Smiggin Holes, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
God's Country
Smiggin Holes is a ski resort village in the Snowy Mountains
of New South Wales
, Australia
, in the Snowy River Shire. It is primarily a winter-only resort village. It is within the Kosciuszko National Park
, and is administered by New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change. Access to the village is via road. There is an access fee payable to the Park, and motor vehicles are not permitted to stay overnight in the winter months.
Smiggin Holes is one of four villages making up the Perisher Blue ski resort. It is 1,680 metres above sea level.
The name Smiggin Holes is of Scottish origin. The trampling of hundreds of cattle consuming rock salt that graziers had placed there, caused depressions that filled with water. These depressions were called "the smiggin holes". The year 1939 signified the start of Smiggin Holes as a destination for skiers. A cafe was established to service skiers en route to Charlotte Pass
and Mount Kosciuszko
.
for large scale development of a ski industry and led to the establishment of Thredbo and Perisher as leading Australian resorts. The Construction of Guthega Dam brought skiers to the isolated Guthega district and a rope tow was installed there in 1957.
The last establishment of a major skifield in New South Wales came with the development of Mount Blue Cow
in the 1980s. In 1987 the 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. 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
. In 2009 Perisher had 48 lifts covering 1,245 hectares and four village base areas: Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes and Guthega.
Smiggin Holes and Roy and HG
During the 2002 Winter Olympics
Roy and HG on their Ice Dream television program ran a mock campaign for Smiggin Holes to host the next available Winter Olympics (see Smiggin Holes 2010 Winter Olympic bid
).
Smiggin Holes is a ski resort village in the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in the Snowy River Shire. It is primarily a winter-only resort village. It is within the Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
, and is administered by New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change. Access to the village is via road. There is an access fee payable to the Park, and motor vehicles are not permitted to stay overnight in the winter months.
Smiggin Holes is one of four villages making up the Perisher Blue ski resort. It is 1,680 metres above sea level.
The name Smiggin Holes is of Scottish origin. The trampling of hundreds of cattle consuming rock salt that graziers had placed there, caused depressions that filled with water. These depressions were called "the smiggin holes". The year 1939 signified the start of Smiggin Holes as a destination for skiers. A cafe was established to service skiers en route to Charlotte Pass
Charlotte Pass, New South Wales
Charlotte Pass is a location in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia where the Kosciuszko Road crosses Kangaroo Ridge. The location is also often referred to as Charlotte's Pass, both colloquially and in official documents.Charlotte Pass Village Charlotte Pass is a location (elev....
and Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. With a height of 2,228 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia...
.
Skiing
The Hotel Kosciusko was opened by the New South Wales Government in 1909 at what is now Sponars Chalet, near Smiggin Holes. The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain. 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 be begin the arduous ski to the Kosciusko Chalet. It was the construction of the vast Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme from 1949 that really opened up the Snowy MountainsSnowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
for large scale development of a ski industry and led to the establishment of Thredbo and Perisher as leading Australian resorts. The Construction of Guthega Dam brought skiers to the isolated Guthega district and a rope tow was installed there in 1957.
The last establishment of a major skifield in New South Wales came with the development of Mount Blue Cow
Blue cow
Blue Cow may refer to:* Blue Cow , a cartoon cow who appears in the UK television programme The Story Makers* Blue Cow, New South Wales, a village in NSW, Australia* The Blue Cow, one of the "blue" public houses and inns in Grantham...
in the 1980s. In 1987 the Skitube Alpine Railway
Skitube Alpine Railway
The Skitube Alpine Railway is an , standard gauge track electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.- History :...
opened to deliver skiers from Bullocks Flat, on the Alpine Way
Alpine Way
The Alpine Way is a State highway in New South Wales, Australia.The Alpine Way starts near Jindabyne on the eastern side of the Snowy Mountains. It runs south-west past Thredbo and crosses the crest of the Great Dividing Range at Dead Horse Gap...
, to Perisher Valley and to Blue Cow, which also opened in 1987. 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
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. In 2009 Perisher had 48 lifts covering 1,245 hectares and four village base areas: Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes and Guthega.
Smiggin Holes and Roy and HGRoy and HGRoy & HG is an Australian comedy duo, comprising Greig Pickhaver in the role of "H [Harry] G Nelson" and John Doyle as "'Rampaging' Roy Slaven". Their act is an affectionate but irreverent parody of Australia's obsession with sport. Their characters based on archetypes in sports journalism: Nelson...
During the 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
Roy and HG on their Ice Dream television program ran a mock campaign for Smiggin Holes to host the next available Winter Olympics (see Smiggin Holes 2010 Winter Olympic bid
Smiggin Holes 2010 Winter Olympic bid
The Smiggin Holes 2010 Winter Olympic bid was a joke campaign initiated by Australian comedians Roy and HG to bring the 2010 Winter Olympics to the tiny and little-known village of Smiggin Holes, part of the Perisher Blue ski resort, in New South Wales, Australia...
).