Proceedings of an International Year of Mountains - Australian Alps ...

The alpine region around Mt Kosciuszko extends from the upper limits of tree vegetation, at about 1830
metres, to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, at 2228 metres, and covers around 100 km 2 , or less than
0.001%, of Australia (Costin 1989). Unlike the steep saw-tooth mountain ranges characteristic of many
alpine areas elsewhere in the world, the alpine region around Mt Kosciuszko consists of an undulating
plateau with a gradual stepped fall to the east, and a steeper western slope (Costin 1989).
Mt Kosciuszko and its contiguous alpine area (Figure 1) are considered to be of outstanding natural value,
and this contributes to its potential for World Heritage listing, as part of a possible Australian Alps World
Heritage nomination in the future (Mosley 1992; Costin et al. 2000). The alpine area is recognised as an
‘Outstanding Natural Area’ by the 1982 Kosciuszko Plan of Management. Along with the rest of the park
it has also been recognised as a World Biosphere Reserve, under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere
Program, since 1977 (NSW NPWS 1982; Costin et al. 2000). The management of this area is the
responsibility of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW NPWS). The vision for
its management is to conserve the natural and cultural heritage values that make the area of such
outstanding conservation value.
History Of Tourism Management For The Alpine Area
The outstanding natural scenery of the alpine area has been a major drawcard for visitors (Good 1992;
Figure 2). As early as 1906, improvements to access for tourism resulted in the construction of a road to
the summit of Mt Kosciuszko. Other tourism facilities that were developed during this early period
include the Hotel Kosciusko at Diggers Creek, constructed in 1909, and the Chalet at Charlotte Pass,
constructed in 1931 (Good 1992). The advent of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme resulted in
a rapid expansion in mountain tourism, with the Scheme actively encouraging tourists to visit the area to
view construction works. Employees of the Scheme, many of whom were post-war migrants from
Europe, were also frequent users of the park, particularly in winter. Many would become pioneers of the
Australian ski industry. As a result of the increased interest in ski tourism, a series of ski resorts was
established in the subalpine areas of the park (Good 1992). By the late 1950s, visitors to Kosciusko State
Park, as it was then named, were in the order of 100,000 per annum (Gare, pers. com.).
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Celebrating Mountains – An International Year of Mountains Conference
Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia