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The History of Perisher

Perisher is a relatively new company. It was formed in March 1995 and combines the resources and facilities of Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Mount Blue Cow, Guthega, The Station and the Skitube alpine railway. It is the largest snow resort operation in the Southern Hemisphere. It has the highest terrain, the greatest number of lifts and the most reliable snow in Australia.

Perisher Valley and Smiggin Holes

Front Valley

Perisher Valley has its roots in the early pioneer days, when graziers used the surrounding valleys for summer pasture. The name Perisher is steeped in mystery, the myths surrounding its origin stem from the graziers attempting to rescue livestock trapped in the high country. Braving the full force of the blizzard as they crested The Gap, the feeling among the graziers were - "This is truly a perisher!"

Smiggin Holes is of Scottish origin. The trampling of hundreds of cattle consuming rock salt that graziers had placed there, caused depressions that filled with water. These depressions were called "the smiggin holes". 1939 signified the start of Smiggin Holes as a destination for skiers. A cafe was established to service skiers en route to Charlotte Pass and Mt Kosciuszko.

The method of travel in those days consisted of horse drawn sleighs to Smiggin Holes, then arduous journeys oversnow on skis to Mt Kosciuszko. As the number of skiers increased, services, facilities and means of access were improved, and Perisher's first lodges were constructed. Telemark and the Snow Revellers Club being completed in 1952. In the winter of 1953 the first oversnow transport operated to Perisher Valley. It was greeted by the inhabitants with cheers and celebrations.

In 1958 Svere Kaaten, another pioneer of the mountains, built a sophisticated rope tow at North Perisher. Ken Murray, an old friend of Svere's built another rope tow and Perisher's first T-bar. Development continued and Mt Perisher Double Chair was opened in 1962. After the opening of the first chairlift, T-bar expansion and rope tows, the Perisher area thrived. Murray Publishers Pty Limited was taken over by Australian Consolidated Press in 1972 and Kosciuszko Alpine Resorts was formed.

Murray Publishers then traded under the name of Perisher Ski Resort which incorporated the resorts of Perisher and Smiggins. In 1995, Murray Publishers Pty Limited and the Alpine Australia Group Pty Limited merged to form Perisher Blue Pty Limited.

Mt. Blue Cow

Some time after 1840 James Spencer, a grazier, obtained the lease for all the high country on the main range, including Kosciuszko and Blue Cow peaks. His homestead was situated at West Point (now known as Waste Point) near the entrance to Kosciuszko National Park.

Apparently Spencer crossed some imported black English Shorthorn cattle with white Shorthorns, obtaining offspring with blue roan coats. Blue Cow Mountain was named after one of these cross-bred cows, which would disappear after the thaw each year and would invariably be found on the mountain before the next winter.

In the 1970s, the National Parks and Wildlife Service carried out studies for the development of skiing at Mt Blue Cow, in response to the identified need for the expansion of suitable areas and facilities to enable the continued growth of alpine skiing within the Park. In November 1984 the bid by Mt Blue Cow Ski Bowl Pty Limited was selected. The resort opened in July 1987 and despite transport difficulties (caused by the delay in the completion of the Skitube alpine railway beyond Perisher) the response to the facilities and the mountain was overwhelmingly positive.

Today… Blue Cow includes the facilities of Blue Cow Resort Centre at 1905m and Guthega Ski Centre at 1640m. The highest lifted point on the Blue Cow Side of Perisher is 1960m reached by the Summit Quad Chairlift. The vertical drop to the base of the Ridge at 1605m is 360m. Blue Cow's 14 ski lifts open daily during winter from 8.30am to 5.00pm weather permitting. There is also snowmaking over an area serviced by six lifts.

Guthega

Guthega Resort was established in the 1950's along with Perisher Valley and Smiggin Holes, when improved access to the mountains, created by the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme, and the associated influx of European migrants with skiing experience, stimulated the growth of skiing in New South Wales.

Mainly because of its "out of the way" location, Guthega remained a separate small resort, operated by Guthega Development Pty Ltd, with only a handful of lodges, few lifts, and limited patronage from day skiers, who had to contend with more difficult road conditions than those to Smiggin Holes or Perisher Valley.

In 1982 the Car Park chairlift was installed, which overcame the need for visitors to walk some distance uphill to the upper end of the village to reach the bottom lift, thus making the resort more appealing to day visitors.

In 1991, Guthega was purchased by the Alpine Australia Group Pty Limited, the then operator of the Blue Cow Resort. This led to the operation of two resorts becoming integrated in 1992, thus providing day access into Guthega via the Skitube alpine railway and the Blue Cow and Link Management Unit ski slopes.

Skitube Alpine Railway

Initially, Skitube alpine railway was designed as a winter based access system to improve entry to the Perisher Range ski fields. Until then, these areas were served by a single road of limited capacity that was and still often is, adversely affected by snow and ice during winter. The Skitube was deemed to be the most efficient and environmentally acceptable alternative available. When it was decided to go ahead with the development of Mt Blue Cow in 1984, Skitube was the most practical option for providing access to the resort, and so Skitube was extended from Perisher to Mt Blue Cow. It is Australia's longest ski lift!

Skitube is a Swiss designed rack-rail train that takes passengers from Bullocks Flat on the Alpine Way through a tunnel in the Ramshead Range to the Perisher Resort, stopping in the underground station at Perisher Valley. Skitube then proceeds to Blue Cow Mountain via another tunnel through the Perisher Range. The tunnel is Australia's longest transport tunnel at 6.3km long, and at its deepest point it is 550m below the surface. Since its start of operations in 1987, Skitube has carried over 4 million passengers in comfort and safety.

Perisher Historical Society

The Perisher Historical Society - how it began

PHS

Our ski heritage and the colourful characters who have graced the Perisher Range have been the subject of many conversations over the years. Capturing this rich historical tapestry into some type of organisation has also been a talking point and ambition for many people, but taking that next step and turning an idea into something real requires determination and commitment. Fortunately the timing was right when former Perisher CEO Ashley Blondel encouraged Pam Woodman and Judy Thomson of Ku-ring-gai Alpine Lodge to take the idea and put in motion the formation of such a group. With assistance from passionate volunteers and collaboration with Perisher and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the foundations for the Perisher Historical Society were established.

In 2006 a steering committee came together to guide the initial process of forming the organisation, and on 6 August 2007 the Perisher Historical Society was registered with the Department of Fair Trading. Simon Berry of Berry Buddle Wilkins Lawyers kindly provided legal assistance with registration. The name Perisher Historical Society was selected to include what are often called the Perisher Range Resorts - Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Guthega and Blue Cow. The steering committee felt that ‘Perisher’ was synonymous with the general area and that the community and future members would accept this wider interpretation. To give the Society an easily recognisable identity, the logo you now see was kindly designed by Jason Reid of Reidesign - the concept combining the resort, mountain and snow environment with a feeling of the past.

In due course, consideration will also be given to affiliation with the Royal Australian Historical Society which would give access to a range of benefits from know-how to reasonable insurance rates.

What we would like to do now…

The Perisher Historical Society will soon form a statutory committee and we are now calling for membership. If you would like to join the Perisher Historical Society, please complete a membership form. Also take the opportunity to promote membership amongst your family and friends. The success of the Perisher Historical Society will depend on continuing membership and interest from people like you.

It is now time to commence some of the activities that will help capture and consolidate the history of the area. There are many possibilities for the direction of the burgeoning Perisher Historical Society, but in the first instance we would like to start collecting old photographs, articles, skiing equipment and other snow-related memorabilia. Given the history of skiing in the Snowy Mountains and the context for the development of skiing in the Perisher Range, material does not have to be Perisher specific. Anything that helps communicate stories about ski club and ski lodge development, travelling in the mountains, interesting anecdotes, including funny misadventures, would be welcome.

As part of their 50-year celebrations, a number of lodges have been producing commemorative booklets and DVDs. Clubs with similar upcoming celebrations may also wish to consider contributing these or any other historical snippets that are snow sport or resort related to the Perisher Historical Society. Photographs will always be a welcome contribution. Copies of transcripts and photographs would also be welcome should individuals or clubs wish to keep the originals. The Society can arrange for copying of originals. The Perisher Historical Society is also collecting oral history from various personalities, rekindling memories of their time and experiences in the snow and the development of snow sports.

What we would like to do in the future…

Having a repository for contributions is one thing, but being able to share and provide information is another. The ultimate goal for the Perisher Historical Society is to have a museum exhibiting a range of memorabilia. However, opportunities for show-casing some collections in places like Blue Cow, Perisher Centre, Ski Tube and the NPWS building are also being explored. Winter events and special gatherings will also provide opportunities to share in the delights of our skiing history.

The Perisher Historical Society membership application form (pdf).