Historical information

This Pewter Mug Collection is a set of 32 trophies won by Australian Alpine skiers Ross and Malcolm Milne between 1959 and 1964.
Ross and Malcolm grew up on their family's tobacco property in Myrtleford, and began skiing at Falls Creek at an early age. They were both taught by Austrian Sigi Haberzettl, who was chief coach at Falls Creek for 17 years. Ross went on to win the North-Eastern District Ski Association (NEDSA) Junior Championships for three years in a row. In 1961 Ross was a member of the Australian team which competed against New Zealand in the Inter-Dominion Championships. In 1963, he won the Downhill and Alpine Combined title at the Australian Championships, while placing second in the Grand Slalom event.

Ross Milne was selected in the Australian team that participated in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games at Innsbruck, Austria. A few days before the opening of the Games, on 25 January 1964, he tragically lost his life when he crashed into a tree during a training run for the Men's Downhill. He was only 19 years of age.

Malcolm became a member of the Australian Junior Ski Team to Japan at the age of 14. He won all of the NEDSA children’s races and won the State Title in 1966. Malcolm continued to achieve great success, winning the Australian Championships for the next five years. At the end of 1969 he won Gold in the Val d'Isere FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill, Australia's first Alpine Ski World Cup medal. He was on the Australian National Ski Team for eight years, representing his country at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games and the 1966 and 1970 World Championships before turning professional in 1972.

Malcolm Milne was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2000 he received the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to skiing.
In 2004, Ski & Snowboard Australia granted Milne Life Membership for the contribution he made to the sport by becoming the first World Cup medal winner in Australian winter sports history, and the subsequent impact his performances have had on future athletes.

Malcolm Milne was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to skiing in 2016.

Significance

This item is significant because it is part of a collection which documents the career of two outstanding Australian sportsmen.

Physical description

A pewter mug awarded for first place in the Australian National Alpine Championship Men's Giant Slalom in 1969. It has been engraved on one side and bears an emblem of a green kangaroo on skis surrounded by a gold circle. The mug was donated by W.D and H.O. Wills, a tobacco company which sponsored many sport competitions in Australia..

Inscriptions & markings

Engraved on side of mug:
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL
ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
1969
Men's Giant Slalom
First
Donated by W.D. & H.O. WILLS