Historical information

Bob (Herman) Hymans (a former member of the Royal Netherlands Navy) was born in Bloemendaal, Holland on 30th September 1922. During World War II he fought against the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and was imprisoned in Changi and on the Burma Railway.

After gaining qualifications as a Ski Instructor, Bob arrived in Falls Creek in July 1950. Working as an Instructor and Supervisor at Bogong Lodge, Bob decided his future was in accommodation. He was successful in negotiating an indenture for land from the State Electricity Commission (SEC). It took Bob two years to build his Grand Coeur Chalet but, tragically, it was burned down in August 1961.

Bob also built the first Chairlift in Australia. This was a single chairlift and the structure was built from wooden electricity poles. He was constantly full of new ideas and proposals for the village. Bob Hymans died on 7th July 2007.

This Collection of documents and letters tells the story of Bob's endeavours to develop Falls Creek into the ski village it is today.

Significance

This chair is significant because it is the last chair from the first chairlift ever constructed in Australia.

Physical description

This is the last known chair of the Alpine Chairlift built in 1957 and deconstructed in 1961. It was built by Bob Hymans from recycled SEC Poles. The chairlift had 40 chairs on the 390 metre trip to the top. It carried its first passengers on 21 July 1957. Available to all visitors, the lower end of the lift was about 90 metres above the Upper Kiewa Road and it ascended 120 vertical metres to the top terminal above the race-line. The forty chairs transported skiers continuously at a speed of 1.5 metres per second, the upward trip taking just over four minutes. Each chair has a safety bar above the rider's knees.