Guthega, New South Wales

Town in New South Wales, Australia

36°23′S 148°22′E / 36.383°S 148.367°E / -36.383; 148.367Postcode(s)2624Elevation1,640 m (5,381 ft)Location

501 km (311 mi) SW of Sydney
219 km (136 mi) SSW of Canberra
102 km (63 mi) W of Cooma
43 km (27 mi) W of Jindabyne
286 km (178 mi) NNE of Bairnsdale

LGA(s)Snowy Monaro Regional Council State electorate(s)Monaro Federal division(s)Eden-Monaro

Guthega is an alpine village and the site for a hydro electric dam located in the Kosciuszko National Park, on the upper reaches of the Snowy River, on the western face of Mount Blue Cow, Snowy Mountains of New 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 the Guthega Power Station - a dam used to generate hydro electricity as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, now managed by Snowy Hydro.

History

The Aboriginal cultural group Ngarigo were 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 as Small Pox, Syphilis, Influenza, Measles and Tuberculosis devastated Aboriginal populations, and by 1850 the survivors had all moved off their traditional lands, giving up their lifestyles to live with the Europeans around Cooma.^[3]

Herbert Schlink, Eric Fischer, William Gordon and John Laidley, of the Ski Club of Australia, with W Hughes, made the first winter crossing of the Main Range from Kiandra to Kosciusko in 1927.

Guthega was declared a dam and hydro election power station site by the Snowy Mountains Scheme in 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 the Perisher Blue complex.

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 to Blue Lake. In summer months it is used as a destination for sight seers and people enjoying recreation in the surrounding Kosciuszko National Park.

Natural features

References

^ "Guthega NSW - Accommodation, Events & Attractions". VisitNSW.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
^ "Chapter 2 - The Contact Period". www.kunama.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
^ "South Eastern Highlands - regional history". Office of Environment and Heritage.
^ "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 from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Guthega Ski Resort". Christiana Capital. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^ "Guthega Ski Resort - 1983 ski season". Christiana Capital. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2023.

External links

View more information on the development of Guthega Archived 21 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine
A river to be turned - 1952 documentary film about the building of Guthega Dam
WikiSki entry for Guthega Archived 19 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
Perisher Blue ski lifts and trail maps
Google search The history of Guthega in a timeline
The Australian Ski Club.
Guthega Ski Club

Towns and localities in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council local government area

Rural places

Main Article: Local government areas of New South Wales

v t e Australian skifields
NSW	Cabramurra Charlotte Pass Perisher Blue Cow Guthega Perisher Valley Smiggin Holes Selwyn Snowfields Thredbo
Victoria	Dinner Plain Falls Creek Hotham Alpine Lake Mountain (XC) Mount Baw Baw Mount Buller Mount St Gwinear (XC) Mount Stirling (XC)
Tasmania	Ben Lomond Mount Mawson
ACT	Corin Forest
Former skifields	Kiandra Mount Buffalo Mount Franklin

Mountains in New South Wales, Australia

Coastal mountain ranges
(not part of the
Great Dividing Range)

Mid North Coast	Middle Brother (554 m or 1,818 ft) South Brother (487 m or 1,598 ft) North Brother (476 m or 1,562 ft)
Allyn, Barrington & Mount Royal	Brumlow Tops (1,586 m or 5,203 ft) Polblue (1,575 m or 5,167 ft) Barrington (1,555 m or 5,102 ft) Careys Peak (1,544 m or 5,066 ft) Eremeren Point (1,537 m or 5,043 ft) Royal (1,185 m or 3,888 ft) Allyn (1,125 m or 3,691 ft) Cabrebald (1,000 m or 3,281 ft) Ben Bullen Gunama Lumeah
Gibraltar and Sugarloaf	Summit (1,170 m or 3,839 ft) Sugarloaf (412 m or 1,352 ft) Bulahdelah Manning
Blue Mountains	Coricudgy (1,255 m or 4,117 ft) unnamed peak (1,189 m or 3,901 ft) Pomany (1,109 m or 3,638 ft) Piddington (1,094 m or 3,589 ft) Boyce (1,093 m or 3,586 ft) York (1,061 m or 3,481 ft) Victoria (1,059 m or 3,474 ft) Banks (1,049 m or 3,442 ft) Tomah (1,016 m or 3,333 ft) Wilson (1,008 m or 3,307 ft) Kings Tableland (1,000 m or 3,281 ft) Narrow Neck Plateau (1,000 m or 3,281 ft) Bell (998 m or 3,274 ft) Castle Cliff (986 m or 3,235 ft) Solitary (950 m or 3,117 ft) Hay (944 m or 3,097 ft) Podgers (890 m or 2,920 ft) Irvine (850 m or 2,789 ft) Debert (840 m or 2,756 ft) Camp Cave (800 m or 2,625 ft) Warrigal (760 m or 2,493 ft) Notts (750 m or 2,461 ft) Harris (736 m or 2,415 ft) Centre (620 m or 2,034 ft) Hall (617 m or 2,024 ft) Gibson (608 m or 1,995 ft) Scorpion (558 m or 1,831 ft) Linda Rock (599 m or 1,965 ft) Cookem (569 m or 1,867 ft) Gospers Bedford Cameron Coriaday Erskine Mistake Monundilla Whaite Wirraba Pearces Wedding Cake
Illawarra	Bells (803 m or 2,635 ft) Knights Hill (709 m or 2,326 ft) Noorinan (663 m or 2,175 ft) Saddleback (600 m or 1,969 ft) Wanyambilli Hill (564 m or 1,850 ft) Kembla (534 m or 1,752 ft) Burelli (531 m or 1,742 ft) Kembla West (512 m or 1,680 ft) Brisbane (469 m or 1,539 ft) Keira (464 m or 1,522 ft) Warra (464 m or 1,522 ft) Brokers Nose (440 m or 1,444 ft) Nebo (252 m or 827 ft)
The Budawangs	Budawang (1,129 m or 3,704 ft) Currockbilly (1,087 m or 3,566 ft) Wog Wog (893 m or 2,930 ft) Cole (876 m or 2,874 ft) Sturgiss (858 m or 2,815 ft) Fosters (857 m or 2,812 ft) Barneys Hill (855 m or 2,805 ft) The Castle (831 m or 2,726 ft) Shrouded Gods (809 m or 2,654 ft) Donjon (786 m or 2,579 ft) Clyde (781 m or 2,562 ft) Quiltys (775 m or 2,543 ft) Wirritin (674 m or 2,211 ft) Pigeon House / Didthul (720 m or 2,362 ft) Bushwalker (640 m or 2,100 ft) Byangee (500 m or 1,640 ft) Coolangatta Tarn

Great Dividing Range

Tweed

Warning (1,156 m or 3,793 ft)
Bar (1,130 m or 3,707 ft)
Glenugie (316 m or 1,037 ft)
Chincogan (260 m or 853 ft)
Gladstone
Goobergooberyam
Moombil

McPherson and Nightcap

Barney (1,359 m or 4,459 ft)
Burrell 933 m or 3,061 ft)
Neville (919 m or 3,015 ft)
Nardi (812 m or 2,664 ft)
Matheson (804 m or 2,638 ft)
Peates (604 m or 1,982 ft)

Mid North Coast

Banda Banda (1,258 m or 4,127 ft)

Nandewar

Kaputar (1,489 m or 4,885 ft)
Dowe (1,457 m or 4,780 ft)
Mount Coryah (1,409 m or 4,623 ft)
Lindesay (1,373 m or 4,505 ft)
Grattai (1,301 m or 4,268 ft)
Bushy (1,260 m or 4,134 ft)
Round (1,250 m or 4,101 ft)
Yulludunida (1,225 m or 4,019 ft)
Castle Top (1,120 m or 3,675 ft)
Gins (1,120 m or 3,675 ft)
Ningadhun (1,013 m or 3,323 ft)

Liverpool and Watagan

unnamed (1,300 m or 4,265 ft)
Pandoras Pass (788 m or 2,585 ft)
Warrawolong (641 m or 2,103 ft)

New England and Moonbi

Round (1,585 m or 5,200 ft)
Point Lookout (1,564 m or 5,131 ft)
Ben Lomond (1,512 m or 4,961 ft)
Grundy (1,463 m or 4,800 ft)
Barren (1,437 m or 4,715 ft)
Hyland (1,434 m or 4,705 ft)
Duval (1,393 m or 4,570 ft)
Black Jack (1,300 m or 4,265 ft)
Gulligal (1,230 m or 4,035 ft)
Oaky (1,070 m or 3,510 ft)
Cooee (1,020 m or 3,346 ft)
Flaggy (984 m or 3,228 ft)
Big Billy (884 m or 2,900 ft)
Dorrigo (762 m or 2,500 ft)
Burning (520 m or 1,706 ft)
Yarrowyck

Central Tablelands

Canobolas (1,395 m or 4,577 ft)
Shooters Hill (1,394 m or 4,573 ft)
Bindo (1,363 m or 4,472 ft)
Trickett (1,362 m or 4,469 ft)
Blaxland (901 m or 2,956 ft)
Hopeless (1,056 m or 3,465 ft)

The Brindabellas and Scabby

Bimberi (1,913 m or 6,276 ft)
Gingera (1,857 m or 6,093 ft)
Kelly (1,829 m or 6,001 ft)
Ginini (1,762 m or 5,781 ft)
Franklin (1,646 m or 5,400 ft)
Aggie (1,421 m or 4,662 ft)
Coree (1,421 m or 4,662 ft)
Bramina (1,392 m or 4,567 ft)
Bulls Head (1,375 m or 4,511 ft)
Black Bottle (1,356 m or 4,449 ft)
Lickhole (1,188 m or 3,898 ft)
Brindabella (972 m or 3,189 ft)

Monaro

Big Badja (1,363 m or 4,472 ft)
Brown (1,243 m or 4,078 ft)
Gibraltar (Bungendore) (887 m or 2,910 ft)
Gibraltar Hill

Snowies

Main

Kosciuszko (2,228 m or 7,310 ft)
Townsend (2,209 m or 7,247 ft)
unnamed peak on Etheridge Ridge (2,180 m or 7,152 ft)
Alice Rawson Peak (2,160 m or 7,087 ft)
Byatts Camp (2,159 m or 7,083 ft)
Carruthers (2,145 m or 7,037 ft)
Abbott Peak (2,145 m or 7,037 ft)
Mount Northcote (2,131 m or 6,991 ft)
Muellers Peak (2,120 m or 6,955 ft)
Clark (2,100 m or 6,890 ft)
Lee (2,100 m or 6,890 ft)
Gungartan (2,068 m or 6,785 ft)
Tate (2,068 m or 6,785 ft)
Jagungal (2,061 m or 6,762 ft)
Perisher (2,054 m or 6,739 ft)
Stilwell (2,040 m or 6,693 ft)
Watsons Crags (2,020 m or 6,627 ft)
Back Perisher (2,014 m or 6,608 ft)
Anton (2,000 m or 6,562 ft)
Anderson (1,997 m or 6,552 ft)
Blue Cow (1,994 m or 6,542 ft)
The Granite Peaks (1,980 m or 6,496 ft)
Dicky Cooper Bogong (1,980 m or 6,496 ft)
Gills Knobs (1,940 m or 6,365 ft)
Guthega Peak (1,924 m or 6,312 ft)
Blue Calf (1,905 m or 6,250 ft)
Sentinel (1,900 m or 6,234 ft)
Mount Piper (1,830 m or 6,004 ft)
Round (1,756 m or 5,761 ft)

Ramshead

Rams Head (2,190 m or 7,185 ft)
Twynam (2,178 m or 7,146 ft)
Rams Head North (2,177 m or 7,142 ft)
Little Twynam (2,120 m or 6,955 ft)

Other mountains in the GDR

Yengo (668 m or 2,192 ft)

Inland mountain ranges

Barrier	Lewis Peak (297 m or 974 ft)
Warrumbungles	Exmouth (1,206 m or 3,957 ft) Woorut (1,165 m or 3,822 ft) Needle
Other inland mountains	Grenfell Gibralter Hill