Historical information

Bob (Herman) Hymans (a former member of he 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 item is significant because it documents actions taken by the Falls Creek Tourist Area Management Committee in their role overseeing the Tourist Area.

Physical description

A letter from the Management Committee sent to all Licensees outlining concerns for the capacity of the sewerage system at Falls Creek. It is feared that the duplication of the system may be necessary, the cost of which would have to be borne by the Licensees. It was suspected that the issue was largely the result of residents leaving a tap running to ensure that their internal water installations did not freeze. If this was feeding into the sewerage system it put additional pressure on it's capacity. Residents were required to install a "bleeder" tap which fed into the surface drainage instead of the sewerage system to avoid the need for extensive of the service at considerable cost to all.