Guthega, New South Wales
| Guthega New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 TheMain Rangefrom Guthega Peak, July 2011 | |
  Guthega | |
| Coordinates | 36°23′S148°22′E/ 36.383°S 148.367°E |
| Postcode(s) | 2624 |
| Elevation | 1,640 m (5,381 ft) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Snowy Monaro Regional Council |
| State electorate(s) | Monaro |
| Federal division(s) | Eden-Monaro |
Guthegais analpine villageand the site for ahydro electricdamlocated in theKosciuszko National Park,on the upper reaches of theSnowy River,on the western face ofMount Blue Cow,Snowy MountainsofNew South Wales,Australia.[1]
The village is made up of private lodges, a restaurant and bar, commercial accommodation, and facilities for snow sports and other outdoor recreation.
Guthega is also the site for theGuthega Power Station- a dam used to generate hydro electricity as part of theSnowy Mountains Scheme,now managed bySnowy Hydro.
History
[edit]The Aboriginal cultural groupNgarigowere nomadic between Canberra, the Monaro plains, and into the Snowy Mountains for over 20,000 years. Pressures from European Settlers caused an increase in intertribal wars possibly taking place in the mountain areas around the Snowy River and similar water ways.[2]Diseases introduced by the settlers such asSmall Pox,Syphilis,Influenza,MeaslesandTuberculosisdevastated Aboriginal populations, and by 1850 the survivors had all moved off their traditional lands, giving up their lifestyles to live with the Europeans aroundCooma.[3]
Herbert Schlink,Eric Fischer,William Gordon and John Laidley, of theSki Club of Australia,with W Hughes, made the first winter crossing of theMain RangefromKiandratoKosciuskoin 1927.
Guthega was declared a dam and hydro election power station site by theSnowy Mountains Schemein 1949.[4]Road works for the Guthega Power Station began in 1951[5]with the dam beginning in 1952. A Norwegian group was contracted to build the power station, and Guthega became known as "Little Norway", containing the largest number of Norwegians living outside Norway at the time.[6]Power was first generated by the station 1955.[7]
Recreational skiing began at Guthega in the late 1950s with the first rope tow for downhill skiing being installed on Mount Tate's East Ridge by the SMA Ski Club in 1957. The YMCA Ski Club (now the Brindabella Ski Club) built two huts and one rope tow in 1960, and started running ski lessons with lodging. The SMA Tow hut burned down in 1965 and it was not replaced, but the first T-bar tow was erected on the West slopes of Mount Blue Calf that same year. In 1966 Walter Spanring and his wife Hannelore (Eberstaller), key developers of Guthega's ski areas to date, built the Guthega Hotel (later becoming the Guthega Alpine Hotel). In 1974 Peter Aynsley designed the Australian Ski Club lodge next to the Guthega Hotel and with financial assistance from the smaller ski clubs in the area, expansion of the skiing facilities on the West Face of Mount Blue Calf began in 1975. In 1980 new investors were brought in, and further development saw car parks, a chairlift, a ski centre and general upgrades completed by 1983.[8]Guthega's new ski facilities were launched in 1983 with an international marketing campaign[9]that included:
- Range Rover Australian Freestyle Championships
- Peter Stuyvesant International Pro-Am Dual Slalom
- Cold Chisel in concert at The Lake Jindabyne Hotel
- Ovaltine ski racing for amateurs and recreational skiers
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 under the name Blue Cow-Guthega in 1992. Day access into Guthega then became possible via the Skitube alpine railway and the Blue Cow and Link Management Unit ski slopes. The Blue Cow-Guthega and Perisher-Smiggins resort areas were subsequently merged to become thePerisher Bluecomplex.
Guthega skiing is included in the trail maps of the Perisher Blue ski resort, and a chair lift and two T-bars are sometimes operated from Guthega to link with Perisher Blue depending on demand. As well as downhill skiing, Guthega serves as a base for alpine and cross country skiers and boarders seeking access to relatively sheltered aspects and wilderness experiences, as well ice climbers heading toBlue Lake.In summer months it is used as a destination for sight seers and people enjoying recreation in the surroundingKosciuszko National Park.
Natural features
[edit]See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"Guthega NSW - Accommodation, Events & Attractions".VisitNSW.Retrieved26 April2016.
- ^"Chapter 2 - The Contact Period".kunama.Archived fromthe originalon 13 July 2011.Retrieved16 May2010.
- ^"South Eastern Highlands - regional history".Office of Environment and Heritage. 24 May 2021.
- ^"Marking the Snowy Scheme's 60th anniversary".Powerhouse Museum.
- ^http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2829318A[dead link]
- ^"Snowy Hydro – The Snowy Mountains Scheme".National Film and Sound Archive.
- ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2009.Retrieved11 April2010.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"Guthega Ski Resort".Christiana Capital. Archived fromthe originalon 21 June 2019.Retrieved22 July2023.
- ^"Guthega Ski Resort - 1983 ski season".Christiana Capital. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2012.Retrieved22 July2023.
External links
[edit]- View more information on the development of GuthegaArchived21 June 2019 at theWayback Machine
- A river to be turned- 1952 documentary film about the building ofGuthega Dam
- WikiSki entry for GuthegaArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
- Perisher Blue ski lifts and trail maps
- Google searchThe history of Guthegain a timeline
- The Australian Ski Club[permanent dead link].
- Guthega Ski Club