Historical information

Ice skates used to skate on Lake Catani. Ice skating was a popular activity for guest and visitors to Mt Buffalo. Ice skates were provided for hire by the the first Lessee of the Chalet, John Newton and also Norwegian born Hilda Samsing, who took over from him in 1919 and did much to pioneer and promote winter sports in the Victorian Alpine region . Ice cover on the Lake has not been sufficient for safe skating for many decades.
'After its initial popularity, skating at Mount Buffalo dwindled in the post-war years. According to Museum Victoria curator, Michelle Stevenson, few collections hold historic ice-skates, so any early examples identified in the Chalet collection will be important for their rarity." (Pg 94. Historica)
'Ice-skating was a popular recreational activity in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...According to Michelle Stevenson, Australian Collections hold little material culture relating to its practice other than images and film.

Significance

The few pairs of ice skates in the Chalet collection, which are in good condition, are important for their rarity as well as for illustrating the popularity of skating on Lake Catani prior to WW2.'

Physical description

Pair of black leather ice scates, mounted on wall. Skates feature white laces, metal blades and brown leather reinforcing area around laces and ankles.Boots are stffed with 1993 newsprint.

Inscriptions & markings

On skate blade, "Made in Canada 11 1/3 CCM / Senior A" On boot sole , "Made by J Molony " plus worn name label.