Kiandra
The birthplace of Australian skiing, where Norwegian gold miners raced from 1861; the town was abandoned in 1974 and ski operations moved away in 1978.
- Region
- New South Wales
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- abandoned
- Year opened
- 1861
- Year closed
- 1978
- Reason for closure
- Decline and abandonment of the gold-mining town; ski operations relocated permanently to nearby Selwyn Snowfields in 1978
History
Kiandra, a gold-rush settlement at 1,400 metres on the Snowy Mountains plateau, is where recreational skiing began in Australia. In 1861 Norwegian miners made over forty pairs of skis and snow shoes before the first winter snow, and the annual races held on Township Hill led to the founding of the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club, reported to be the world's longest continuously running ski club and now the Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club at Perisher Valley. The club held what may have been the first international ski race carnival in 1908. Australia's first T-bar lift ran on Township Hill from 1957, but ski operations moved permanently to nearby Selwyn Snowfields in 1978. The last resident left Kiandra in 1974. The 2019-20 bushfire season devastated what remained: the courthouse was severely damaged with the glass and aluminium in its windows melted, and Wolgal Hut and Pattisons Huts were feared destroyed in the Dunns Road fire of 3 January 2020.
Lifts
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Township Hill T-Bar | T-Bar | Operated from 1957; reported as the first T-bar lift in Australia |
Runs
- Township Hill
Sources and further reading
More in Australia
Location
-35.8700, 148.5000