Ken Murray

The development of Perisher Valley began as the initiative of individual ski clubs and entrepreneurs like Johnny Abbottsmith and Sverre Kaaten.  However, the first person with the monetary wherewithal to make a major impact was Ken Murray of K.G. Murray Publishing Company.  At the time Murray was probably the biggest magazine publisher in Australia and owned a lot of good selling titles such as ‘Man’, ‘Outdoors”, ‘Wheels’, ‘Sports Car World’, ‘Bride’, ‘Cavalcade’, ‘True Romance’, ‘House and Garden’, ‘Country’, ‘Flair’ and numerous others as well as ’Superman’ comics.

Murray had been considering the sport of skiing for some time and, in 1943, had approached the NSW Government Tourist Bureau with a plan for the development of the Charlotte Pass area. In 1945 he commissioned Colin Wyatt to do a painting of a ski village at Charlotte Pass which hung at the Chalet for about 10 years.

Murray built his own ski club, ‘Edelweiss’ in Perisher Valley in 1957, and beginning in 1959, changed the face of Perisher Valley forever. By the time he sold both Perisher Valley and Smiggin Holes resorts to Sir Frank Packer in 1973, he had built three hotels and thirteen ski lifts.

Neville Gare

Neville Gare was appointed the first superintendent of the Kosciuszko National Park in 1959 to oversee the, until then, largely unplanned development of Perisher Valley. To that point 67% of the development was in North Perisher, a smattering in South Perisher and three lodges on the ski slopes.

Neville devised a plan of development which had ten stages, only three of which were ultimately used. The aim was to open one stage at a time and provide it with power, road access and water reticulation.

Stage 1 was North Perisher from Sundeck to Yaraandoo.  Stage 2 was South Perisher from Eiger to University Alpine Club. Stage 2a was also in South Perisher behind “The Man’ up to Jolly Swagman.  Stage 3 was in North Perisher from Sydney Ski Club past the Tow Hut and  further north.

Development of Smiggin Holes had different problems from Perisher so Neville’s plan was to build a road, supply services along the road and place the lodge sites on either side of the road. Parking was not a problem for Perisher at that time but it became top priority in Neville’s plan for Smiggin Holes and had to include overnight and day parking.

Neville oversaw the exchange of land between the All-denominational Church and the Catholic Church which led to the Catholic Church being constructed on the Kosciuszko Road and the All- denominational Church being constructed under Sundeck Hotel.

It was Neville’s decision to turn the Sawpit Creek quarry into a large car park which was used for years by members of many clubs along the Kosciuszko Road.

In 1968 Neville asked Tony Sponar to carry out a feasibility study on the potential of Guthega as a future ski resort.  Sponar carried out 11 field trips over a five month period covering Mt Tate, Mt Guthega, The Paralyser, Mt Perisher, Back Perisher, Mt Blue Cow, Mt Piper and others. Sponar concluded that linking Blue Cow to Guthega offered the best potential for a future resort.  Sponar’s report was used as the basis for development of the later resort at Blue Cow.

Further reading: Neville Clifford Gare (1929-2016) the right man for the time, by Dave Woods, Newsletter 17, p.4.

Dudley (Larry) Adler

Larry graduated in pharmacy in South Africa and went to Europe on a working holiday. He learnt to ski in Norway and, while there, got a job on the movie ‘The Vikings’ with Ernest Borgnine, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. From there he went to Canada where he became a professional ski instructor and taught for several years at Mt Tremblant, Quebec.

In 1960 Larry came to Australia and began instructing initially in Perisher Valley with Jean Ecuyer. He had only been in Perisher one week when Heli Summerauer invited him to teach at Charlotte Pass.

While at Charlotte Pass, Larry met his future wife, Nan Craig, and they were married in London in 1964.

Larry and Nan returned to Australia and opened a pharmacy in Collaroy. Badgered by former students for advice, Larry opened a small ski section within the pharmacy which grew to the point that Larry decided to close the pharmacy and concentrate on the ski business.

The ski and outdoor business has been very successful and Larry and Nan now have shops in Sydney CBD, Collaroy, Roseville, Jindabyne and Niseko Japan.

Fritz Feiersinger

Fritz Feiersinger arrived in New Zealand from Austria as part of a band (he was a harpist) on cultural exchange in 1955. The band was asked to return to Austria but, in his own words, Fritz ‘jumped ship’ in Australia where he remained to watch the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

In 1960 Ken Murray, (Perisher developer) appointed Fritz the first manager of The Man from Snowy River Hotel. In 1962 Fritz and his new wife, Margot, erected Marritz Alpine Inn. Marritz was derived from their Christian names Margot and Fritz. Marritz rapidly gained an enviable reputation for its excellent cuisine.

In 1981, after several extensions, Fritz and Margot sold Marritz to developer, Warren Anderson. With the proceeds of the sale Fritz was looking to buy into or buy outright, a resort. Fritz and Warren Anderson combined to submit a bid to erect the new Blue Cow resort.

When it became clear that Skitube was going ahead and would go as far as Blue Cow, National Parks and Wildlife Service returned all tenders for Blue Cow as a live in resort and opened new tenders for a day only resort. Fritz and Warren Anderson won the tender but, shortly after, Anderson withdrew and his place was taken by Transfield Pty Ltd.

A little later, Fritz and Transfield had a falling-out which resulted in each suing the other. Fritz lost and left the company returning to his native Austria.

Garry Fischer

Garry arrived in Fremantle from Germany in 1953 and, together with his brother Klaus, and friend George, began driving up the west coast  building shearing sheds.

In 1954 they built homes for A.V. Jennings in Darwin before moving to Rum Jungle.

Back in Darwin Garry met his future wife Marjorie and they moved to Heathcote in Sydney in 1955 where Garry continued to build houses for several years.

On the verge of returning to Germany, Garry decided to have a look at the Snowy Mountains before he left.

One look at Perisher Valley convinced Garry to stay and he soon obtained permission to build a lodge in Perisher Valley. The site he obtained was where the Man from Snowy River Hotel now stands. Ken Murray who had the site where Eiger Chalet now stands asked Fischer if he would swap sites. Fischer said he would swap sites if Murray would lend him $2000. Murray lent Fischer the money and he opened Eiger Chalet in 1961 and was able to pay Murray back after one year.

Garry opened the new bedroom block in 1970 and the ‘White Spider’ restaurant in 1971.

Further reading: 50 Years of Eiger Chalet 1961-2011, PHS Newsletter 6, p.4.

Uwe and Gil Boehm

Uwe arrived in Australia in 1960 and, after a year in Mt Isa, began riding around the country on a motorbike. On passing through Perisher Valley in 1961 he noticed Eiger Chalet but kept on driving to Charlotte Pass where he met the Fischer family. Garry Fischer, who had just built the Eiger Chalet, offered Uwe lodging and work. Uwe then began labouring at Eiger, the Man from Snowy River Hotel, Marritz Alpine Hotel and Corroboree Lodge.

During the sixties, Uwe worked as a ski instructor at Perisher during the day and as a waiter/general hand at Eiger in the evenings. In the Australian summer he instructed at St Moritz which enabled him to visit his family in Germany.

With little restaurant experience, and none as a chef, he took over the management of the White Spider Restaurant in 1972 and made it into the high-quality dining experience it is today.

After three years in Europe, Gil Lethridge returned to Australia in 1973 and sought a housemaid’s job at Eiger. Gil’s background was in teaching not in hospitality. Gil and Uwe became friends and, from 1974 to 1978, Gil lived in Canberra  (later Cooma) and worked as a teacher during the week and at Eiger on weekends.  They married in 1980.

In 1979 Uwe became a one third partner in the Eiger Chalet and Uwe and Gil managed the Lodge until 2006 when they sold their share in Eiger.

Further reading; Life above the Snowline, Uwe and Gil Boehm, PHS Newsletter 10, p.1.

First wedding in Perisher

Adi Zimmerebner and Gloria Strachan were the first people married in Perisher Valley.in June 1964. They were married in the partly completed Catholic Church and Fritz Feiersinger of Marritz was best man. Adi and Gloria were in Perisher for many years and Adi was the first manager of ‘Kangaroo Lodge’ in 1962 before it burnt down.’

Rex Cox

Rex Cox was born in Parkes in 1918 and moved, with his family, to Kogarah in 1929.  In 1933 his father died and Rex had to leave school to help support the family.  He had several storeman’s jobs before being called up for World War II.

He completed anti-aircraft searchlight training at Skyville and Richmond  before going to Wollongong and then to New Guinea where he spent two years.

In 1949 Rex discovered skiing at Dainer’s Gap and Smiggin Holes and had several ski lessons with Graham Chalker at the Hotel Kosciusko. Rex fell in love with skiing and went back to the snow as often as he could. His favourite resort was Charlotte Pass.

In 1954 Rex joined Southern Alps Ski Club (SASC) and remained a member all his life. He was club captain on many occasions during the sixties and seventies and was twice club president. In 1965 SASC formed a co-operative to build their first club lodge and Rex became a founding member and a board member until 1998.

Rex was very keen on racing and , together with Geoff Nott, founded the Charlotte Pass Racing Carnival in 1970. Each carnival lasted a whole week and continued until 2004 when dwindling numbers of racers caused its abandonment.

Rex was best known for his promotion and encouragement of junior racing which continued throughout his skiing life and led to SASC becoming one of the strongest racing clubs in Australia.

After many years of resort skiing Rex began to take an ever greater interest in ski touring and often organised group treks of several days duration. Due to his expertise, the Army engaged him to take soldiers out onto the Main Range to improve their skiing and survival skills which he did throughout the nineties.

His interest in ski touring increased his knowledge and love of the huts scattered along the Main Range which, in turn, led to his becoming a founding member of Kosciusko Huts Association.

For many years Rex was the SASC delegate to the NSW Ski Association and he engaged in a long campaign to reinstate the Friday night snow train from Sydney to Cooma, unfortunately without success.

Further reading:  Rex Cox and Joan Gardner, PHS Newsletter 17, p.8.

Kurt and Di Brulisauer

Kurt Brulisauer was born in St Gallen Switzerland in 1937 and trained as a butcher. In 1960 he sailed into Sydney and got a job as a butcher the following day.

After several hotel jobs Kurt went to Perisher Valley in 1965 where he met Jake and Judy Zweifel the owners of Jolly Swagman, Perisher View Motel and Corroboree Lodge. In 1965 Kurt worked as a chef at Jolly Swagman and assisted Jake with maintenance work on the lodges.

Kurt managed Chez Jean Chalet for Jean Ecuyer in 1966 and Corroboree Lodge in 1967.

Jake and Kurt built Kurt’s Keller at Corroboree Lodge in 1968/69 which was very successful and was extended the following summer to become the first licensed restaurant in Perisher Valley, famous for its European cuisine.

Di Brulisauer was born in Newcastle, NSW in 1946 and came to Perisher in 1969  after working in Newcastle and Sydney in travel, hospitality, fashion and retail.  Starting as a receptionist at the Man from Snowy River Hotel, she participated in fashion parades and promotional shots for the resort. Di met Kurt at Kurt’s Keller in 1969 and they were married in the All-Denominational Church  in 1970.

Kurt and Di took over the lease of the Valley Inn Hotel in 1977 and remained there until 1984. During this time Kurt opened a restaurant in the Perisher Centre.

After working as supervisor of the ticket office in 1985, Di went back to manage the Valley Inn for the new owners while Kurt continued with his restaurant.

Alpine Australia Group (AAG), owners of Blue Cow/Guthega, in 1991 asked Kurt to take over the kitchen at the Blue Cow terminal. After the merger between AAG and Perisher Smiggins (KAR), Kurt became responsible for all the company food outlets in Perisher.

Prior to the AAG-KAR merger in 1995, Di worked in Sydney for a while before returning to manage the Station Resort. After the merger Di became manager of Perisher Valley Hotel and Perisher Centre. Kurt retired in 2005 and Di in 2011.

Kurt died on 23 November 2020.

Further reading: Vale Kurt Brulisauer, Newsletter 25, p.10.

Bruce Vizard

In 1980, the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) asked five sports, of which skiing was one, for help in introducing a Talented Child Programme (TCP). After a few meetings with various sports, the other four dropped out and only skiing remained, with the NSW Ski Association the relevant administrative body. TCP was a talent identification scheme rather than one to develop already-good skiers and aimed initially at early high school students from public schools. In the first year of the programme (1980), 34 children were selected and attended the DSR camp at Jindabyne for three weeks where they learned alpine and nordic skiing, ski maintenance and did their normal school work. The programme was deemed a success and continued to operate for many years under the chairmanship of Bruce Vizard. A number of excellent skiers came through this programme including Michael Milton, Craig Branch and Jenny Owens.