Winter sport in Australia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Winter Sports in Australia encompasses a great variety of activities across the continent of Australia, including winter sports played in snow and ice. Climate varies considerably from the tropical North to temperate South in Australia, and sporting practices vary accordingly. Ice and snow sports like Skiing in Australia

Skiing in Australia

Skiing in Australia takes place in the high country of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the Southern Hemisphere winter....

are conducted in the high country of the 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 Tasmanian Wilderness

Tasmanian Wilderness

The Tasmanian Wilderness is a term that is used for a range of areas in Tasmania, Australia.The World Heritage Areas in South West, Western and Central are the most well known. However, there are also other areas in Tasmania that have the elements of being known as wilderness areas, the Tarkine...

. Australia has relatively low mountain ranges, but a long history of participation in recreational skiing (since the 1860s) and the Winter Olympic Games

Winter Olympic Games

The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...

(since 1936). Australians have won olympic gold in ice skating, skiing and snow-boarding events. Australia's generally flat geography and usually mild winter climate otherwise provide ideal conditions for international non-snow/ice winter sports and team games like Rugby Union Football, Rugby League Football and Association Football (Soccer), which are all popular sports during the Australian winter and in which Australia has enjoyed considerable international success. Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

is a home-grown winter football code with a wide following throughout Australia. Many other sports are also played or watched in Australia through the winter season.

Snow and ice sports

Alpine Skiing

During 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"...

winter, snow skiing and snow boarding takes place in the high country of the states

States and territories of Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...

of 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...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

and Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, and cross-country skiing is also possible in the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

.

New South Wales

New South Wales

is home to Australia's highest snow country, oldest skifields and largest resorts. The highest peak in New South Wales is Mount Kosciusko, at 2200m. Victoria is the State with the greatest number of ski resorts in Australia. The highest peak in Victoria is Mount Bogong

Mount Bogong

Mount Bogong , located in the Alpine National Park, is the highest mountain in Victoria, Australia. The Big River separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella...

at 1986m. The most northerly ski fields in Australia are located in the A.C.T.

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

- in the Brindabella Ranges

Brindabella Ranges

The Brindabella Range is a mountain range located on the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The ranges rise to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T. and Bimberi Nature Reserve and...

which rise to the west of Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park

Namadgi National Park

Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately 40 km southwest of Canberra, and makes up approximately 46% of the ACT's land area....

in the A.C.T. and Bimberi Nature Reserve

Bimberi Nature Reserve

The Bimberi Nature Reserve is a reserve that comprises part of the Brindabella Ranges about 30 kilometres south-west of Canberra. It lies between Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks...

and Brindabella National Park

Brindabella National Park

Brindabella National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 267 km southwest of Sydney in the Brindabella Ranges.On 7 November 2008 The Park was added to the Australian National Heritage List as one of eleven areas constituting the Australian Alps National Parks and...

in New South Wales

New South Wales

. The highest mountain in the ACT is Bimberi Peak

Bimberi Peak

Bimberi Peak or Mount Bimberi is the highest mountain in the Australian Capital Territory at 1912 metres. It is located on the border between New South Wales and the ACT, the NSW portion in Kosciuszko National Park and the ACT portion in Namadgi National Park...

, which lies above the treeline at 1912 metres, at the northern edge of 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....

. The most southerly ski fields in Australia are located in Tasmania

Tasmania

, a mountainous island off the southern coast of Eastern Australia. Much of the State is subject to at least occasional winter snows. Mount Ossa is the highest point on the island at 1614m but Tasmania has eight mountains

Highest mountains of Tasmania

The Australian island state of Tasmania has a diverse range of geography but a prominent feature is the mountains of the island.Overall Tasmania is comparatively low-lying with the highest point at 1614 metres...

exceeding 1500m and 28 above 1,220m. Also notable is the Central Plateau, at an elevation of around 900m. The capital city of Hobart

Hobart

Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

is built at the base of Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington (Tasmania)

Mount Wellington is a mountain on whose foothills is built much of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is often referred to simply as 'the Mountain' by the residents of Hobart, and it rises to AHD over the city....

, which at 1270m is snow capped in winter.

Skiing began in Australia at the goldrush town of Kiandra, New South Wales

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...

around 1861. The Kiandra snow shoe club

Kiandra snow shoe club

The club was formed in 1861 by three Norwegians, Elias Gottaas, Soren Torp and Carl Bjerknes on the Kiandra Gold Fields, NSW. This original Kiandra ski club is now recognised as the first snow ski club in the world, it also carries the distinction of being the longest continuously operating...

founded around that time (now called the Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club (1861)) remains the world's first identifiable and ceaseless Ski Club. The Club held separate ski races for both ladies and children as early as 1885. In 1908 the club held the first ever documented International and Intercontinental Downhill Skiing Carnival. Results- America 1st, Australia 2nd, England 3rd. The first Kosciuszko Chalet was built at Charlotte Pass in 1930, giving relatively comfortable access to Australia's highest terrain. The first Australian ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo, Victoria in 1936. It was the construction of the vast Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme from 1949 that really opened up the Snowy Mountains

Snowy Mountains

of New South Wales for large scale development of a ski industry and led to the establishment of Thredbo, Perisher and Guthega as leading Australian resorts.

Australian skiers competed in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Oslo 1952

1952 Winter Olympics

The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...

and have competed in all subsequent Games, winning medals at every Games since 1998. Malcolm Milne

Malcolm Milne

Malcolm Milne is a former Australian Olympic skier.In 1968, at the age of 19, Malcolm competed in his first Olympics at Grenoble, France. In an era dominated by Jean-Claude Killy, Malcolm finished twenty-fourth of eighty-six starters, with a time only 5.51 seconds behind Killy...

became the first non-European to win a ski race world cup in 1969 and Olympic medalists include Zali Steggall

Zali Steggall

Zali Steggall is Australia's most internationally successful alpine skier, winning a bronze medal in slalom at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, and a World Championship gold medal in 1999. Steggall's long Olympic career extended from Albertville in 1992 to Salt Lake City in 2002...

, Alisa Camplin

Alisa Camplin

Alisa Camplin OAM is an Australian aerial skier who won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the second ever winter olympic gold medal for Australia. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Camplin finished third, a bronze medal...

and Dale Begg-Smith

Dale Begg-Smith

Dale Begg-Smith is an Australian-Canadian freestyle skier. Begg-Smith won the gold medal for Australia, his adopted country, in the men's moguls event at the 2006 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics...

.

Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

has extensive skiable terrain during the southern hemisphere winter in the south eastern states

States and territories of Australia

and Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

, between elevations of around 1250m to 2200m. Elevation of the snowfields in Australia varies with latitude, however viable winter snows are generally found above 1500m: Thredbo, near 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...

, has Australia's highest lifted point at 2037m and its base elevation is 1365m. Kiandra, in the Northern Skifields, has an elevation of 1400m, while Mount Mawson

Mount Mawson

Mount Mawson is situated in the Mount Field National Park in Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is located approximately 89 kilometres north west of Hobart and 232 kilometres from Launceston by road...

near Hobart, Tasmania is at 1250m.

A number of well serviced resorts have been developed, including: Thredbo, Perisher, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snowfields

Selwyn 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 New South Wales; Mount Buller, Falls Creek

Falls Creek

Falls Creek may refer to:* Falls Creek, New South Wales, Australia: a small town on the South Coast, New South Wales* Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia: ski resort* Falls Creek, British Columbia, Canada: a waterfall and creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park...

, Mount Hotham

Mount Hotham

Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...

, Mount Baw Baw

Mount Baw Baw

Mount Baw Baw is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort is an Unincorporated area of Victoria surrounded by the Shire of Baw Baw.-Location:...

and Mount Buffalo in Victoria; as well as the small resorts of Ben Lomond and Mount Mawson

Mount Mawson

in Tasmania. Cross country skiing is popular in such national parks as 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...

and Alpine National Park

Alpine National Park

The Alpine National Park is a national park in Victoria , northeast of Melbourne. It covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, including Victoria's highest point, Mount Bogong and the associated subalpine woodland and grassland of the Bogong High Plains...

and is also possible within Namadgi National Park

Namadgi National Park

and in the Tasmanian Wilderness

Tasmanian Wilderness

.

The Australian Alps

Australian Alps

are within driving range for weekend trips for residents of Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

and Canberra

Canberra

, while Tasmanian ski slopes are within day trip range for residents of the state.

In 2004, a mogul course called "Toppa's Dream" was constructed on 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...

. The Mount Buller World Aerials is an annual event, the first on the World Cup calendar. Aerial skiers practice extensively on water before trying jumps on snow, and Camplin practised jumps in a pond in Wandin (one hour's drive from Melbourne). The Kangaroo Hoppet

Kangaroo Hoppet

The Kangaroo Hoppet is the Australian long distance cross-country skiing race in the Worldloppet Ski Federation. It is held in Falls Creek, Victoria...

, a member of the Worldloppet Ski Federation

Worldloppet Ski Federation

The Worldloppet Ski Federation is a federation of long distance cross-country skiing events whose aim is to promote cross-country skiing through various ski races. The federation was founded in 1978 in Uppsala, Sweden.-Locations:...

series of cross-country skiing races, is an annual citizen race that attracts competitors from several countries. Ski jumping

Ski jumping

Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...

is currently non-existent in Australia.

The only Australian Biathlon

Biathlon

Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...

training course is located at Dinner Plain, Victoria

Dinner Plain, Victoria

Dinner Plain is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, 10 kilometres from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, and 375 kilometres from Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Dinner Plain had a population of 88, yet has over 200 lodges and chalets for tourist accommodation...

near Mount Hotham

Mount Hotham

Cross country and back country skiing

The Kosciuszko Main Range

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...

in the Snowy Mountains

Snowy Mountains

of New South Wales offer some of the most challenging cross-country and back-country skiing in Australia, notably Watsons Crags and Mount Twynam

Mount Twynam

Mount Twynam is the third-highest mountain on mainland Australia. It is located in the Snowy Mountains on the Main Range, north-west of Mount Kosciuszko. It is large but unimposing, and has good and far-reaching views over Blue Lake Cirque and the Western Falls...

on the steep Western Face of the Range. The Mount Jagungal

Mount Jagungal

Mount Jagungal is a mountain within the Jagungal Wilderness Area of the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. At 2061 metres AHD, Mount Jagungal surpasses any elevation except for peaks in the Main Range and Gungartan . Because it stands alone in an extensive plain Mount Jagungal...

wilderness area provides some of the most isolated back-country ski terrain. High country huts, often a legacy of the era of cattle grazing in the mountains, provide emergency shelter in these regions.

Dedicated Cross Country ski resorts are located at Lake Mountain

Lake Mountain

Lake Mountain is a cross-country ski resort in Victoria 90 km from Melbourne. It is the most popular ski resort in Australia in visitor numbers due to its proximity to the populous city of Melbourne, mainly from casual visitors....

, Mount Stirling

Mount Stirling

Mount Stirling is a cross-country and backcountry ski resort in the Australian state of Victoria approximately 230 km from Melbourne. Mount Stirling is a popular location for beginner backcountry skiers and snowboarders due to its distance from Melbourne and proximity to the Mount Buller...

and Mount Saint Gwinear

Mount Saint Gwinear

Mount Saint Gwinear is a mountain in Victoria, Australia, located at the north-east end of the Baw Baw National Park in the Gippsland high country. It is popular with families looking for a cheap and accessible snow-play/tobogganing destination and cross-country skiers. The flat Baw Baw Plateau...

in Victoria and popular areas for back country skiing and ski touring in the Alpine National Park

Alpine National Park

, Yarra Ranges National Park

Yarra Ranges National Park

Yarra Ranges is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 92 km east of Melbourne. It covers the headwaters of the Yarra River in the ranges themselves and several water catchments for Melbourne's domestic water supply....

and the Baw Baw National Park

Baw Baw National Park

Baw Baw is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 111 km east of Melbourne. It contains the Baw-Baw Plateau and Mount Baw Baw, a small ski resort, including nearby town, technically outside the national park....

include: Mount Bogong

Mount Bogong

, Mount Feathertop

Mount Feathertop

Mount Feathertop is the second-highest mountain in the Australian state of Victoria and is a member of the Australian Alps located entirely within the Alpine National Park. It rises to and is usually covered in snow from June to September...

, Bogong High Plains

Bogong High Plains

The Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from...

, Mount Howitt

Mount Howitt

Mount Howitt is a mountain in Victoria, Australia, named for Alfred William Howitt. Located in the Wonangatta Moroka Unit of the Alpine National Park approximately 170 km Northeast of Melbourne....

, Mount Reynard and Snowy Plains. The Kangaroo Hoppet

Kangaroo Hoppet

The Kangaroo Hoppet is the Australian long distance cross-country skiing race in the Worldloppet Ski Federation. It is held in Falls Creek, Victoria...

is a leg of the Worldloppet cross-country race series which is conducted on the last Saturday of August each year, hosted by Falls Creek

Falls Creek, Victoria

Falls Creek is a ski-in, ski-out ski resort in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne in the Alpine National Park, with the nearest town Mount Beauty, approximately 30 kilometres away. The resort lies between an altitude of 1,210 and 1,830...

in Victoria. The showpiece 42-kilometre race attracts thousands of spectators and competitors.

Cross country skiing can be possible in the Brindabella Ranges

Brindabella Ranges

which rise to the west of Canberra

Canberra

, in the A.C.T, and include the Namadgi National Park

Namadgi National Park

and Bimberi Nature Reserve

Bimberi Nature Reserve

The Bimberi Nature Reserve is a reserve that comprises part of the Brindabella Ranges about 30 kilometres south-west of Canberra. It lies between Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks...

. Mount Franklin Chalet, built in 1938, in the A.C.T. played a pioneering role in providing lifted ski runs in Australia, however the chalet was converted to a museum and subsequently destroyed by fire in 2003, so today only cross country skiing can be practised in the area (when conditions allow). Cross Country skiing is also practised at Mount Gingera

Mount Gingera

Mount Gingera is the second highest mountain in the Australian Capital Territory. The mountain is the most prominent snow covered peak to be seen from Canberra in winter. It is part of the Brindabella Ranges on the border of the ACT and New South Wales...

, elevation 1855m, a prominent snow covered peak above the city of Canberra.

When conditions allow, Australia's rugged island State of Tasmania also offers cross country skiers some scenic terrain - notably in the UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

World Heritage area around Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Rising to 1,545 metres above sea level it is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty...

. Tasmania has 28 mountains above 1,220m and much of the island is subject to at least occasional winter snow.

The Australian High Country is populated by unique flora and fauna including wombats, wallabies

Wallaby

A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...

, echidnas, and the Snow Gumhttp://www.smh.com.au/travel/50-reasons-to-love-australian-snow-20090603-bv3f.html?page=-1. The Alpine regions are subject to environmental protection, which has limited the scope of commercial development of skiiable terrain, however Australia has extensive cross country skiing terrain.

Snow boarding

The sport of snowboarding

Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

is also popular in the Australian skifields and Australia has been represented at the Olympics in this sport ever since it debuted at Nagano

1998 Winter Olympics

The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

in 1998. Torah Bright

Torah Bright

Torah Jane Bright is an Australian snowboarder. She turned pro at age 14 and finished fifth in snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. She lives and trains in the area of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...

, of the Snowy Mountains

Snowy Mountains

town of Cooma, New South Wales, won gold for Australia at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 in the women's snowboard halfpipe

Snowboard halfpipe

Snowboard halfpipe is a snowboard competition in which the competitors starts individually from the top of a halfpipe. The half-pipe is a semi-circular ditch or purpose built ramp , between 8 and 22 feet deep. Competitors perform tricks while going from one side to the other and while in the air...

event. Bright's gold medal - combined with the gold and silver skiing event medals - made 2010 Australia's most successful winter Olympic Games.

Ice sports

Many major Australian cities have indoor ice rink

Ice rink

An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

s, enabling participation in some winter sports regardless of the city's climate - for example, subtropical Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

is a major short track speed skating hub for Australia. Sydney hosted the 1991 short track speed skating World Championships (in which Australia won the men's relay event), and the 2001 Goodwill Games

Goodwill Games

The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...

, hosted in Brisbane, included figure skating. The Duke Trophy

Duke Trophy

-History:The Duke Trophy was made in 1952 and donated to the Australian Amateur Ice Racing Council by Len Duke, the firstSecretary/Treasurer of the AAIRC, with the help of an old school friend Dave Morgan...

hosted annually by the Australian Amateur Ice Racing Council encourages interstate competition in short track speed skating.

Short-track speedskater Steven Bradbury

Steven Bradbury

Steven John Bradbury OAM is a former Australian short track speed skater and four-time Olympian, who won the 1,000 m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last corner pile-up...

won the 1,000 m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics

2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

. He was the first Australian to win a Winter Olympic gold medal and was also part of the short track relay team that won Australia's first Winter Olympic medal (a bronze in 1994).

Curling facilities are limited in Australia. There are insufficient curling rocks in Sydney for a game, while curling occurs on an unsuitable surface in Melbourne and is also played in Brisbane.

Ice Hockey is played in many major cities in Australia, with the NHL affiliated Australian Ice Hockey League

Australian Ice Hockey League

The Australian Ice Hockey League is Australia's top-level ice hockey league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia and is run by its own Board of Directors....

Sliding sports

Australia lacks any bobsleigh tracks (used for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton), but there is a bobsleigh push track in the Docklands

Melbourne Docklands

Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...

area in Melbourne.

Australia at the Winter Olympics

Australia first competed in the Winter Olympic Games

Winter Olympic Games

in 1936 and has taken part in every Winter Olympics since 1952. It won its first Winter Olympic medal, a bronze, in 1994, and became the only southern hemisphere country to win Winter Olympic gold in 2002. Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympic Games

Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...

, and has won medals at every Winter Paralympics since 1992.

Australian medals at the Winter Olympic Games

Year	Athletes	Sports	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1994 Australia at the 1994 Winter Olympics Australia competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.Australia won a bronze medal in the men's 5000 metres short track relay, the first medal at the Winter Olympic Games for the nation...	27	9	0	0	1	1
1998 Australia at the 1998 Winter Olympics Australia competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.A total number of 24 athletes competed, participating in alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, short-track speed skating and snowboarding, which appeared for the first time at the...	24	8	0	0	1	1
2002 Australia at the 2002 Winter Olympics Australia competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States, winning two gold medals the nation's best performance at the Winter Games prior to Vancouver.-Medalists:- Overview :...	27	5	2	0	0	2
2006 Australia at the 2006 Winter Olympics Australia competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The team of 40 athletes was the largest ever for Australia, surpassing the team of 31 that participated at the 1960 Winter Olympics....	40	10	1
1	2

Australian medals at the Winter Paralympic Games

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1992	1	1	2	4
1994	3	2	4	9
1998	1	0	1	2
2002	6	1	0	7
2006 Australia at the 2006 Winter Paralympics Australia participated in the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Turin, Italy. Ten people competed, Australia's largest ever Winter Paralympic contingent...	0	1	1	2

Sports played in winter

Australia's mild winters mean that in most parts of Australia, regular outdoor sports can be played all year, and indeed more vigorous sports are more comfortably played in winter. Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

and rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

, the two most popular spectator sports in Australia, are played primarily in winter. See Sport in Australia

Sport in Australia

Australia has a long sporting history dating back to the mid 1800s. By the 1920s, a number of sports were being played by both men and women, including cricket, badminton, judo, swimming, tennis, netball, lacrosse, golf, hockey and various codes of football....

Reports of rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

being played in Australia date back to the 1820s, with local clubs established by the 1860s. The game has been especially popular as a winter sport in Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, New South Wales

New South Wales

and the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

. The Australian national rugby union team is called the Wallabies. Since the 1920s the Wallabies have worn green and gold jerseys. Despite having a relatively small player base, mainly in NSW and Queensland, the national side has twice won the Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....

– in 1991 and 1999. Australia hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup

2003 Rugby World Cup

The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...

, which saw the Wallabies defeated by England

England national rugby union team

The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...

in the final at Telstra Stadium

Telstra Stadium

Stadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...

. Other notable competitions include the annual Bledisloe Cup

Bledisloe Cup

Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...

played against Australia's traditional rivals, the New Zealand All Blacks since 1931, and the Tri-Nations competition involving South Africa

South Africa national rugby union team

The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...

and New Zealand. Australia has produced a number of notable rugby players of national stature, including Sir Edward Dunlop

Edward Dunlop

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop, AC, CMG, OBE was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II.-Early life and family:...

, Mark Ella

Mark Ella

Mark Gordon Ella is an Indigenous Australian former rugby union player, often considered as one of his country's all-time greats in that sport. In a relatively short career , Mark Ella established himself as one of the all-time greats in world rugby union...

(one of the first indigenous Australians to captain a national side) and the prolific try scorer David Campese

David Campese

David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...

.

In 1908, rugby league

Rugby league

was established in Australia by former rugby union

Rugby union

players and supporters as a breakaway professional code. The new code gained and has maintained a wider following in Australia than rugby union, which remained amateur until the 1990s. It has traditionally been seen as a "working man's sport" with its roots in the working class communities of the northern English counties of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

and Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

translating to similar areas of Western Sydney

Western Sydney

Western Sydney is a major region of Sydney, Australia. It has a number of different definitions but one consistently used is the region composed of the 11 councils which until recently were all members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils:* Auburn Council* Bankstown City Council*...

and Brisbane

Brisbane

. Rugby league is the most popular winter sport in New South Wales

New South Wales

, Queensland

Queensland

and the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

. The elite club competition is the National Rugby League

National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

(NRL), which features ten teams from New South Wales, three teams from Queensland, and one team each from Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The season culminates in the premiership deciding game, the NRL Grand Final

Grand Final

Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...

, traditionally one of Australia's most popular sporting events and one of the largest club championship matches in the world. Rugby League is played in all Australian states and territories, but has a much reduced participation in the southern and western states. The New South Wales Blues

New South Wales rugby league team

The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...

and Queensland Maroons

Queensland rugby league team

The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...

play a representative series against each other every year, called the State of Origin

Rugby League State of Origin

State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...

series, which is one of Australia's major sporting events. In addition, the Australian Kangaroos represent the country in international matches. Since its inception in 1954, the Australian team has dominated the Rugby League World Cup

Rugby League World Cup

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...

, having won the competition nine times.

Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

(usually called "Aussie rules" or "AFL") is a popular spectator sport and a participation sport in all Australian states and territories, though its core support lies in four of the six states; Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

, South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

and Tasmania

Tasmania

. The national competition, the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

, evolved from a Victorian state competition. The AFL Grand Final

AFL Grand Final

The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...

is traditionally played each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

. Australian rules football culture

Australian rules football culture

Australian rules football culture is a descriptive term for the cultural aspects surrounding the game of Australian rules football, particular as it applies to Australia and areas where it is most popular...

has a strong set of rituals and traditions, many of which have crossed sporting boundaries in Australia.

Soccer is a high participation football code, with both boys and girls at junior level as well with men and women at senior level. A number of major international stars have played for the national team in recent years including Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill

Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...

, Mark Viduka

Mark Viduka

Mark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...

, Mark Schwarzer

Mark Schwarzer

Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...

and Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell

Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...

. Australia's national team, the Socceroos, as of 2010 has competed at three FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

s. The Australian Government sought to host the event, the world's most watched sporting event, in either 2018

2018 FIFA World Cup

The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...

or 2022

2022 FIFA World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...

but the bid failed.

Polocrosse

Polocrosse

Polocrosse it is a team sport that is played all over the world. It is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field , on horseback. Each rider uses a cane stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, in which the ball is carried. The ball is made of...

is an equine team sport that was developed in New South Wales

New South Wales

before the Second World War. This sport is now played by men, women and juniors in many parts of the world.

Snow and ice sports

Alpine Skiing

Cross country and back country skiing

Snow boarding

Ice sports

Sliding sports

Australia at the Winter Olympics

Sports played in winter

See also