About Us
TAM is a voluntary heritage, cultural and social organization - consisting of over 180 members. This group manages and operates the Thredbo Alpine Museum with its evocative snow sports collection.
Our Overview
Thredbo Alpine Museums dedicatedly preserves the rich history of Australian snow sports, fostering community awareness of the nation's unique snow sports heritage. It takes on the crucial responsibility of curating and conserving a nationally representative winter sports collection, aiming to establish a snow sports museum of significant national importance. Functioning as a community-based entity, the organization not only serves as a guardian of historical artifacts but also strives to create a vibrant social hub by offering engaging social activities for its members.
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Our Commitee
Brief History of its Inauguration
TAM (or its earlier branding - the Thredbo Historical Society) was formed in 1995 when 3 employees of the resort company Kosciuszko Thredbo Pty Ltd (KT) – General Manager David Osborne, Wendy O’Donohue and Graeme Holloway, met and discussed the subject and agreed to pursue it. Osborne said he would plan to find funds for a site in the Service Station vicinity to build a museum there, if Graeme could build a collection within 3 years. Albert van der Lee was the inaugural President. The road collapse of 1997 intervened and the project was sidelined due to the overwhelming circumstances of that event (Wendy O’Donohue was a fatality in that event).
Graeme Holloway continued to build the collection over ensuing years. From 1997 onwards a static display for the 6 week December - January holiday period was placed in the Valley Terminal complex. Later more of the collection was displayed over the summer months using volunteers, in underutilised premises of the Company. Graeme continued as President from 1997 to 2008 steadily building the collection and membership. Alan Fredericks succeeded him in 2008 as President.
First in Australia
In December 2008 KT provided TAM with the existing premises of 55 Sq. metres at a very reasonable license fee of $680.00 per annum. The Museum now displays about 1 quarter of our collection and we continue to seek about double that floor space. TAM also rents 2 storage units in Jindabyne at a cost of $6240.00 per annum. We also have a 40ft sea container on a farm off the Alpine Way storing skis. We have grown to 220 members – two thirds living in Sydney, Canberra and rural NSW. Fifteen Clubs have taken a membership as well as Snowsports Australia and Disabled Winter Sport Australia. The Thredbo Alpine Museum is open to the public 160 days of the year 1pm to 4pm and we attract over 6000 visitors annually. It is manned by volunteers as there are no paid staff, being a Not for Profit Society.
Thredbo was the first Alpine Resort in Australia to see a Historical Museum formed which has since been followed by Mt Buller, and Falls Creek. As with all of these groups we are highly dependent on a strong relationship with the Resort Operators & are very grateful for the support provided by them and in our case the continued interest and support of Kosciuszko Thredbo Pty Ltd. We also acknowledge the continued support of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
