Charles Anton founded the Ski Tourers Association (STA) in November 1950. Its aim was to build a chain of huts on the Main Range for ski touring. Thus members could go from one hut to the next and ski totally outside the traditional resorts. Within a very short time several hundred skiers had joined the STA. Most of these skiers already belonged to a club but were attracted to the idea of ski touring on the best slopes.

The first STA project was Lake Albina Lodge, beside Lake Albina and with the slopes of Mt Townsend to the west and Mt Northcote to the east and looking straight down Lady Northcote’s Canyon.

Charles Anton founded the Ski Tourers Association (STA) in November 1950. Its aim was to build a chain of huts on the Main Range for ski touring. Thus members could go from one hut to the next and ski totally outside the traditional resorts. Within a very short time several hundred skiers had joined the STA. Most of these skiers already belonged to a club but were attracted to the idea of ski touring on the best slopes.

The first STA project was Lake Albina Lodge, beside Lake Albina and with the slopes of Mt Townsend to the west and Mt Northcote to the east and looking straight down Lady Northcote’s Canyon.

The formation of STA coincided with a change in attitude of the Kosciusko State Park Trust (KSPT) towards private development within the Kosciusko National Park. KSPT realised that it could not develop accommodation fast enough for the growing ski population and decided to allow private enterprise for the first time.

KSPT was so enthusiastic for development that it helped STA with the transport of building materials to its huts. In fact, because of their isolation, the STA huts would never have been built without the help of KPST.

Early snowfalls in April 1951 almost stymied the completion of Lake Albina Lodge but an emergency mission saw the lodge completed within 3 days. The photo shows the situation on April 23, 1951.

The formation of STA coincided with a change in attitude of the Kosciusko State Park Trust (KSPT) towards private development within the Kosciusko National Park. KSPT realised that it could not develop accommodation fast enough for the growing ski population and decided to allow private enterprise for the first time.

KSPT was so enthusiastic for development that it helped STA with the transport of building materials to its huts. In fact, because of their isolation, the STA huts would never have been built without the help of KPST.

Early snowfalls in April 1951 almost stymied the completion of Lake Albina Lodge but an emergency mission saw the lodge completed within 3 days. The photo shows the situation on April 23, 1951.

Lake Albina Lodge was completed in time for winter 1951 and was only the second, private ski lodge in the Kosciuszko area, after Snow Revellers temporary hut in Perisher. Since STA had only been formed in November 1950, construction of its first ski lodge, in very difficult terrain, within 6 months, was astounding. Its location was undoubtedly the most spectacular of all the huts in the Kosciusko National Park.

The lodge had 12 beds in six two-bunk rooms and overflow accommodation for another six in the living room.

Lake Albina Lodge was completed in time for winter 1951 and was only the second, private ski lodge in the Kosciuszko area, after Snow Revellers temporary hut in Perisher. Since STA had only been formed in November 1950, construction of its first ski lodge, in very difficult terrain, within 6 months, was astounding. Its location was undoubtedly the most spectacular of all the huts in the Kosciusko National Park.

The lodge had 12 beds in six two-bunk rooms and overflow accommodation for another six in the living room.

Engineer, John Gam, invented a transportable T-bar tow which could be set up anywhere. It was powered by an air-cooled 5.5 hp petrol engine and could transport 100 skiers per hour on a 210 m long hill. He set one up at Lake Albina Lodge in 1958.

John Gam and Geoffrey Hughes went on to found the company Ski Tows Pty Ltd which built the first permanent T-bar lift in NSW at Kiandra in 1958.  The following year they built the first T-bar (No. 1) for Ken Murray in Perisher Valley.

Engineer, John Gam, invented a transportable T-bar tow which could be set up anywhere. It was powered by an air-cooled 5.5 hp petrol engine and could transport 100 skiers per hour on a 210 m long hill. He set one up at Lake Albina Lodge in 1958.

John Gam and Geoffrey Hughes went on to found the company Ski Tows Pty Ltd which built the first permanent T-bar lift in NSW at Kiandra in 1958.  The following year they built the first T-bar (No. 1) for Ken Murray in Perisher Valley.