A Great Achievement

I became involved in the construction of the Ormond Ski Club in late 1968 and it occupied much of my time and energy for about a three year period.

Early in September 1968, a party went to Mount Hotham and surveyed a site that was still covered in snow. Unfortunately, when the snow melted this site was found to be unsuitable due to the presence of large rocks. An alternative site was found, nestled in among some snow gums above USC with great views over Swindlers Valley. The Lands Department accepted our change without difficulty; they were looking to develop Mount Hotham and for ski clubs to build on the mountain. We were one of the largest ski clubs to be built in that era at Mount Hotham. I do not think such a thing would occur these days.

The first serious work parties on the chosen site for the Ormond Ski Club were in January 1969. We camped out, and our first task was to build the concrete base for our recently purchased generator.  We had no mechanical equipment, and all excavation was done by pick and shovel by inexperienced graduates. We had two small concrete mixers and used second-hand galvanised iron to build a chute down to the site, where concrete was distributed by wheelbarrow by work party members. 

The first load of bricks arrived at 10pm on 8 February 1969 after everybody had gone to bed. As the work party leader, I had to get everyone out of bed and dressed to unload 2,000 bricks, which took until 1:30am. I was not all that popular the following morning! 

Bricklaying commenced in mid-February. It was hard physical work for the many involved who are not used to this type of exercise, and we were fortunate in that we had work parties of up to 40 people at times with a lot of helpers, which helped in the construction.

The Easter work party erected all the external frames and main floor beams and roof beams, and by the end of the Easter period, the Lodge was erected, although a lot of work was required to complete the building after that. As a result of my father’s death and a farming accident that cost the tip of two fingers on my left hand, I was not involved in construction for some time. I subsequently took on the role of managing work parties, with the help of others. 

As winter approached, 4 carpenters were recruited to finish the frame so it could be protected from the weather. A large work party began lining the bunk rooms and installing the internal walls. During the first half of 1970,  hot water and heating were installed and further walls and lining. The kitchen cupboards went in in May and by  June 1970, the Lodge could be lived in. It was somewhat spartan and not completed but people did not worry about those things in those days. 

I remember finding one of the mountain pygmy possums in timber in the store for firewood. This small alpine dwelling marsupial was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered at Mt Hotham in 1966. The possum lives above the winter snow line.

In August, I skied Hotham for the week, camping upstairs at the Lodge. It was not finished, but we had electric blankets and ran the generator all night to keep us warm. 

By the autumn of 1971, the Lodge was starting to be reasonably complete. Nick Walter had decided that the bunk rooms should all have different colours and that timber clad walls should be stained with different bright colours. That caused some discussion within the committee and those involved in the building, but we went with his ideas, and they looked good when finished.

A black-tie official opening was duly held in June 1971 at the Lodge. It celebrated a significant achievement after three years of intensive and hard work, and the party went on into the early hours of the morning. I am not sure much skiing was done the following day.

I spent over 110 days building the Lodge in the three years. I very much enjoyed my skiing at Hotham over the following 25 years. I was never an expert skier, but I could ski most black runs.

For John Woodside’s reflection on his involvement with the Lodge construction, please see story no.69 Woodside Standard Time.