Australian Alps
AUSTRALI A N C A PI TA L T E R R I TORY, NEW SOUTH WALES AND V IC TORI A Stuart Cohen Fairfax photos
The spectacular and distinctive Australian The Alps is the major area in Australia for broad-scale snow recreation. Snow sports began in the 1860s and Alps contain landforms created by activities expanded during the 20th century. glaciers, remarkable fish fossils and With significant natural catchments, the Alps have unique cold climate plants and animals. contributed to the nation’s social and economic development through the use of alpine waters for The Alps have a strong association with Australia’s irrigation, to generate electricity and as a partial source pioneering history, while the snowfields and national parks for domestic water supplies for Melbourne and Canberra. have long been popular recreation areas. The Australian There is a long history of scientific research and endeavour Alps, is made up of 11 national parks and nature reserves. in the Alps too. For example, in the mid-1800s Baron The high altitude peaks and plateaus, glacial lakes and Ferdinand von Mueller gathered extensive botanical alpine alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems of the Australian Alps are collections and Alfred William Howitt documented the rare in our mostly flat, dry and hot continent. Containing area’s geology, botany and Aboriginal societies. More the highest peaks in the Great Dividing Range, the Alps recently, in 1969, the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station are of outstanding landscape value and are important in played a major role in the Apollo 11 moon landing mission. the pattern of Australia’s natural history. The Kosciuszko National Heritage List: 7 November 2008 Plateau includes the most striking examples on the Australian mainland of landforms created by glaciers. The remarkable Mt Howitt fish fossils demonstrate all life stages from larvae to mature fish. The Alps are home to unique cold climate plants and animals—from wildflowers to snow gums, and from mountain pygmy possums to migratory Bogong moths. Past large scale Aboriginal social gatherings based on moth feasting were unique to the Alps. Huts, fences, cattle yards and stock routes reflect over 150 years of summer grazing on the alpine high plains, which began in the 1830s. The distinctive way of life associated with that grazing is significant to our pastoral and pioneering history. Linked to this is Banjo Paterson’s ballad The Man from Snowy River, an epic legend of horsemanship. Stuart Cohen
8 0 AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL HERITAGE