By PAM ZIERK-MAHONEY

The Mt Buller Ratepayers Association will hold its annual social gathering on Saturday 29 August at the ABOM Bistro.

This meeting will be jointly hosted by the Mt Buller Ratepayers Association (MBRA) and Alpine Resorts Victoria (ARV).

At this gathering, lodges with a long history on Mt Buller will be recognised and congratulated, including:

CSIR Ski Club – 80 years

CSIR Ski Club is one of Victoria’s earliest clubs, formed in 1945 by employees of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The club’s name remained unchanged when the CSIR later became the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in 1949.

Originally an employee-only club, the rules of membership were later changed to allow people to join who had not previously been CSIRO employees.

AKLA Ski Club – 70 years

AKLA Ski Club was established in 1956.

It has 25 members and makes accommodation available to members, friends and guests.

AKLA is situated only 200 metres’ easy walking distance from the Ski School at the bottom of Bourke Street.

BMW Ski Club – 70 years

Brighton Mountain Wanderers Ski Club is a not-for-profit sporting club.

Guests are welcome at BMW Ski Club Lodge, provided they are booked in and accompanied by a member or preferred guest.

RAN (Navy) Ski Club – 70 years

The RAN Ski Club was established in 1953 with the aim of fostering the sport of skiing and other alpine activities within the naval community.

The club thrives on the foresight and conviction of its founding members.

Interest in skiing as a sport for members of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) began before World War II, when winter leave was frequently used to ski in Europe.

It was here that the idea for a RAN Ski Club originated.

The pre-commissioning crew of the old aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney was in the United Kingdom standing by the new ship.

Following an expedition by members of the ship’s company to the Austrian Alps, three young officers were inspired with the idea of forming a club.

In 1951, Guy Griffiths, Phillip Stevenson and Geoff Hood held their first brainstorming meeting in the ship’s Gunnery Officer’s cabin.

Interest in skiing in Australia developed rapidly in the post-war years with the arrival of many European migrants, and a meeting at Naval Headquarters in 1952 showed there was sufficient support to get the idea going.

The RAN Ski Club came into existence officially with the publication of Commonwealth Navy Order No. 50 on 3 February 1953.

This stated that a ski club had been formed with the title ‘Royal Australian Navy Ski Club’.

Jungfrau Ski Club – 60 years

Positioned close to the village, Jungfrau Ski Club takes advantage of the village centre activities, bars and restaurants, shopping opportunities and amenities.

The Lydia Lassila Chairlift is less than 100 metres away, so you can ski in and ski out of the lodge during winter.

Jungfrau offers a touch of convenience in a cosy setting during your winter or summer getaway, with affordable and well-appointed accommodation for a mid-week or weekend stay.

Patscherkofel Lodge – 60 years

Patscherkofel Lodge is a private ski club located on Breathtaker Road.

It is named after Patscherkofel Mountain, near Innsbruck, Austria.

The club was founded in 1966 and has a long history at Mt Buller as a welcoming and highly successful club.

In 1966, the original entry to Patscherkofel was located on The Avenue.

In 1988, the club was rebuilt to meet modern standards on the mountain and has been continuously maintained and upgraded.

These clubs have helped shape the unique character of the Mt Buller community over many decades, and MBRA and ARV look forward to celebrating these remarkable milestones together.

Members and non-members are encouraged to attend.

The event commences at 4pm and goes until around 6pm, with welcome drinks and light finger food provided.

For RSVP, go to https://www.trybooking.com/DOQFK.

Enquiries: contact@mbra.au