AusLeisure

Victorian ski resort Falls Creek will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of its operations during the current ski season.

From humble beginnings with the first ski lodge Skyline, evolving to what is now a vibrant European-style ski village that attracts thousands of snow enthusiasts of all abilities each winter season, Falls Creek is now a thriving all-season resort.

It was the adventurous curiosity and intrepid spirit of like-minded State Electricity Commission (SEC) staff including Ray Meyer, the Chief Surveyor of the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme, who recognised the skiing potential of the snow-covered high plains.

The six SEC employees - Toni St Elmo, Ray Meyer, Jack Minogue, Lloyd Dunn, Adrian Ruffenacht and Dave Gibson (together with their families) - banded together to secretly build a 'hut' that was the first ski lodge at Falls Creek.

Using a road built in 1930s to gain access to Falls Creek the hut project was quite a bold move and was carried out in secret owing to earlier efforts by other skiers being stymied by HHC Williams - the engineer in charge of the Hydro Scheme.

To celebrate its early settlers, and the highlights of the last seven decades, Falls Creek is throwing a week-long celebration from Monday, 7th August. Activities during the week will include a re-creation walk from Howman’s Gap in period wear, some 60s dancers in Slalom Plaza, 70s Hotdog style mogul race and themed fireworks, an 80s disco, 90s trivia in the evening after an afternoon tea with the original family descendants and culminating in a celebration of the 2000’s looking in to the future with a day party at the Corona bar at QT.

Local Historical Society Chair Karen Smythe explains “there couldn’t be a more fitting tribute to the early pioneers and settlers than a week long celebration of the seven decades of Alpine village life.”

To honour the celebration, the Falls Creek Arts and Heritage Trail has also been added to the Falls User Guide, the digital guide to exploring Falls Creek.

For more information go to www.fallsuserguide.com 

11th July 2017 - RESEARCH SHOWS INCREASED VISITOR NUMBERS ACROSS VICTORIA’S ALPINE RESORTS

8th June 2017 - VICTORIAN SKI RESORT FALLS CREEK READY FOR SEASON OPENING

23rd January 2017 - VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TO REFORM MANAGEMENT OF VICTORIA’S ALPINE RESORTS 

10th January 2017 - CSIRO MODELLING PREDICTS CLIMATE CHANGE COULD SHRINK AUSTRALIA’S SKI SEASON BY 80 DAYS 

20th October 2016 - AUSTRALIA’S FIRST EVER ACCESSIBLE ALPINE ACCOMMODATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT FALLS CREEK 

24th February 2016 - NEW BOARD WORKING TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALPINE RESORTS

10th December 2015 - VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TURNS BACK MANAGEMENT OF ITS ALPINE RESORTS

12th September 2014 - $2.5 MILLION FOR FIRST ALL ABILITIES ALPINE ACCOMMODATION AT FALLS CREEK

11th June 2014 - FALLS CREEK OPENS FOR 2014 SNOW SEASON

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.