Judith (Judy) Forras and Christine Smith both represented Australia at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. Judy was a National Ice-Skating champion before becoming an Olympic Alpine Skier. She had already won the Victorian skating title she met her future husband Ernest Forras, owner of the Kooroora Chalet and ski instructor at Mt. Buller. After having four children, Judy came back to skiing, winning every major State and National Title in all three disciplines, Slalom, Downhill and Giant Slalom, therefore gaining automatic selection to the Olympic team for Innsbruck in 1964. The only other Australian woman selected to that team was Christine Smith. She was born in Cooma NSW, Christine learned to ski at an early age. She won the 1961 NSW Junior Champion title before being selected in the Australian Team to ski against New Zealand. Christine gained selection for the 1962 St. Moritz Commonwealth Winter Games. In the 1964 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games she placed 27th in the Downhill and 28th in the Slalom. Before departing for Innsbruck, members of the team including Ross Milne, completed some of their training at Falls Creek, Victoria where this photograph was taken.This image is significant because it represents two women who were pioneers in the Winter Olympic movement in Australia.A black and white image showing two female skiers, representatives of the Australian Winter Olympic team of 1964.winter olympics innsbruck, judy forras, christine smith

Ross Milne grew up on his family's tobacco property in Myrtleford, Victoria and started skiing at Falls Creek when he was 13. He 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. This item is significant because it shows the Olympic Team at Falls Creek and features Ross Milne who died tragically in a training run in Innsbruck, Austria shortly after this photo was taken.A mounted black and white photograph of the Australian Olympic team standing in front of the Falls Creek Ski School sign as well as an article "Ski Champion at 18" from Australian Women's Weekly Wed 9 Oct 1963. The image was taken while the team selected to represent Australia at the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Australia were in training. Left to right: Christine Smith, Simon Brown, Sigi Haberzettl (Coach), Judy Forras, John Wagner (Manager), Peter Wenzel, Peter Brockhoff, Ross Milne.australian winter olympians, winter olympics 1964, ross milne