HISTORY​

Life member of Lake Mountain Ski Patrol (LMSP), Mike Sutton, has compiled the following on the history of LMSP. His contribution is a work-in-progress ... and greatly appreciated. Many thanks to Mike who is the longest serving member on ski patrol. 

Thank you also to another life member, Chris Byrnes, for his contribution that: "It was LMSP who pushed for the national Ski Patroller (ski skill) standard for cross country, similar to alpine/downhill under the Australian Ski Patrol Association. At the time, the ski skill standard included cross country xcd etc to ensure we complied and included other resorts like Gwinear, Stirling, Baw Baw and Hotham. While many achieved the First Aid standard, the ski skill component stretched many."

(LMSP would welcome input from any past/present patrollers who may have some patrol history to share and record for others to read.) 

Mike Sutton's recollections...
In the late 1970s, Lake Mountain was administered by the Forest Commission of Victoria (FC), along with Mount Buller and Mount Baw Baw. On weekends during winter, several FC men from the Marysville depot were rostered to supervise car parking at Lake Mountain and clean up the rubbish.

• Visitor numbers increased as cross country skiing and tobogganing gained popularity in Victoria. This prompted Jim McGregor from the Healesville Red Cross to obtain a caravan fitted out as a mobile first aid centre and arrange volunteers to staff it on weekends. At first it was based at Snowy Hill car park, but by the early 1980s it was based at Gerraty’s car park.
• In 1982, the Forest Commission employed Frank Wood as the first head ranger for Lake Mountain.
• One of Frank’s first projects was to build a log cabin on the side of the Village toboggan run to use as an administration and first aid base.
• When new staff were employed in Marysville to cut fire-breaks, Frank organised for the bulldozer training to be held at Lake Mountain. The training exercise helped improve the existing ski trails (mostly old walking tracks) which were evened out and widened. The Koala Creek toboggan run was also created by clearing scrub to the east of the Village run and levelling the gradient of the slope.
• Early in 1983, Frank surveyed the layout of the Jubilee (re-alignment of the old East Loop) and Woolybutt ski trails and arranged to have them bulldozed. This also required a re-alignment of parts of the Echo Flat trail.
• It was in the early 1980s the Victorian Nordic Rescue Service (VNRS) started patrolling the trails at Lake Mountain, as well as at Mount Stirling and Mount St Gwinear.
• In 1984, Mike Sutton joined the VNRS at Lake Mountain as a trainee. There was rarely any roster or organised training. It was just a matter of driving up, signing on, seeing Frank and getting a radio and pack, and skiing out. Sometimes there were other patrollers, sometimes not.
• During the season of 1985, with negotiations between VNRS and their coordinator for Lake Mountain, the Red Cross, the Australian Ski Patrol Association (ASPA),  with Frank Wood  and Richard Rogerson from the Forest Commission a decision was agreed to form the Lake Mountain Ski Patrol inc.  An inaugural meeting was held and a committee elected. The first function to be arranged was a Christmas dinner at the Parkview Motel in Healesville, followed by the incorporation statement and association with ASPA.
• Skiers from VNRS and members of Healesville Red Cross were invited to join the new patrol. For a couple of years there were both skiing and non-skiing members. Chris Byrnes and the new committee encouraged everyone to learn to ski and to improve their skiing ability to the ASF gold level.​
• The Parkview became the regular venue for bi-monthy meetings in the first few years, and for dinner followed by first aid training run by Jim McGregor our first training officer. The fairly ordinary standard of the meals became a running joke and, in 1988 patroller Keith Brandenberger offered to hold the AGM at his home where his wife Barb subsequently provided us with many a sumptuous meal. The training evenings were held at cheaper venues without a meal.
• In 1986, a concrete slab was poured for the machinery shed at Lake Mountain. During the 1986 ski season, it held a single shipping container which was used as the base for a new ski school run by Gary Schmidt, who ran many training sessions for the ski patrol. The container was equipped with kerosene lamps and a pot belly wood stove.
• 1986 also saw the start of a 20-year tradition of training weekends held in May. Initially they were at the Xavier school camp in Buxton and then, for many years, at Rubicon School camp at Rubicon.
• During 1986 and 1987, patrollers who wanted to sleep on the mountain used the loft above the first aid room in the log cabin. There were no such luxuries as showers.
• 1987 brought a finished machinery shed, a new skidoo and grooming equipment.  The mezzanine floor was fitted out as a flat for the ski patrol in time for the 1988 season.
• LMSP membership boomed in the first four years, with approximately 40 active members regularly patrolling.
• 1987 was the first year most of our members completed the ASPA first aid course and lots of practice and tutorial sessions were held at Allen Abbott’s physiotherapy rooms.
• In the early years, the Forest Commission provided some basic first aid and rescue equipment, but LMSP members did a lot of fund raising and purchased much of the patrol’s equipment. An equipment officer maintained the records of our waterproof clothing, first aid and  rescue gear, and ensured it was properly looked after.
• In 1989, Andrew Paul was employed to patrol on weekdays during the winter. This evolved into a permanent year-round position with responsibility for the maintenance of trails and buildings outside the snow season.
• The Alpine Resorts Commission was formed in 1986 but did not take over running Lake Mountain for several years. In about 1990 Frank Wood transferred to Mount Baw Baw and Richard Rogerson took over as manager at Lake Mountain.
• During the 1990s, protocols and standards for patrolling, as well as search and rescue, were developed under the leadership of captains Geoff Burrell, Peter Torey and Andrew Lapthorne. Keith Brandenberger started his 14-year reign as captain in 1998.
• Jim McGregor retired in 1988.
• In 1990, Peter Neylon (the guru of first aid) started his stint as training officer for the next 18 years. Peter organised many large-scale training events including ‘Operation Jubilee’ which involved 40 St John’s volunteers as ‘casualties’ in a bus that had run off the road and ‘rolled’ The local police, State Emergency Service and ambulance service all assisted to make the day as realistic as possible.
• Our snow skills were regularly improved by skills officers Andrew Lapthorne, Judy Barnes and then Peter Barnett who held the position for 11 years and took care of the paperwork and administration for the training weekends.
• Jill Hudson was equipment officer for 18 years from 1988.  Much of the LMSP waterproof clothing and rescue equipment was stored in her garage over the summer, while Mike Sutton took a lot of the first aid equipment home for safe keeping and also to use at the ASPA first aid course each autumn. When Jill retired at the end of 2006, the committee decided to end the position of equipment officer and all remaining equipment was donated to the resort management.
• The late 1980s and 1990s saw lots of social evenings and Christmas in July parties held in the flat above the machinery shed. Mike Sutton hosted in a Santa suit and members often went out for late evening skis either around the lower trails or playing on the Village toboggan slope.
• In 1998 the new Lake Mountain Board of Management took over running the mountain, with most of the local staff simply being transferred across from the Alpine Resorts Commission. By this time the budget for Lake Mountain was far healthier than when the Forest Commission was in charge so ski patrol became better equipped with the resources necessary to work efficiently … it marked a welcome farewell to the second hand radios and homemade splints.