Editing Snowy Mountains (section)

==History==
The mountain range is thought to have had Aboriginal occupation for 20,000 years. Large gatherings were held in the High Country during summer for collective feasting on the [[Bogong moth]].

The area was first explored by Europeans in 1835, and in 1840, [[Paweł Edmund Strzelecki|Edmund Strzelecki]] ascended Mount Kosciuszko and named it after the Polish patriot. High country stockmen followed who used the Snowy Mountains for grazing during the summer months. [[Banjo Paterson]]'s famous poem [[The Man from Snowy River (poem)|The Man From Snowy River]] recalls this era. The cattle graziers have left a legacy of mountain huts scattered across the area. Today these huts are maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service or volunteer organisations like the [[Kosciuszko Huts Association]].

In the 19th century [[gold]] was mined on the high plains near [[Kiandra, New South Wales|Kiandra]]. At its height this community had a population of about 4,000 people, and ran 14 hotels. Since the last resident left in 1974, Kiandra has become a ghost town of ruins and abandoned diggings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0018|title=DECC Kosciuszko National Park|access-date=24 April 2009|work=DECC National Parks website}}</ref>

The [[Kosciuszko National Park]] came into existence as the National Chase Snowy Mountains on 5 December 1906.  In 1944 this became the Kosciuszko State Park and the Kosciuszko National Park in 1967.<ref>{{cite news|title=Top of Australia hosts park's centenary|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-12-05/top-of-australia-hosts-parks-centenary/2145852|access-date=20 December 2013|newspaper=ABC News|date=5 December 2006}}</ref>

Recreational skiing began at Kiandra in the 1860s and experienced a boom in the 20th century following the commencement of the construction of the [[Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme]] between 1949 and 1976 which brought many European workers to the district and opened up access to the ranges.[[File:Kiandra carnival 1900 Charles Kerry.jpeg|thumb|[[Skiing in Australia]] began in the goldrush town of [[Kiandra]] around 1861.|left|260x260px]]

===Skiing===
{{Main|Skiing in New South Wales}}

The discovery of gold at [[Kiandra]] (elevation {{convert|1400|m|disp=or|abbr=on}}), in 1859, briefly enticed a population of thousands above the snowline and saw the introduction of recreational skiing to the Snowy Mountains around 1861.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.selwynsnow.com.au/templates/sel/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=69| title = Selwyn Snowfields - Your Winter Playground - History<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> The Kiandra Goldrush was short-lived, but the township remained a service centre for recreational and survival skiing for over a century. Australia's first [[T-bar lift]] was installed at Kiandra in 1957, but the ski facilities were finally shifted up the hill to [[Selwyn Snowfields]] in 1978.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://selwynsnow.com.au/templates/sel/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=69| title = Selwyn Snowfields - Your Winter Playground - History<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> Steeper slopes and more reliable snows lie further to the south and in the 20th century, the focus of recreational skiing in New South Wales shifted southward, to the [[Mount Kosciuszko]] region.<ref>The history of skiing at Kiandra has been the subject of several studies, including 1959's "Historic Kiandra", written by the Kiandra Historical Society and ''Kiandra Goldfields to Skifields'' (2006) by Norman W. Clarke</ref>

[[File:Jagungal.jpg|250px|thumb|Sunrise over [[Mount Jagungal]]]]

The Kosciuszko Chalet was built at [[Charlotte Pass]] in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain.<ref>[http://www.charlottepass.com.au/chalet.html Charlotte Pass Ski Resort - Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310170458/http://www.charlottepass.com.au/chalet.html |date=10 March 2011 }}</ref> In 1964, Australia briefly boasted the "World's Longest [[Chairlift]]", designed to carry skiers from the Thredbo Valley to Charlotte Pass, but technical difficulties soon closed the facility.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/of-ice-and-men-20090121-7mbh.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Of ice and men | date=24 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colongwilderness.org.au/archive/RedIndex/NSW/Jagu99.htm|title=NSW Wilderness Red Index|date=September 1999|publisher=Colong Foundation for Wilderness Ltd|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref> At {{convert|1760|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, Charlotte Pass has the highest village base elevation of any Australia ski resort and can only be accessed via over-snow transport in winter.<ref name="smh.com.au">{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/50-reasons-to-love-australian-snow-20090603-bv3f.html?page=-1 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=50 reasons to love Australian snow | first1=Robert | last1=Upe | first2=Jim | last2=Darby | first3=Russell | last3=Holt | first4=Susan | last4=Bredow | date=6 June 2009}}</ref> The growing number of ski enthusiasts heading to Charlotte Pass led to the establishment of a cafe at [[Smiggin Holes]] around 1939, where horse-drawn sleighs would deliver skiers to begin the arduous ski to the Kosciuszko Chalet.<ref name="perisher">{{cite web|url=http://www.perisher.com.au/resort-information/resort-statistics.html|title=Perisher Resort Statistics and Information|publisher=Perisher Resort|access-date=1 January 2013}}</ref> It was the construction of the vast [[Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme]] from 1949 that really opened up the Snowy Mountains for large scale development of a ski industry and led to the establishment of [[Thredbo]] and Perisher as leading Australian resorts.<ref name="perisher" /><ref name="thredbo.com.au">{{cite web| url = http://www.thredbo.com.au/about-thredbo/history/| title = History {{!}} Thredbo Alpine Village, Australia<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> The Construction of [[Guthega]] Dam brought skiers to the isolated Guthega district and a rope tow was installed there in 1957.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.christianacapital.com/Text/1201316577093-6700/| title = Christiana Capital : Guthega Ski Resort<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>
[[File:Charlotte Pass Village in August.jpg|250px|thumbnail|Charlotte Pass is a popular ski area in the upper Snowy Mountains]]
Skifields up by Kosciuszko's side were also established during this period, though their existence is now little realised. [[Australian Alpine Club|The Australian Alpine Club]] was founded in 1950 by [[Charles Anton]]. Huts were constructed in the "Backcountry" close to Mount Kosciuszko, including [[Kunama Hut]], which opened for the 1953 season. A rope tow was installed on [[Mount Northcote]] at the site and opened in 1954. The site proved excellent for speed skiing, but the hut was destroyed in an [[avalanche]], which also killed one person, in 1956.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.australianalpineclub.com/index.html| title = History of the Australian Alpine Club}}</ref>

Anton also recognised the potential of the [[Thredbo Valley]] for construction of a major resort and village, with good vertical terrain. Construction began in 1957.<ref name="thredbo.com.au"/> Today, Thredbo has 14 ski-lifts and possesses Australia's longest ski resort run, the 5.9&nbsp;km from Karel's T-Bar to [[Friday Flat]]; Australia's greatest vertical drop of 672&nbsp;m; and the highest lifted point in Australia at 2037&nbsp;m.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thredbo.com.au/about-thredbo/resort-information/facts-and-figures/winter-2009.asp| title = About Thredbo Resort {{!}} Snowy Mountains, Australia<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mynrma.com.au/travel/holidays/ideas/nsw/snow-business.htm|title=Snowy Mountains - No business like snow business|publisher=National Roads and Motorists' Association|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref>

The last establishment of a major skifield in NSW came with the development of [[Blue Cow, New South Wales|Mount Blue Cow]] in the 1980s. In 1987 the Swiss designed [[Skitube Alpine Railway]] opened to deliver skiers from [[Bullocks Flat]], on the [[Alpine Way]], to Perisher Valley and to Blue Cow, which also opened in 1987.<ref name="perisher" /> The operators of Blue Cow purchased Guthega in 1991, and the new combined resort later merged with Perisher-Smiggins to become the largest ski resort in the [[Southern Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perisher.com.au/resort-information/history.html|title=The History of Perisher|publisher=Perisher Resort|access-date=1 January 2013}}</ref> In 2022, [[Perisher Ski Resort|Perisher]] had 48 lifts covering 1,245 hectares and four village base areas: Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes and Guthega.<ref name="perisher" />[[File:Snowy-Mountains-System (de).png|thumb|left|Map of Snowy Mountains Scheme]]

===Snowy Mountains Scheme===
{{Main|Snowy Mountains Scheme}}
The Snowy Mountains also feed the [[Murrumbidgee River|Murrumbidgee]] and [[Murray River|Murray]] rivers from the [[Tooma River]], [[Whites River]] and [[Yarrangobilly River]]. The range is perhaps best known for the [[Snowy Mountains Scheme]], a project to dam the Snowy River, providing both water for irrigation and [[hydroelectricity]].

The project began in 1949 employing 100,000 men, two-thirds of whom came from thirty other countries during the post-World War II years. Socially this project symbolises a period during which Australia became an ethnic "melting pot" of the twentieth century but which also changed Australia's character and increased its appreciation for a wide range of cultural diversity.
[[File:Tumut 3 Power Station, near Talbingo NSW.jpg|thumb|Tumut 3 generating station]]
The Scheme built several temporary towns for its construction workers, several of which have become permanent: [[Cabramurra, New South Wales|Cabramurra]] (the highest town in Australia); and [[Khancoban, New South Wales|Khancoban]]. Additionally, the economy of [[Cooma, New South Wales|Cooma]] has been sustained by the Scheme.{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} Townships at [[Adaminaby]], [[Jindabyne]] and [[Talbingo]] were inundated by the construction of Lakes [[Lake Eucumbene|Eucumbene]], [[Lake Jindabyne|Jindabyne]] and [[Talbingo Dam|Talbingo]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/adaminaby-20081113-5yk8.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Adaminaby | date=1 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snowymountains.com.au/about/towns/jindabyne/|title=Towns - Jindabyne|publisher=Snowy Mountains|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref> Improved vehicular access to the High Country enabled ski-resort villages to be constructed at [[Thredbo]] and [[Guthega]] in the 1950s by ex-Snowy Scheme workers, who realised the potential for expansion of the Australian ski industry.<ref name="thredbo.com.au"/>

By 1974, {{convert|145|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of tunnels and {{convert|80|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of aqueducts connected the sixteen dams, seven power stations (two underground), and one pumping station.<ref>[http://www.asce.org/history/landmark/projects.cfm Designated Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321063753/http://www.asce.org/history/landmark/projects.cfm |date=21 March 2007 }}. Retrieved on 28 February 2008.</ref> The [[American Society of Civil Engineers]] has rated the Snowy Scheme as "a world-class civil engineering project".

The principal lakes created by the scheme include: [[Lake Eucumbene]], [[Blowering Dam]], [[Talbingo Dam]], [[Lake Jindabyne]] and [[Tantangara Dam]].