Snowy Mountains
Encyclopedia
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.
The range contains the five highest peaks on the Australian mainland, all above 2100 metres (6890 feet). They are located in southern New South Wales
and are part of the larger Australian Alps
and the Great Dividing Range
. This is mainland Australia's only true Alpine region with large natural snowfalls every winter. Snow normally falls the most during June, July and Early August. Most of the snow has melted by Late Spring. The Tasmanian highlands are the other Alpine region in Australia.
It is host to the Mountain Plum-pine, a low-lying type of conifer suspected of being the world's oldest living organism. It is one of the centres of the Australian ski industry during the winter months.
The Alpine Way
and the Snowy Mountains Highway
are the major roads through the Snowy Mountains.
The mountain range is thought to have had Aboriginal occupation for twenty thousand years. Large scale inter-tribal gatherings were held in the High Country during summer for collective feasting on the Bogong moth
. This practice continued until around 1865.
The area was first explored by Europeans in 1835, and in 1840, Edmund Strzelecki ascended Mount Kosciuszko and named it after a Polish patriot. High country stockmen followed who used the Snowy Mountains for grazing during the summer months. Banjo Paterson
's famous poem The Man From Snowy River recalls this era. The cattle graziers have left a legacy of mountain huts scattered across the area. Today these huts are maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service or volunteer organisations like the.
In the 19th century gold
was mined on the high plains near Kiandra
. At its height this community had a population of about 4,000 people, and ran 14 hotels. Since the last resident left in 1974, Kiandra has become a ghost town of ruins and abandoned diggings.
The Kosciuszko National Park
came into existence as the National Chase Snowy Mountains on December 5, 1906. In 1944 this became the Kosciuszko State Park, and then the Kosciuszko National Park in 1967.
Recreational skiing began at Kiandra in the 1860s and experienced a boom in the 20th century following the commencement of the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme between 1949 and 1976 which brought many European workers to the district and opened up access to the ranges.
in 1978. Steeper slopes and more reliable snows lie further to the south and in the 20th Century, the focus of recreational skiing in New South Wales shifted southward, to the Mount Kosciuszko
region.
The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain. In 1964, Australia briefly boasted the "World's Longest Chairlift
", designed to carry skiers from the Thredbo Valley to Charlotte Pass, but technical difficulties soon closed the facility. At 1760m, Charlotte Pass has the highest village base elevation of any Australia ski resort and can only be accessed via over-snow transport in winter. 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 Mountains
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.
Skifields up by Kosciusko's side were also established during this period, though their existence is now little realised. The Australian Alpine Club was founded in 1950 by Charles Anton. Huts were constructed in the "Backcountry" close to Mount Kosciusko, including Kunama Hut, which opened for the 1953 season. A rope tow was installed on Mount Northcote at the site and opened in 1954. The site proved excellent for speed skiing, but the hut was destroyed in an avalanche
, which also killed one person, in 1956.
Anton also recognised the potential of the Thredbo Valley for construction of a major resort and village, with good vertical terrain. Construction began in 1957. Today, Thredbo has 14 ski-lifts and possesses Australia's longest ski resort run, the 5.9 km from Karel's T-Bar to Friday Flat; Australia's greatest vertical drop of 672m; and the highest lifted point in Australia at 2037m
The last establishment of a major skifield in NSW came with the development of Mount Blue Cow
in the 1980s. In 1987 the Swiss designed 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.
The Snowy Mountains also feed the Murrumbidgee
and Murray
rivers from the Tooma River
, Whites River and Yarrangobilly River
. The range is perhaps best known for the Snowy Mountains Scheme
, a project to dam the Snowy River, providing both water for irrigation and hydroelectricity
.
The project began in 1949 employing a hundred thousand men, two-thirds of whom came from thirty other countries during the post-World War II years. Socially this project symbolises a period during which Australia became an ethnic "melting pot" of the twentieth century but which also changed Australia's character and increased its appreciation for a wide range of cultural diversity.
The Scheme built several temporary towns for its construction workers, several of which have become permanent: Cabramurra
(the highest town in Australia); and Khancoban
. Additionally, the economy of Cooma
has been sustained by the Scheme. Townships at Adaminaby, Jindabyne and Talbingo were inundated by the construction of Lakes Eucumbene
, Jindabyne
and Talbingo. Improved vehicular access to the High Country enabled ski-resort villages to be constructed at Thredbo and Guthega in the 1950s by ex-Snowy Scheme workers who realised the potential for expansion of the Australian ski industry.
By 1974, 145 kilometres (90 mi) of underground tunnels and 80 kilometres (50 mi) of aqueducts connected the sixteen dams, seven power stations (two underground), and one pumping station. The American Society of Civil Engineers
has rated the Snowy Scheme as "a world-class civil engineering project".
The principle lakes created by the scheme include: Lake Eucumbene
, Blowering Dam
, Talbingo Dam
, Lake Jindabyne
and Tantangara Dam.
recorded
Australia's lowest temperature of -23.0°C on 28 June 1994.
Part of the mountains known as Main Range
contains mainland Australia's five glacial lake
s. The largest of these lakes is Blue Lake
, one of the headwaters of the Snowy River
. The other four glacial lakes are Lake Albina
, Lake Cootapatamba
, Club Lake
and Headley Tarn.
During the last ice age
, which peaked about 20,000 years ago in the Pleistocene
epoch
, the highest peaks of the main range near Mount Kosciuszko experienced a climate which favoured the formation of glacier
s, evidence of which can still be seen today. Cirque
s moraine
s, tarn lakes
, roche moutonnée
s and other glacial features can all be seen in the area. Lake Cootapatamba
, which was formed by an ice spilling from Mount Kosciuszko's southern flank, is the highest lake on the Australian mainland. Lake Albina, Club Lake, Blue Lake
, and Hedley Tarn also have glacial origins.
There is some disagreement as to exactly how widespread Pleistocene glaciation was on the main range, and little or no evidence from earlier glacial periods exists. The 'David Moraine', a one kilometre long ridge running across Spencers Creek valley seems to indicate a larger glacier existed in this area at some time, however the glacial origin of this feature is disputed.
There is evidence of periglacial
activity in the area. Solifluction
appears to have created terraces on the north west flank of Mount Northcote. Frost heave is also a significant agent of soil erosion in the Kosciuszko Area.
s. The alpine area above the tree line, is one of the most fragile and covers the smallest area. This area is a patchwork of alpine heath
s, herbfield
s, feldmark
s, bog
s and fen
s. The windswept feldmark
ecotope
is endemic to the alpine region, and covers a mere 300,000 m². It is most vulnerable to the wandering footsteps of unmindful tourists.
is home to one of Australia's most threatened species the Corroboree frog
. The endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum
and the more common Dusky Antechinus
are located in the high country of the park.
By 2008, wild horse
numbers in the National Park had reached 1,700 with that figure growing by 300 each year, resulting in park authorities coordinating their culling and relocation.
. Montane
and wet sclerophyll
forest also occur across the ranges, supporting large stands of Alpine Ash
and Mountain Gum
. In the southern Byadbo wilderness area, dry sclerophyll and wattle
forests predominate. Amongst the many different native trees in the park, the large Chinese Elm
has become naturalised.
The bushfires in 2003 damaged tree cover in the region. Fires are a natural feature of the park ecosystem, but it will take some time for the region to return to its pre 2003 condition.
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...
, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD
Australian Height Datum
The Australian Height Datum is a geodetic datum for altitude measurement in Australia. According to Geoscience Australia, "In 1971 the mean sea level for 1966-1968 was assigned the value of zero on the Australian Height Datum at thirty tide gauges around the coast of the Australian continent...
, approximately 7310 feet.
The range contains the five highest peaks on the Australian mainland, all above 2100 metres (6890 feet). They are located in southern 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...
and are part of the larger Australian Alps
Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in southeastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria...
and the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
. This is mainland Australia's only true Alpine region with large natural snowfalls every winter. Snow normally falls the most during June, July and Early August. Most of the snow has melted by Late Spring. The Tasmanian highlands are the other Alpine region in Australia.
It is host to the Mountain Plum-pine, a low-lying type of conifer suspected of being the world's oldest living organism. It is one of the centres of the Australian ski industry during the winter months.
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...
and the Snowy Mountains Highway
Snowy Mountains Highway
The Snowy Mountains Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia which traverses the Snowy Mountains.The highway runs across the highland region in the southern part of the State. It starts at its junction with the Hume Highway near Gundagai...
are the major roads through the Snowy Mountains.
History
Bogong moth
The Bogong moth is a temperate species of night-flying moth notable for appearing in large numbers around major public buildings in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during spring as it migrates to the High Plains. The moth's name 'Bogong' is the same as the mountain ranges on the High...
. This practice continued until around 1865.
The area was first explored by Europeans in 1835, and in 1840, Edmund Strzelecki ascended Mount Kosciuszko and named it after a Polish patriot. High country stockmen followed who used the Snowy Mountains for grazing during the summer months. Banjo Paterson
Banjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, OBE was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
's famous poem The Man From Snowy River recalls this era. The cattle graziers have left a legacy of mountain huts scattered across the area. Today these huts are maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service or volunteer organisations like the.
In the 19th century gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was mined on the high plains near Kiandra
Kiandra, New South Wales
Kiandra is an abandoned gold mining town and the birthplace of Australian skiing. The town is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy River Shire inside the Kosciuszko National Park. Its name is a corruption of Aboriginal 'Gianderra' for 'sharp stones for...
. At its height this community had a population of about 4,000 people, and ran 14 hotels. Since the last resident left in 1974, Kiandra has become a ghost town of ruins and abandoned diggings.
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...
came into existence as the National Chase Snowy Mountains on December 5, 1906. In 1944 this became the Kosciuszko State Park, and then the Kosciuszko National Park in 1967.
Recreational skiing began at Kiandra in the 1860s and experienced a boom in the 20th century following the commencement of the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme between 1949 and 1976 which brought many European workers to the district and opened up access to the ranges.
Skiing
The discovery of gold at Kiandra (elevation 1400 m or 4,593.2 ft), in 1859, briefly enticed a population of thousands above the snowline and saw the introduction of recreational skiing to the Snowy Mountains around 1861. The Kiandra Goldrush was short-lived, but the township remained a service centre for recreational and survival skiing for over a century. Australia's first T-Bar, was installed at Kiandra in 1957, but the ski facilities were finally shifted up the hill to Selwyn SnowfieldsSelwyn snowfields
Selwyn Snowfields is a small ski resort in the northern part of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy River Shire and Kosciuszko National Park...
in 1978. Steeper slopes and more reliable snows lie further to the south and in the 20th Century, the focus of recreational skiing in New South Wales shifted southward, to the 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...
region.
The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain. In 1964, Australia briefly boasted the "World's Longest Chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
", designed to carry skiers from the Thredbo Valley to Charlotte Pass, but technical difficulties soon closed the facility. At 1760m, Charlotte Pass has the highest village base elevation of any Australia ski resort and can only be accessed via over-snow transport in winter. 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 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....
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.
Skifields up by Kosciusko's side were also established during this period, though their existence is now little realised. The Australian Alpine Club was founded in 1950 by Charles Anton. Huts were constructed in the "Backcountry" close to Mount Kosciusko, including Kunama Hut, which opened for the 1953 season. A rope tow was installed on Mount Northcote at the site and opened in 1954. The site proved excellent for speed skiing, but the hut was destroyed in an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
, which also killed one person, in 1956.
Anton also recognised the potential of the Thredbo Valley for construction of a major resort and village, with good vertical terrain. Construction began in 1957. Today, Thredbo has 14 ski-lifts and possesses Australia's longest ski resort run, the 5.9 km from Karel's T-Bar to Friday Flat; Australia's greatest vertical drop of 672m; and the highest lifted point in Australia at 2037m
The last establishment of a major skifield in NSW came with the development of Mount Blue Cow
Blue Cow, New South Wales
Blue Cow is part of Perisher ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy River Shire. It is within the Kosciuszko National Park, and is administered by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service . During winter months, the only access to the...
in the 1980s. In 1987 the Swiss designed 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.
Snowy Mountains Scheme
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
and Murray
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
rivers from the Tooma River
Tooma River
The Tooma River is a river in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.The Tooma River starts near Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains and drains part of the western side of the range...
, Whites River and Yarrangobilly River
Yarrangobilly River
The Yarrangobilly River is a river of the state of New South Wales in Australia.It runs through Kosciuszko National Park, originating in the Fiery Range near Peppercorn Hill. From there it generally flows in a south-westerly direction through to the Talingbo Reservoir 40 kilometres away...
. The range is perhaps best known for the Snowy Mountains Scheme
Snowy Mountains Scheme
The Snowy Mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. It consists of sixteen major dams; seven power stations; a pumping station; and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts and was constructed between 1949 and 1974. The Chief engineer was Sir...
, a project to dam the Snowy River, providing both water for irrigation and hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
.
The project began in 1949 employing a hundred thousand men, two-thirds of whom came from thirty other countries during the post-World War II years. Socially this project symbolises a period during which Australia became an ethnic "melting pot" of the twentieth century but which also changed Australia's character and increased its appreciation for a wide range of cultural diversity.
The Scheme built several temporary towns for its construction workers, several of which have become permanent: Cabramurra
Cabramurra, New South Wales
Cabramurra is the highest permanently inhabited town on the Australian continent, situated at 1,488m AHD in the western Snowy Mountains of the Great Dividing Range, in the state of New South Wales...
(the highest town in Australia); and Khancoban
Khancoban, New South Wales
Khancoban is a small town in Tumbarumba Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located from the state capital, Sydney and from the state border with Victoria, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, near the upper reaches of the Murray River...
. Additionally, the economy of Cooma
Cooma, New South Wales
-Education: is Cooma's only public high school, it serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages such as Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety....
has been sustained by the Scheme. Townships at Adaminaby, Jindabyne and Talbingo were inundated by the construction of Lakes Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene is a man-made lake on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains of Southern New South Wales in Australia. The lake was created by the damming of the river as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The dam was built between 1956 and 1958....
, Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne is a man-made lake on the Snowy River on the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in Southern New South Wales. The lake was created by the damming of the River as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.-Flow of water:...
and Talbingo. Improved vehicular access to the High Country enabled ski-resort villages to be constructed at Thredbo and Guthega in the 1950s by ex-Snowy Scheme workers who realised the potential for expansion of the Australian ski industry.
By 1974, 145 kilometres (90 mi) of underground tunnels and 80 kilometres (50 mi) of aqueducts connected the sixteen dams, seven power stations (two underground), and one pumping station. The American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
has rated the Snowy Scheme as "a world-class civil engineering project".
The principle lakes created by the scheme include: Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene is a man-made lake on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains of Southern New South Wales in Australia. The lake was created by the damming of the river as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The dam was built between 1956 and 1958....
, Blowering Dam
Blowering Dam
Blowering Dam is on the Tumut River in Australia. It is part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Associated with the dam is the Blowering Power Station....
, Talbingo Dam
Talbingo Dam
Talbingo Dam is located on the Tumut River in southern New South Wales. It is the largest dam in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, with the associated Tumut 3 Power Station also the largest in the project...
, Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne is a man-made lake on the Snowy River on the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in Southern New South Wales. The lake was created by the damming of the River as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.-Flow of water:...
and Tantangara Dam.
Climate
The higher regions of the park experience an alpine climate which is unusual on mainland Australia. However, only the peaks of the main range are subject to consistent heavy winter snow. The climate station at Charlotte PassCharlotte 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....
recorded
Australia's lowest temperature of -23.0°C on 28 June 1994.
Glacial lakes
Main Range (Snowy Mountains)
The section of the Great Dividing Range between the Ramshead Range and Dicky Cooper Bogong in the Snowy Mountains is known as the Main Range. It can also be used more generally for the peaks on or on short spurs off the range. It contains many of the highest peaks in mainland Australia...
contains mainland Australia's five glacial lake
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
s. The largest of these lakes is Blue Lake
Blue Lake (New South Wales)
The Blue Lake is one of only four cirque lakes found in mainland Australia, the other three, Cootapatamba, Albina, and Club are shallower than BL and are held...
, one of the headwaters of the Snowy River
Snowy River
The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the Snowy River National Park in Victoria and emptying into...
. The other four glacial lakes are Lake Albina
Lake Albina
Lake Albina is a glacial lake in the Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia.Lake Albina is located about 2.5 km north of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. The lake is about 500 metres long and 50 metres wide. It is located in a ravine, with Mount Townsend to the...
, Lake Cootapatamba
Lake Cootapatamba
Lake Cootapatamba is a post-glacial tarn in the Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia.Lake Cootapatamba is located about 800 metres south of the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia. It is the highest altitude lake in Australia....
, Club Lake
Club Lake
Club Lake is a salt-water lake in the central part of Breidnes Peninsula in the Vestfold Hills. The lake is long and its irregular shape resembles a club which is elongated northeast–southwest. It was mapped from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47, and remapped by...
and Headley Tarn.
During the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, which peaked about 20,000 years ago in the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
epoch
Epoch (reference date)
In the fields of chronology and periodization, an epoch is an instance in time chosen as the origin of a particular era. The "epoch" then serves as a reference point from which time is measured...
, the highest peaks of the main range near Mount Kosciuszko experienced a climate which favoured the formation of glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s, evidence of which can still be seen today. Cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s, tarn lakes
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
, roche moutonnée
Roche moutonnée
In glaciology, a roche moutonnée is a rock formation created by the passing of a glacier. When a glacier erodes down to bedrock, it can form tear-drop shaped hills that taper in the up-ice direction.-Name:...
s and other glacial features can all be seen in the area. Lake Cootapatamba
Lake Cootapatamba
Lake Cootapatamba is a post-glacial tarn in the Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia.Lake Cootapatamba is located about 800 metres south of the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia. It is the highest altitude lake in Australia....
, which was formed by an ice spilling from Mount Kosciuszko's southern flank, is the highest lake on the Australian mainland. Lake Albina, Club Lake, Blue Lake
Blue Lake (New South Wales)
The Blue Lake is one of only four cirque lakes found in mainland Australia, the other three, Cootapatamba, Albina, and Club are shallower than BL and are held...
, and Hedley Tarn also have glacial origins.
There is some disagreement as to exactly how widespread Pleistocene glaciation was on the main range, and little or no evidence from earlier glacial periods exists. The 'David Moraine', a one kilometre long ridge running across Spencers Creek valley seems to indicate a larger glacier existed in this area at some time, however the glacial origin of this feature is disputed.
There is evidence of periglacial
Periglacial
Periglacial is an adjective originally referring to places in the edges of glacial areas, but it has later been widely used in geomorphology to describe any place where geomorphic processes related to freezing of water occur...
activity in the area. Solifluction
Solifluction
In geology, solifluction, also known as soil fluction, is a type of mass wasting where waterlogged sediment moves slowly downslope, over impermeable material. It occurs in periglacial environments where melting during the warm season leads to water saturation in the thawed surface material ,...
appears to have created terraces on the north west flank of Mount Northcote. Frost heave is also a significant agent of soil erosion in the Kosciuszko Area.
Ecology
The Snowy Mountains cover a variety of climatic regions which support several distinct ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s. The alpine area above the tree line, is one of the most fragile and covers the smallest area. This area is a patchwork of alpine heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
s, herbfield
Herbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments...
s, feldmark
Feldmark
Feldmark, also spelt fjaeldmark , is a plant community characteristic of sites where plant growth is severely restricted by extremes of cold and by exposure to wind, typical of alpine tundra and subantarctic environments.-Description:...
s, bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s. The windswept feldmark
Feldmark
Feldmark, also spelt fjaeldmark , is a plant community characteristic of sites where plant growth is severely restricted by extremes of cold and by exposure to wind, typical of alpine tundra and subantarctic environments.-Description:...
ecotope
Ecotope
Ecotopes are the smallest ecologically-distinct landscape features in a landscape mapping and classification system. As such, they represent relatively homogeneous, spatially-explicit landscape functional units that are useful for stratifying landscapes into ecologically distinct features for the...
is endemic to the alpine region, and covers a mere 300,000 m². It is most vulnerable to the wandering footsteps of unmindful tourists.
Fauna
Many rare or threatened plant and animal species occur within the Snowy Mountains. The Kosciuszko National ParkKosciuszko 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...
is home to one of Australia's most threatened species the Corroboree frog
Corroboree frog
The Corroboree frogs are two species of small, ground dwelling frogs, native to Southern Tablelands of Australia. The two species are the Southern Corroboree Frog and the Northern Corroboree Frog .-Taxonomy:'Corroboree' is an Indigenous Australian word for a gathering or meeting where...
. The endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum
Mountain Pygmy Possum
The Mountain Pygmy Possum is a small, mouse-sized nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and around Mount Kosciuszko in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales at elevations from 1300 to 2230 m...
and the more common Dusky Antechinus
Dusky Antechinus
The Dusky Antechinus , also known as Swainson's Antechinus or the Dusky Marsupial Mouse, is a species of small marsupial carnivore, a member of the family Dasyuridae. It is found in Australia.-Taxonomy:...
are located in the high country of the park.
By 2008, wild horse
Brumby
A Brumby is a free-roaming feral horse in Australia. Although found in many areas around the country, the best-known brumbies are found in the Australian Alps region in south-eastern Australia. Today, most of them are found in the Northern Territory, with the second largest population in Queensland...
numbers in the National Park had reached 1,700 with that figure growing by 300 each year, resulting in park authorities coordinating their culling and relocation.
Flora
The high country is dominated by alpine woodlands, characterised by the Snow GumEucalyptus pauciflora
The Snow Gum is a small tree or large shrub native to eastern Australia.-Habitat:It is usually found in the subalpine habitats of eastern Australia. Snow Gums also grow in lowland habitats where they can reach heights of up to 20 metres. Lowland Snow Gum is sometimes known as White Sallee, Cabbage...
. Montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
and wet sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest also occur across the ranges, supporting large stands of Alpine Ash
Eucalyptus delegatensis
Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known as Alpine Ash or Gum-topped stringybark or White-top, is a sub-alpine or temperate tree of southeastern Australia. A straight, grey-trunked tree, it reaches heights of over 90 metres in suitable conditions. The tallest currently known specimen is located in...
and Mountain Gum
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
. In the southern Byadbo wilderness area, dry sclerophyll and wattle
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
forests predominate. Amongst the many different native trees in the park, the large Chinese Elm
Ulmus parvifolia
Ulmus parvifolia, commonly known as the Chinese Elm or Lacebark Elm, is a species native to China, Japan, North Korea and Vietnam...
has become naturalised.
The bushfires in 2003 damaged tree cover in the region. Fires are a natural feature of the park ecosystem, but it will take some time for the region to return to its pre 2003 condition.
External links
- The Snowy: The People behind the Power – An historic account about the multinational workforce that built the Snowy Mountain Hydro-Electric scheme by Siobhan McHugh.