Rich Heritage - Falls Creek
The name ‘Bogong’ is an Aboriginal word loosely translated as ‘Big Fella’ while ‘Kiewa’ was the local Aboriginal word for ‘sweet water’. |
| The traditional Kiewa Valley custodians the Jaithmathang people along with neighbouring tribes would travel of hundreds of kilometres to meet, trde and feast together in this ancient alpine landscape. The largest gatherings, often in summer, coincided with the annual Bogong Moth migration, an important food source. During European settlement graziers in the Kiewa moved their cattle above the treeline into the cool highlands for summer grazing before returning to the lowlands before the winter snowfall. Historic huts dotted throughout the high country were built as mustering base camps by cattlemen and are now part of the alpine scenery. Back in the 1920s and ‘30s plans to harness the Kiewa River to meet Victoria’s growing electricity demands were visionary, ambitious and controversial. At the peak of development more than 4000 workers were camped and housed in the mountains where the towns of Mt Beauty ad Bogong now stand. Roads, numerous dams, miles of underground tunnels and three power stations were constructed from the late 1930s to 1961 as part of the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme. Thirty kms of roads built around Falls Creek to maintain the aqueducts are now wide paths that weave through the Alpine National Park. These paths offer excellent cross country bike riding, walking and high altitude training runs for all levels. In winter they also form the primary access routes from Falls Creek village to our extensive cross country ski trail network. |
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