THE HISTORY OF LAMPADA SKI CLUB
It was in 1938 that the “seed” of Lampada was sown by the formation of The Torch-Bearer Ski Club, a ski-club essentially for Shore Old Boys.
For most of the 1930’s a group of Shore Old-Boys had been travelling up to The Chalet annually to meet with another group of skiing enthusiasts to compete in races against each other. It is reported in early copies of The Torchbearer, that RA “Snow” Swift undertook much of the preliminary work and effort in 1937 in
forming the club.
The Torch-Bearer Ski Club enjoyed an initial membership of thirty men with the Headmaster, LC Robson as Patron, CA Alexander as the first President and Snow Swift as the Captain.
The races were a serious affair and were held over two days. There were competitions in Downhill, Slalom, Langlauf and the Jump. Such was the seriousness of the competitions that in 1939 a Championship Cup, to be known as the Torch-Bearer Trophy, was presented to the Club with the name of the Club’s champion engraved upon it annually. This Cup now resides in Lampada Lodge.
Not surprisingly, there was a serious social element running through the Club involving picnics on the main range, invitation Sports Days and Punch Parties.
In later years, the Club found accommodation at the Hotel Koscuisko in addition to the Chalet and in 1954 applied to the Lands Department (Koscuisko State Park Trust) to build a hut in the Perisher Valley area. For reasons unknown this did not proceed.
With the efflux of time, the annual meetings of the Club became fewer and eventually the Club ceased to formally exist.
Lampada Ski Club had its beginnings in 1967 when a number of Shore Old Boys, which included a number of former members of the original Torchbearer Ski Club, learnt that the ski lodge Koorora in Perisher Valley was for sale.
Koorora was owned by interests associated with the food retailer “Flemings” and used by Flemings senior staff. The down-stairs bedroom was where the live-in caretaker resided.
Ken Muston, a former member of the Torch-Bearer Club, Geoff Cambridge and Gavin Perkins made arrangements to inspect the lodge as expeditiously as possible and took an inventory of furniture, fittings, equipment and stores. The Minute Book indicates they reported back that the lodge was “extremely well fitted out with little attention being required in order to accept accommodation”.
After this inspection and many informal meetings of Old Boy skiing enthusiasts, the inaugural meeting was held in the Schools Club, Underwood Street Sydney, when it was agreed to incorporate Lampada Ski Club Co-Operative Limited and acquire Koorora.
On 2nd May 1968 the Contract of Sale for Koorora for $28,000 was signed. Purchase was completed with some financial assistance from the Shore Old Boys Union, $5,000 vendor finance and a loan of $10,000 from The Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac Banking Corporation) supported by personal guarantees from several of the founders.
The name of the lodge was changed to Lampada, due to its obvious association with the School motto, and possession was taken in time for the 1968 winter season.
The initial directors were Messrs BR (Ben) Jordan, HK (Ken) Muston, RV (Dick) Finlay, GC (Geoff) Cambridge, JB (John) Studdy, JM (Jim) Linton, DB (Bruce) Cormack and DF (Don) Kraefft. Ken Muston was elected President and Dick Finlay the Secretary. Grant Marsh was our honorary legal adviser and solicitor. The original “foundation members” comprised forty-four in numbers. It was agreed to limit the number of Foundation Members to fifty and to cede to them priority in booking the lodge during school holidays.
The initial tariffs were; Members- $3, Children-$2 and Guests- $4. As a consequence of the heating being installed in the ceiling and therefore expected to be expensive, electricity usage for the week was calculated by some convoluted mathematical formula and added to the week’s accommodation charge.
Later, the Kosciusko State Park (now under the auspices of the National Parks and Wildlife Service) required much external improvement and restoration work to be undertaken. The first working weekend was held during the summer of 1968 when attention was given to the Park’s requirements. Since then working weekends have been held annually attending to repairs and renovations. In the early years much major work was undertaken in digging rubble drains, replacing decking and undertaking carpentry work building ski racks, shelving and lockers.
In later years, significant changes were made in order to bring the lodge to the high standard it presently enjoys. Such alterations and additions have included; refitting the kitchen, remodelling the bathrooms, extending the bedrooms and the building lockers and ski racks. Most of the work was undertaken under the guidance of Mick Meares, Don Kraefft and Terry Proud.
In 1989 significant work was undertaken in order for the lodge to comply with Ordinance 70, the NSW Government’s building regulations requirement. Ted Bagot oversaw the building of the fire door and ramp at the end of the main hallway upstairs, the revamping of the fire alarm board and the installation of fire resistant doors and exit signs.
Since repayment of the vendor and bank loans, at no time has the Club needed to seek funding from external sources- even during the relatively expensive period when the Club needed to undertake the modifications in accordance with Ordinance 70.
In 1997 the Club entered into a new lease with National Parks, which expires at the end of 2025. This will ensure the Club’s accommodation is protected for future generations of Shore Old Boys.
The Club owes a debt to the members who were the driving force in its early years: Ken Muston in pulling the whole scheme together, Ted Bagot, Mick Meares and Don Kraefft in providing architectural and building “muscle” and Grant Marsh for legal guidance.
It is very important though that mention be made that the Club would not be so well maintained and financial were it not for the significant voluntary contributions by so many members over the years of its existence.
Directors of Lampada Ski Lodge
Sandy Bathgate (Secretary) Stephen Lambert (Treasurer)
Ian Cameron-Smith Mick Meares
Tim Cormack Michael Perkins
Don Kraefft Terry Proud (Chairman)
Vitae Lampada Tradunt
1st January 2003