Article Index

 

On 17 October 1949 work officially commenced on the Snowy Scheme, which had a major impact on NSW Ski Fields. A total of sixteen hundred kilometers of roads and tracks were constructed in 25 years, including the Alpine Way which provided the first vehicle access to the Thredbo Valley. The work required over 100 camps and work sites. Three camps – Guthega, Smiggin Holes and Cabramurra – became ski townships when they were no longer needed for construction purposes. Some camps had magnificent mountain vistas, such as the Seven Mile Drilling Camp (Photo 3). But not only did the Snowy Scheme open up the mountains, it also provided many keen skiers who had learnt to ski in their European homelands prior to migrating to Australia to work on the Snowy Scheme.