Mount Buffalo Chalet

The iconic Mount Buffalo Chalet is the oldest timber ski resort structure still standing in all of Australia, having been built in 1909. Several stages were completed to achieve its current form. Mount Buffalo Chalet is of architectural, historical and social significance to the State of Victoria, and has a high degree of integrity to the 1938 period of construction.

After completing a Condition Assessment and Recommendation Report in 2022, we are documenting the first stage of maintenance and conservation works to the external envelope. One of the main findings was the identification of the original timber weatherboard profile (shiplap board with rounded edge) associated with the several stages of construction. Over time, the cladding was replaced using timber weatherboards with a more common profile resulting in the loss of the original detail. Similarly, repairs and replacement work to the windows over time has resulted in the loss or alteration of original and early configurations and profiles. The first stage of conservation works is aiming to preserve the most original areas and to make the site waterproof including general civil and structural works, and weatherproofing with the replacement of localised roofs reinstating original details.