The post World War II migration of European "snow skiiers" into Australia combined with the construction of Hydo Electricity Schemes in both the N.S.W.and Victorian Alps regions, opened up these winter snow areas to a greater influx of tourists and holiday adventurers interested in "winter" sports. The ability to project, on a global scale, skiing facilities of international standards to those in the northern hemisphere during their summer has opened up the Australia ski resorts and their facilities to a much greater winter sport orientated population. These cross country skis were purchased by a member of the Bogong Ski Club and were part of a bulk ski stock consignment from Finland in 1966/67. They were introduced into the Victorian Alps to encourage skiers to take up cross country skiing both at Falls Creek and Mount Buller. This initiative spurred on the now annual 42 kilometre cross country "Kangaroo Hoppet" race at Falls Creek. This race is currently the biggest cross country snow skiing race in Australia. These snow skis were made in Finland. They are wooden (hickory) skis and made from four strips (glued and shaped) pieces of wood that are not laminated. There is a painted blue flash on the top of the skis that extends the full length of the skis. The face of the underside of the skis is flat and is coated in black Stockholm tar. Glider or grip wax was applied onto this base. The top body of the skis is tapered from shoe position to both front and back tips.Tapered curvatures from foot radiating to all sides provides the required aerodynamics. Metal boot bindings consisting of a toe plate with adjustable toe clip and a heel plate, both of which are screwed onto the skis. "KILPA, KARHU URHEILUTARPEITA SPORTART1KLAR, Karhu-Valtz Finland. Hickorypohjin"snow skiing, cross country skiing, falls creek winter tourism

After World War II, the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme was started in the Kiewa River Valley by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. On land previously used only for summer cattle grazing in the natural alpine grasslands, the first ski lodge was built in 1948 by workers from the hydro scheme as skiing was a popular recreation. Many of the hydro employees were of European background and had grown up enjoying skiing and snow sports in their homelands and were keen to continue to pursue their winter sports interests. The first lift, a rope tow, was built in 1951 at Falls Creek and the first chairlift in Australia was constructed there in 1957. Two T-Bars were opened in 1961. In 1964, the Victorian Municipal Directory recorded that Falls Creek had 29 ski club lodges and 16 commercial lodges. The area became a popular tourist destination for both winter and summer sports.: Employees of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in the Kiewa River Valley were the earliest skiers on the Bogong High Plains and built one of the first ski lodges at Falls Creek. They were amongst those pivotal in the development of the skiing and tourist industry at Falls Creek and on the Bogong High Plains. Collection of 10 copies and original black and white photographs and printed articles relating to skiing on the Bogong High Plains. Some pieces have been enlarged to A3 poster size copies for display purposes 1. Copy of black and white photograph of group of skiers at Falls Creek 2. Copy of photograph of early skier on Bogong High Plains with temporary buildings and tents in the background 3. Copy of photograph of 3 skiers on Mt McKay 4. Copy of SECV photograph of Rocky Valley Camp under snow 5. Early sepia photograph of Falls Creek village with skiers in the foreground 6. Copy of a page from booklet (SECV?) promoting the benefits of owning a holiday home in the Bogong Village area 7. Copy of a page from booklet (SECV?) promoting the benefits of holidaying in and around Falls Creek/Mt Beauty 8. Panoramic view of ski fields with skis in the foreground 9. Photograph of young skier (identity unknown) 10. Photograph of 2 male skiers (identity unknown) performing a small jump 1. Bogong Ski Club Members & Friends 1944 2. Jack Neve – electrician. Rocky Valley 3. 17.5.55 Skiers ascending Mt McKay 4. State Electricity Commission of Victoria. Date:17.8.55 No:K8132 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Rocky Valley Camp – From Engineering Office 5 & 9 No markings 6 & 7 Short article relating to photos on each page 8. Handwritten signature on rear of photo (Sandra Conea) 10 Faded unreadable photographers stamp and handwritten numbers 6875 on rear secv; bogong high plains; skiers; falls creek; tourism

Falls Creek is a Ski Resort in the north east of Victoria. This brochure has been produced to encourage tourists to visit throughout the year.Tourism to the Kiewa Valley is an important industry for the area. Falls Creek is a ski resort with accommodation during winter for skiers, snow boarders and other snow sports. It involves entertainment, restaurants and associated workers. This brochure is produced to promote the resort throughout the year to increase the occupancy of these lodges. The tourist industry has increased steadily with fishing, cycling and bush walking increasing numbers in the area.Glossy square brochure folded in in half and half again. Front page is yellow on the left with black print on the far left. The right side has the title with blue, green and grey background with yellow, orange and white as part of the title. The back is a man standing in front of a sunset with print in a column towards the right side. Inside includes a map with advertisements for accommodation surrounding it.falls creek ski resort; alpine region in victoria; mountain lodges;

Falls Creek Snow Resort is on the Bogong High Plains in north east Victoria. It competes with other Australian snow resorts during Winter. This folder was created in the 1990s.Falls Creek began during the construction of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme. It is a major ski resort in Australia and is currently promoting tourism in Summer especially for bush walkers and cyclists.Red plastic folder with 6 pages in plastic sleeves. Each page has headings describing and promoting the facilities and benefits of Falls Creek Snow Resort.falls creek snow resort, tourism in alpine resorts

Mt Beauty township, at the head of the Kiewa Valley, is situated at the foot of Mt Bogong. The town was established by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria during the construction of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme on the High Plains.Mt Beauty is a popular tourist resort. The main highway from Mt Beauty to the Bogong High Plains is most picturesque throughout the year. During the winter months, Falls Creek provides access to Falls Creek Ski Village for snow sports. Tawonga, 6.5 km north of Mt Beauty, is famed for its trout fishing and camping on the Kiewa River. Deciduous trees make a show of colour during Autumn. The postcards are of historical value showing photos taken at an earlier time.The postcards can be compared to the attractions of the time as they do not include cycling (mountain bikes and road bikes), snow boarding, gliding and paragliding. Advertising for tourism has also changed as attractions are now available on-line. 1. 9 Coloured Photos of Bogong (5) and Visitors Information Centre display (4) 2. Two fold out coloured sets of postcards "Mt Beauty and the Kiewa Scheme", "Mt. Beauty Victoria" 3. x10 Coloured postcards Mt Beauty, Kiewa Valley, Bogong 4. x6 Coloured postcards High Country and Bogong Villagepostcards kiewa valley

The Kangaroo Hoppet is Australia’s premier long distance cross country ski race, and a member of the Worldloppet series of international cross country ski events. The first race at Falls Creek was held in 1979 under the name of “Australian Birkebeiner”. It was a 21km race with about 80 participants organised by the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club of Mount Beauty. The course started and finished at Falls Creek Alpine Resort and took participants out into the Bogong High Plains. After running the event for 10 years, it was decided they should become part of the Worldloppet series of marathon ski races. Representatives from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club and the Australian Ski Federation attended the Worldloppet Annual Meeting in Finland in June 1990 to put the case for the acceptance of an Australian event into the Worldloppet series. Before being admitted, they had to demonstrate that the Birkebeiner Club could run a world class event, so three months later in August 1990 a 42km event named the Australian International Ski Marathon was held at Falls Creek together with a 21km Birkebeiner race and a 7km event called the Birkebeiner Lite. The event was approved by delegates from USA, Norway and Austria, in 1991 Australia became the 12th member of Worldloppet, with the condition that there had to be a name change. After some late night discussion allegedly involving red wine from North East Victoria the main event became the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet, with the minor events being the 21km Australian Birkebeiner, and 7km Joey Hoppet. In the winter of 1991, the first Kangaroo Hoppet was held. It was a great success and has been a regular fixture on the international ski calendar ever since. It features the main 42km event as well as a 21km event and a 7km event. The Hoppet brings the Australian snowfields to an international audience. In 2009 the Men's Winner was Ben Sim from Australia in a time of 0:58:39.4. The winner of the Women's event was Kate Calder of New Zealand in a time of 1:07:48.9. Due to the poor weather, and in view of skier safety and poor snow cover, a modified course was set. he Hoppet was reduced from 42 to 25 kms. This poster is significant because it documents an event which brings international attention to Falls Creek and the surrounding region.A poster with an aerial photo of a large number of skiers in the formation of the shape of a kangaroo. The colour of the border is blue, white and orange text is used. The Worldloppet logo is at the top left. The logos of AGL, Alpine Shire, Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, Parks Victoria, Tourism Victoria and Falls Creek are across the bottom of the poster. At the top: KANGAROO HOPPET 2009 NINETEEN At the foot of the kangaroo shape: 29 AUGUST 2009 FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA In orange text: KEEP WINTER COOL FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING WWW.KEEPWINTER COOL.COM.AU At bottom in white text: www.hoppet.com.au kangaroo hoppet, worldloppet events, falls creek, mt. beauty

SKI TICKETS Before tows and lifts were introduced at Falls Creek, it could take skiers 20 minutes to climb to the Summit … but only TWO minutes to go back to the bottom. The arrival of tows, then chairlifts and T-bars changed the face of skiing forever. The first rope tow was constructed by Toni St. Elmo for the 1951 winter season. Bob Hymans installed a smaller tow for his guests at Skyline Lodge. Tows were still quite slow, so in 1956 Bob Hymans created his single chairlift. In 1958 the Village rope tow, designed by Albury engineer Jock Wilson, opened. It was financed by shareholders including Bill Griffith (Bowna Ski Club) and the Bridgford family (St. Trinian’s Ski Club). Several other tows followed including the Summit T-bar in 1961, built by Ron McCallum and operated by Alpine Developments Pty. Ltd. which was a company formed by C. H. (Bill) Bridgford. By 1982 Falls Creek was served by 16 different lifts or T-bars, all owned and operated by Alpine Developments (Holdings) Pty. Ltd. During the development of Falls Creek, different methods have been used to pay for the use of tows, lifts and T-bars … including metal tokens, single tickets, strips of tickets and season passes. The Falls Creek Historical Society Collection includes many examples of these items.These tickets are significant because they represent a stage in the management at Falls Creek Tourist Village.A collection illustrating the range of tickets available for skiers in the 1980 Winter Season.falls creek tickets, falls creek tourism

SKI TICKETS Before tows and lifts were introduced at Falls Creek, it could take skiers 20 minutes to climb to the Summit … but only TWO minutes to go back to the bottom. The arrival of tows, then chairlifts and T-bars changed the face of skiing forever. The first rope tow was constructed by Toni St. Elmo for the 1951 winter season. Bob Hymans installed a smaller tow for his guests at Skyline Lodge. Tows were still quite slow, so in 1956 Bob Hymans created his single chairlift. In 1958 the Village rope tow, designed by Albury engineer Jock Wilson, opened. It was financed by shareholders including Bill Griffith (Bowna Ski Club) and the Bridgford family (St. Trinian’s Ski Club). Several other tows followed including the Summit T-bar in 1961, built by Ron McCallum and operated by Alpine Developments Pty. Ltd. which was a company formed by C. H. (Bill) Bridgford. By 1982 Falls Creek was served by 16 different lifts or T-bars, all owned and operated by Alpine Developments (Holdings) Pty. Ltd. During the development of Falls Creek, different methods have been used to pay for the use of tows, lifts and T-bars … including metal tokens, single tickets, strips of tickets and season passes. The Falls Creek Historical Society Collection includes many examples of these items.These tickets are significant because they represent a stage in the management at Falls Creek Tourist Village.A set of tickets available for the Winter season of 1981ski tickets falls creek, falls creek tourism, falls creek management

Part of an annual marketing campaign, this booklet was designed to provide information for planning a holiday at Falls Creek for the winter of 1993. It includes extensive details about activities, facilities and accommodation in the Village as well as contact information to make necessary bookings. The publication was supported by Tourism Victoria and the Falls Creek Chamber of Commerce.This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine ResortMagazine titled 'Falls Creek 1993 Ski Holidays' containing multiple pages of information and images for 1993 winter holidays. Front cover with white background with blue title and square colour image of Falls Creek village centre of page with skier overlayed on image and title. Tourism Victoria logo on bottom left corner and Falls Creek logo on bottom left corner. Advertising on back page. falls creek marketing, events at falls creek, facilities falls creek, falls creek 1990s

Ski Victoria Booklet from 1980 featuring 48 pages containing all information required for the ski resorts of Victoria. Falls Creek is featured on pages six to eleven. This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine ResortMagazine with white front cover, featuring a large square image of a person in black and white ski clothes skiing down hill surrounded by snow and blue sky. Centred above image is Ski Victoria in green with a ski figure in same green, a blue vertical line illustration of the state of Victoria. 1980 is written in smaller black letters underneath with Victoria Has Mountains of snow below text and above image in black capital letters. 'SKI VICTORIA / 1980 / VICTORIA HAS MOUNTAINS OF SNOW'skiing, snow field, snow victoria, tourism victoria, ski victoria, snow, winter, winter tourism

A part of a yearly marketing magazine program promoting Falls Creek ski region for the winter holidays. It includes 28 pages of comprehensive information and maps describing resort facilities, different runs and access to the snow. Available accommodation is explained with the inclusion of tariffs for 25 different venues in both lodges and apartments for 1992. Transport, ski hire, other village services and insurance and booking agents are also explained. This issue was published for the Falls Creek Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Victorian Tourism Commission.This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine ResortMagazine titled "Falls Creek 1992 For The Best Snow Falls". It is a comprehensive guide to activities, accommodation and services in Falls Creek.falls creek marketing, accommodation falls creek, facilities falls creek, falls creek chamber of commerce

A part of a yearly marketing and information program to promote activities in the Falls Creek area outside of the winter season. This booklet promotes a wide range of activities and venues in Falls Creek and surrounding district.This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine area and how they have been promoted. An A4 sized marketing booklet, including images, maps and advertising information printed on glossy paper.falls creek tourism, falls creek victoria, falls creek summer

This booklet was designed to promote the range of activities and community events which take place in the High Country of Victoria outside of the winter snow season. It was a joint publication between Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Mt. Beauty. It aimed to show how nature had regenerated after the wildfires of 2003 to encourage tourism back to the region.This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine ResortAn A4 sized marketing booklet, including images and advertising information printed on glossy paper.victorian alpine region, victorian high country, falls creek tourism, tourism victoria

This article is from the Swedish ski magazine "Inbjudan" in 1991. In 1977 a group of cross country skiers in Mount Beauty, decided to form a cross country ski club. Some of them had skied in Norway and taken part in the Norwegian Birkebeiner Ski Race in 1979, the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club was formed. In 1989, a 42km event named the Australian Birkebeiner Ski Marathon was held and the organisers also included a half distance of 21km called the Birkebeiner and a 7km event called the Birkebeiner Lite. This article outlines the work of Allan Marsland, the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, the Alpine Resorts Commission, the Australian Ski Federation and Tourism Victoria to be accepted into the Worldloppet international series.This item is important as it documents seasonal activities at Falls Creek Alpine Resort A magazine cover and article about the quest to be included in the Worldloppet series, including text and black and white images.skiing, ski, falls creek, victoria, school holidays, winter, snow, winter sport, 1990s, marketing, graphic design

This item is from the private collection of George Shirling of Red Onion, Falls Creek. It is the sign accompanying his collection on display.. George Shirling arrived in Falls Creek in 1962. He engaged Phil Nowell to build the original Koki Alpine Lodge which opened in 1965 with 14 beds. George operated the lodge with Michael “Baldy” Blackwell as manager. He also graduated in sport psychology in 1981 and was invited to become team psychologist for the Australian Winter Olympic team which went to Albertville, France, in 1992. He later owned the Red Onion Chalet. George credited the success of Koki to “Baldy” Blackwell. “Baldy” and Phil Nowell started the Trackers Mountain Lodge in partnership during the 1980s. In 1971 George sold Koki Lodge to Sigi Doerr. In 2024 the renamed Koki Alpine resort remains a highly popular destination in Falls Creek. George Shirling passed away on 27th February 2023. He had remained actively involved in Falls Creek and was generous with his time and knowledge, always an amazing supporter of The Falls Creek Museum and Falls Creek Village.This item is significant because it promotes George Shirling's Collection.A Victorian tourism poster to promote holidays at Victoria's ski resorts. On Sign: 'SUN TAN IN THE SNOW THIS WINTER' Colour process lithograph, signed 'Wendy ?" Government of Victoria Tourist Development A.C. Brooks, Government Printer, Melb. 1960 - original 101.5cm x 64.4cmgeorge shirling, falls creek, exploding sports myths

These items are from the private collection of George Shirling of Red Onion, Falls Creek. This poster was a major component of the Victorian Tourism promotion in 1962. George Shirling arrived in Falls Creek in 1962. He engaged Phil Nowell to build the original Koki Alpine Lodge which opened in 1965 with 14 beds. George operated the lodge with Michael “Baldy” Blackwell as manager. He also graduated in sport psychology in 1981 and was invited to become team psychologist for the Australian Winter Olympic team which went to Albertville, France, in 1992. He later owned the Red Onion Chalet. George credited the success of Koki to “Baldy” Blackwell. “Baldy” and Phil Nowell started the Trackers Mountain Lodge in partnership during the 1980s. In 1971 George sold Koki Lodge to Sigi Doerr. In 2024 the renamed Koki Alpine resort remains a highly popular destination in Falls Creek. George Shirling passed away on 27th February 2023. He had remained actively involved in Falls Creek and was generous with his time and knowledge, always an amazing supporter of The Falls Creek Museum and Falls Creek Village.This item is significant because it was part of a major marketing program for the Victorian Tourism Board to promote the Victorian Alpine Area.A colour poster including a photo of a snow covered mountain in the top section and a group of skier at the bottom. The text is printed in black between the images. The poster is accompanied by an exhibition display sign.Across centre of poster: VICTORIA'S WINTER WONDERLAND ' On Display Card: 'VICTORIA'S WINTER WONDERLAND Falls Creek has a charm all its own, a charm it owes in part to the fact that is within the State Electricity Commissions territory" The Victorian Government Tourist Bureau, 272 Collins Street Melbourne c. 1962victorian tourism board, high country marketing