M Ski Club — A History Post-War Australia: The World in Which the Club Was Born When the Second World War ended in 1945, Australia faced a large adjustment. A rapid increase in population added pressure — there was a large number of returned servicemen and a huge influx of immigrants, especially from the UK and Europe. Building materials were difficult to obtain. Housing supply fell short, and petrol rationing continued until 1950. Monsanto Chemicals Australia Ltd (MCAL), a subsidiary of Monsanto Company based in St Louis, Missouri, was an established chemical manufacturing business prior to the war. It had a very active social club of which most employees were members. After the war, several social club members developed an interest in recreational skiing. Some employees recently arrived from Europe were experienced skiers and their knowledge proved valuable. Formation of the Club: 1946–1947 On 25th June 1946, a meeting of interested social club members was called, and a ski club was inaugurated. Initially referred to as the Ski Section of the Monsanto Social Club, it soon became known as Monsanto Ski Club — that title was certainly in use by January 1947. A very close relationship between the Social Club and the Ski Club continued for three decades, essential to the Ski Club's survival, as the Social Club was much stronger financially and carried more influence with MCAL management. The first constitution was approved at a General Meeting on 26 February 1948, following months of drafting and discussion, with two clauses amended at the general meeting itself. To join, one had to be an employee of MCAL or a subsidiary. Members who left the company had the option of remaining as 'associate members'. It was later stipulated that to join, one also had to be a member of the social club. There were 24 original members, growing to 37 by March 1947, and to 40 by October. At some stage that year the number rose to 45, with a further 10 listed as interested — though that appears to have been the peak. Some members belonged to other ski clubs, and those contacts proved valuable in accessing transport and accommodation, both of which were very scarce. The biggest transport challenge was obtaining sufficient petrol. In 1947, Monsanto Ski Club was one of the founding members of the Federation of Victorian Ski Clubs, with Colin Brewer serving as its first secretary. By the end of that year, 39 Victorian ski clubs were listed as members. Early Skiing and Equipment In 1946, all that the club could arrange were a weekend trip to Mt Baw Baw and a day excursion to Mt Donna Buang. In 1947, further weekends were arranged, which saw the first overnight stays at Mt Buller. Skiing equipment was a concern. A few early members had their own skis, but most had to purchase, hire, or borrow. One early member, Les Buzaglo, had skis made in Melbourne by Andrew Broad — a motor body builder by trade, and a keen skier, who learned to make skis from Australian timber before importing hickory. Les Buzaglo's skis, probably dating to the 1930s, were donated to the club for mounting in the lodge. From 1947, the ski club purchased skis on behalf of members from Messrs Buddle & Smart of Malvern. After the partnership dissolved, Donald James Smart made and sold skis and ancillary equipment. Skis fitted with Kandahar binding and screw-on metal edges cost £8-18-6; blanks were £3-10-0. In 1947, 22 members purchased ski equipment to the total value of £175. Skis imported from Norway were available but expensive, at £30. Some members resorted to hand-making their own skis on Saturdays at Monsanto, apparently with the assistance of a Dr Henderson. Planning a Lodge: 1946–1948 From the outset, the club planned to build an accommodation hut at Mt Buller. In December 1946, a ski hut was costed at £274-9s-6d, excluding site clearance and transport. In January 1947, a request was made for financial assistance from the company; in February, the company responded that it was unable to help at that time. In May 1947, an application for a permissive occupancy was made to the Forest Commission. The preferred site was adjacent to the CSIR site, with second preference being the Cow Camp area. In December 1947, club secretary Colin Brewer used his personal connection with Thomas Mitchell MLA — a champion skier who had represented Australia, a wealthy grazier, and a lawyer — to advance the cause. Tom Mitchell lobbied extensively for skiing infrastructure in Victoria and NSW. With his influence in the Victorian Parliament, moves were made to begin an official village at Mt Buller. The Forest Commission undertook to survey the Cow Camp area with a view to opening sites for ski clubs. This was completed in late 1948, and 7 sites were allotted from 15 applicants, effective 1st January 1949. Monsanto Ski Club was one of the selected seven. The Mt Buller Alpine Reserve Committee of Management was formed, reporting to the Forest Commission. The Four-man Hut Years : A Temporary Home (1948–1950) Accommodation at existing huts was difficult to book. The original chalet on Horse Hill, the main accommodation on Mt Buller, had burned down in 1942. As of March 1947, the only accommodation listed was CSIR at the foot of One Tree Hill, and the Ski Club of Victoria's lodges. A one-week stay at the Ivor Whittaker Memorial Lodge in 1947 cost £4-4-6 — equivalent to $313.40 in 2022 spending power. As a temporary measure while awaiting approval for their own hut, a large packing case was acquired in May 1947 through foundation president Dr George Burger — more likely used originally to transport his family possessions from Vienna to Adelaide, and then from Adelaide to Melbourne. The case was modified and fitted out for transport to Mt Buller, and first used as skier accommodation in 1948. It slept four people, had a small stove, and was known as the 4-man hut. Without a site of its own, the club made an arrangement with the YHA (the Snow Group of Youth Hostels of Australia), who had a converted pre-fabricated army hut — which slept 21 and was affectionately called Shiver Shanty — located in the Skating Rink area on the saddle between Horse Hill and One Tree Hill. The Monsanto 4-man hut was positioned as an annexe to the YHA hut. Sketch copyright of YHA Although YHA were cooperative, there were differences in expectations. Monsanto was pressured to relinquish control of bookings for what YHA regarded as their annexe, and there were complaints about alcohol being consumed there — strictly against YHA rules. At the time this arrangement was made, club membership stood at 38, and 20 of those members were also members of YHA. The club sought financial assistance from the company but this was not granted. The social club did provide some assistance with loans. A building fund began, with members making regular deductions from their wages or salary — 1 shilling for those over 21, and 6 pence for those under — commencing for 30 members on 30 October 1947. Photos copyright of YHA   Building the Lodge: 1949–1952 The club was informed by the Mt Buller Committee of Management on 18th December 1948 that it had been assigned hut site 6, with certified notification received on 25 January 1949. Plans were submitted to the Forest Commission's Mt Buller Recreational Reserve Committee on 04 February 1949, and approval obtained on 01 March 1949. Site 6 was arguably the best in the village — one of the most central, and close to level. Being central, and close to the subsequently built services including the base ski lift, was an obvious advantage. Work parties began over the Labour Day weekend, 12–14 March 1949, followed by Easter, 15 through 18 April. With tools mostly borrowed from MCAL, the site was cleared and foundations were laid. By the 1949 snow season, red gum stumps and bearers had been installed. On Saturday 9th April, pre-cutting of timber for the frame began in the MCAL carpenter's shop. Continuing through winter 1949, weekend work parties prefabricated the lodge framework. Ernest F. Shutze supervised much of the work at both Monsanto and Mt Buller. Lodge building activity picked up after the 1949 snow season. From Christmas 1949 to June 1950, 14 work parties raised the lodge from the bearers and joists stage to a recognisable building. John Kruse and Bill Darby, who joined the club in May and June of 1950, quickly became the nucleus of the building sub-committee and made major contributions to getting the building to a habitable stage. Stumps & bearers 1949. Photographer unknown. To get around the shortage of roofing iron, steel drums from MCAL's caustic soda deliveries were opened out, cleaned, rolled to form corrugations, and galvanised. This sheeting was much thicker than purpose-made roofing iron and making nail holes without electricity or power tools was difficult. The same flat, ungalvanised material was later used to close off the under-floor space until rock walls could be built — a Forest Commission requirement for protection against grass fires. In December 1949, after club secretary Bob Rizzoli wrote to the president of the social club requesting a loan of £250, the MCAL Board of Directors agreed to a loan of £150, to be repaid in three annual instalments of £50, with the remaining £100 regarded as a company contribution to the activity. By the beginning of the 1950 season, the ablution area had been walled off and 6 beds, a table, and cupboards provided crude facilities. The floor boards were bare and most walls were support frames only. This was in addition to the 4-man hut, the booking of which had by then been taken over by YHA. Work on the lodge continued but was far from complete by the snow season. On 31 July 1951, the Recreation Reserve Committee wrote expressing displeasure and threatening not to renew the permissive occupancy for 1952 if works were not completed by 31 December 1951. This brought about increased urgency. The club negotiated a loan of £800 at 3% interest from the social club to enable external contractors to finish the lodge by the deadline. The stone walls, a huge task led by Bob McDonald, were essentially finished to a high standard. YHA completed their new lodge in the Cow Camp area in May 1952 and demolished Shiver Shanty. They also agreed to demolish the 4-man hut at the same time. The Debenture Scheme: Saving the Club On 18 January 1951, a Special General Meeting adopted a debenture scheme. Every member who had used club facilities or actively participated in skiing was required to take at least one £10 debenture. £5 was payable on issue, with the remainder payable in five £1 calls over the following five months. The debentures were to be repayable in 5 years, with the committee having the option to extend to 10 years and were interest-free and unsecured. Debenture holders were entitled to life membership in lieu of repayment or could become life members on payment of £12-10-0 and surrender of their debentures. Without the debenture scheme, the club would not have survived. Eleven members waived their right to repayment and became life members. Bill Darby, who was instrumental in creating the scheme, was the last surviving life member in 2026, having clocked up 76 years. Lodge in 1951 with Bill Darby’s Jeep. Photographer unknown. Photos supplied by Bill Darby.   Fitting Out: The 1950s and 1960s Jocelyn Wood — about 1948. Photo courtesy of her nephew, Ewen McMillan In 1952, electrical wiring was run in readiness for a generator. A chemical sewerage system was installed. A kerosene cooking stove replaced the 2-burner primus. A 1,000-gallon galvanised tank was bought second-hand from the Bonnie Doon pub, which was due to be submerged once the Eildon Dam was completed. Bill Darby and Bob Cooper transported this tank up the mountain in Bill's jeep, with a couple of bags of sand on the bonnet to balance the load. Bill Darby built the stairs in a weekend in 1954 using only a carpenter's saw, hammer, and chisel. Until then, occupants had to use a ladder to access the bunkrooms, and descend backwards. In 1956, a new 1,000-gallon water tank was installed. Water pipes to the kitchen and bathroom were installed during Easter 1956 by Bill Darby and Jack Zagorski, Monsanto Chief Design Engineer, using ¾-inch pipe, each piece cut to length and threaded by hand using plumber's tools. About 1955 — image based on this used on a 1955 Monsanto greeting card. In 1957, a generator hut was built and the generator installed in time for the snow season. Bob Cooper installed a 32-volt lighting generator that Bill Darby had obtained from the Engineering Department, where it had been held in store for emergency lighting but never used. In 1958, five sets of 2-tier bunks with innerspring mattresses were installed, replacing camp stretchers, and a gas stove replaced the previous kerosene burners. Membership was 21. In 1960, a Brent LPG hot water system was installed, with piping to the shower, hand basin, and kitchen. An LPG heater was fitted to the drying cabinet, and a standby gas light to the living room. The lodge was finally free from kerosene appliances. Membership stood at 27 including 5 associates. The drying cabinet was built into a section of the ceiling adjacent to the larger of the bunkrooms. It was too small to enable effective air circulation. There was no available space for a person to enter and the height was insufficient to stand up. In 1961, a septic tank was installed just in time for the snow season. It remained in service until the lodge was demolished in early 1987. Septic tank excavation 1961 — John Kruse & Bill Darby. Also in 1961, the club invested £25 as preferred ordinary shares in Ski Lifts Mt Buller (Orange Lifts). Membership was 33 including 6 associates. In 1963, a 240-volt generator and an electric water pump were installed, and a sundeck was built. The Forest Commission introduced a garbage service, eliminating the need to incinerate rubbish. Membership stood at 38, including 9 associates. In 1965, reticulated water was connected to the lodge, removing the need for pumping and improving reliability and quality. Membership was now 47 including 15 associates. SEC electricity was connected in 1967, prior to the snow season. A 300-gallon oil storage tank was installed with sufficient capacity for a full season, eliminating the need to handle 44-gallon drums. Membership was 54, including 10 life members and 19 associates. 1968 was a bumper season, setting new records for visitation and revenue. Membership was 62, including 10 life members and 26 associates. June 29, 1968 – photo courtesy Bruce McDowall 1969 was an unusual season — only patchy snow during winter and none at all by the end of August, but very good snow from the first week of September onwards. That year, a new requirement arose in the form of a $20.50 licence to consume alcohol in the lodge. Membership was 67, including 10 life members and 30 associates. 1970 was a better than average season. Membership was 65, including 10 life members. 1970 Blue Lifts ticket prices are set out below The day ticket price of $3.50 was an increase some date between 1966 and 1970. The Blue Lifts day tickets had been $3, and for Orange Lifts, $4. Orange had more tows, and covered more of the intermediate terrain, so the majority of skiers opted for Orange. The club concession related to $2 for Blue Lift tickets in 1966. Our lodge back then only had 10 bunks. We did at times sleep 13, but that still wasn't enough to get the club concession, especially as there were always those who wanted to ski Orange. However, our lodge was in such a central position that many from other clubs had to walk past us on their way to the Bourke St lift and ticket office. Many times, they would be seeking one or two candidates to make up the 16. Some were kind enough to drop in and ask if we wanted to join their 'club', already having the minimum of 16. Sometimes, one of us would go outside with an appropriate amount of cash, and keep an eye out for any of those who we had come to know as part of this concession scheme. Incorporation and the Threat of Redevelopment: 1970–1983 In 1971, indications that the Resort Management had plans to redevelop site 6 — and that any legal documents relating to club involvement would require a legally recognised organisation — led to the club being incorporated under the Companies Act 1961, as M Ski Club Ltd, on 26 April 1971. MCAL had been asked whether the club could retain the full word "Monsanto" but declined; using the letter "M" was the best option available at the time. 1973 was a disastrous season, with no skiable snow at all. There were no snow-making facilities at Mt Buller at that time. The season's total occupancy was 15 bed-nights, with most occupants disappointed. Membership was 67, including 10 life members and 23 associates. 1977 was a very good season, setting a new record for visitation. Membership was 54, including 9 life members. A review revealed 37 active members, putting pressure on bed capacity. The committee decided to freeze membership indefinitely and established a waiting list. During the late 1960s, there had been increasing concern about the security of the club's tenure. The club had to rely on annual renewal of the Permissive Occupancy, and the Committee of Management had the prerogative to require the club remove the lodge at its own expense. The club's site was the most central of all — a prime position — which attracted attention from individuals and groups wanting to redevelop it with high-density accommodation, as well as from the Committee of Management, who wanted to resume the site to create a transport terminal and other central infrastructure. In 1975, the Mt Buller Committee of Management announced it was about to call for tenders to redevelop the Village Centre. This project dragged on over years, adding to apprehension about the club's future, while the club was unable to expand from 10 to 20 beds pending the redevelopment plans. The matter finally came to a head in 1983, when the Management Committee announced the redevelopment would proceed. 1983 was also a very poor snow season. Foundation and life member Len Errey passed away, and 2 other inactive members resigned. The Mt Buller Committee of Management advised that they finally had funding for their new transport terminal, and that 1984 would be the last year for the club on site 6. A New Lodge: 1984–1985 Following many years of uncertainty, the club's future was settled during 1984. The new lodge was to be part of a complex to be developed on site 9, the Ullr Ski Club site, owned by the Grollo family. After members confirmed their intentions regarding the redevelopment, the numbers to transfer to the new club structure stood at 35, counting 2 life members. The club was restructured to enable members to hold transferable equity, and negotiations began for vacating the old lodge on site 6 and moving to the new development on site 9. In July 1984, the Resort Management Board received legal advice that it did not have statutory authority to undertake a commercial development. Rino Grollo, rescued the Committee of Management by offering to take on the redevelopment of the affected lodges — Monsanto, Omega, and Melbourne Walking Club. His project involved constructing flats for sale as part of a redevelopment of the Ullr site. The Committee of Management accepted this proposal. 1985 was a huge year for the club. Compensation of $100,000 had been negotiated for the loss of the old lodge. Five new members were admitted at an entrance fee of $12,500 each to help raise capital. A levy of $2,500 was struck on members transferring from the previous club structure. Along with liquid assets, a loan of $65,000 was taken out for the remaining building, finishing, and furnishing costs. Without contracts being fully resolved, building commenced in mid-January 1985 to enable M and Omega to be relocated by the snow season. The Grollo family undertook this in good faith. Half of the new building on the Ullr site was habitable by the beginning of the 1985 season, comprising M Ski Club, Omega Ski Club, and three apartments. Construction was subcontracted to L.U. Simon. A contract was not signed until 10 May 1985, and the lodge was handed over effectively on Saturday 08 June. Getting the lodge ready for the snow season was a monumental task. Mike Kovacs took charge of numerous work parties over the following couple of years, leading by example and achieving well beyond expectations. The lodge was first occupied by a skiing group on 15 June 1985. The hot water system worked well, but the hydronic heating system performed well below its specified output and produced excessive hammering noise. Despite repeated complaints and interventions by the contractors — including installing a 300mm square air duct and converting the LPG cylinder bank from 6 to 22 cylinders, neither of which helped — the issue persisted until late 1991. The head engineer at Crockford & Robinson, who had supplied the equipment, identified that the boiler plumbing had been installed back to front. That was rectified in early 1992, resulting in a marked improvement in heating capacity and an end to the hammering. When demolition of the old lodge was imminent in 1986, Bill Darby's staircase — built by hand in a weekend in 1954 — was removed and carried to the new lodge, where it was fitted in the cellar area. At the time of writing, it was the only item from the old lodge still remaining The New Lodge Takes Shape: 1986–2000 The new lodge included a trapdoor in the games room to a future cellar. Considerable levelling was required, a concrete floor was poured, and two high rows of shelving, recycled from a renovation at Monsanto, were installed for storing boots and skis. Concrete buttresses provided shelving for members to store cases of wine and packaged food. In 1988, members were offered the option to pay a one-off levy of $1,000 to the club by 01 June, in lieu of paying an annual subscription of $150. The rationale was that interest payments to the bank on the loan were equivalent to $150 per year . Given the interest rate charged by the bank exceeded what could be obtained by investing $1,000, virtually all members accepted immediately. In the first four years in the new lodge, smoking was not permitted in the bedrooms or kitchen. In 1989, it was restricted to the ground floor. In 1991, it was further restricted to the ski room only, with an extractor fan required to be running whilst anyone smoked. Between 2002 and 2007, smoking was banned anywhere inside the lodge. Reticulation of LPG to the village was installed in 1992, and the lodge was connected on 16 May. The connection cost of $1,916.51 was recovered within two years through lower gas costs. On the night of Saturday 29th June 1996, the club celebrated the 50th anniversary of its formation at a dinner at Elizabeth Lodge, Middleborough Road, Blackburn. The function was attended by 23 members, 19 spouses, plus 12 children and friends. No foundation members were present, but Bob Cooper (1949), and both John Kruse and Bill Darby (1950) attended — all three having made significant contributions to building the original lodge. Mt Buller Ski Lifts and Mt Buller Bus Lines sponsored a celebration held on 2nd and 3rd October 1999, marking 50 years of development since the first 7 clubs were granted sites in the village, and the first ski tow. The programme included an official dinner at Kooroora Hotel, a luncheon at Abom, and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. The event was attended by 17 members and partners of M Ski Club.   Into the New Century: 2001 Onwards A trial of hiring contract cleaners was run in 2000 and was adopted thereafter. Dishwashing machines were installed in 2001. Only one space had been provisioned, and it was clear that two were required, necessitating some cabinet modification to fit the second machine. Bi-Lock locks were installed on both entry doors, and a digital keypad integrated at ground level in 2003. Snow and ice accumulation on the lodge roof occasionally sheds in large slabs, creating danger at both entrances. An architect's design for a canopy was commissioned in 2006 and completed, along with structural engineer specifications, in 2007. Tony Backhouse became involved in 2009, and his company manufactured the canopy in 2010 — including brick and steel mesh deflectors and stairway modification — at less than half the best quote received for the canopy alone. Tony not only took on the project at cost but personally managed it and contributed a large part of the on-site work, engaging his son-in-law, a registered builder, to handle trade aspects, insurance compliance, and statutory requirements. A further screen was added in 2012, at the rear of the canopy roof, to deflect shedding snow and ice away from the balcony — again handled by Tony Backhouse. When most of Victoria was subject to lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lodge was closed. There was no occupation during 2020 and 2021. Whilst rent relief was provided for those periods, the club was unable to earn any income from lodge occupancy Reflections From a meeting of 24 people in June 1946 through decades of improvisation, ingenuity, and collective effort, the Monsanto Ski Club built, maintained, and eventually built a lodge on one of the best-positioned sites on Mt Buller. Without the loyalty and sacrifice of early members — particularly those who underwrote the debenture scheme and chose not to redeem — the club would not have survived. Members and friends of the Club who gave their weekends, skills, and resources are woven into the buildings that the Club has occupied and allow people to enjoy visits to Mt Buller today.