Over 110 years old, picturesque Mount Buffalo Chalet sits atop a plateau in the Mount Buffalo National Park. Surviving bushfires through the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, this grand old lady provided a leisurely holiday escape for all manner of Victorians for almost 100 years. Now closed, the chalet faces an uncertain future.
With its elevated location, it’s easy to see why the chalet has been called “the island in the sky”. On a cloudy day, you can look through a gap in the wafting clouds down to the verdant pastures of the Buckland Valley. You feel as if you are above the earth and its doings. The Gorge lookout offers panoramic views of the filmy blue mountains and the scenic Buckland Valley. In winter, the air is crisp in the snowy, other-worldly landscape. The huge old chalet, with its cream walls, green roof and gables invites you to stay a while in these peaceful surrounds. It’s little wonder that Victorians made the chalet their favourite winter and summer retreat for decades.
In the 19th century, squatters and miners were attracted to the Mount Buffalo area for its rich pastures and reports of gold in the Ovens River. The fame of the Mount Buffalo Plateau spread, bringing tourists to experience its natural beauty, rock formations and alpine flora.
In August 1890, a party from the Alpine Club made the first winter ascent of the Horn, Mount Buffalo’s highest point. Their enthusiastic reports of the beautiful winter scenery encouraged interest in winter tourism. In 1910, a government chalet was built at a cost of 3,195 pounds, using Mountain Ash milled on the plateau near Lake Catani. In 1912, the North Wing was added to the original structure and the South Wing was built in 1914, complete with a billiard room. Between 1921 and 1923, improvements were made, including additional bedrooms and bathrooms in the South Wing, electric lighting, effective heating, a new drying room and laundry and better staff accommodation.
The chalet was leased until October 1, 1924, when Victorian Railways took over the management. The Railways constructed an additional wing to house a new dining room, kitchen and cafe, with the old dining room converted into a ballroom for dances, concerts and other social activities. In 1929-30, the chalet was painted inside and out, and other improvements made. Between 1936 and 1937, the buildings were extensively altered. The South Wing was extended to provide more single bedrooms and a second storey was added to the main building, providing eight rooms with self-contained bathrooms.
In 1954, the first ski lodge was built at Dingo Dell, providing skiers with a large dining room and overnight storage for their skis.
Victorian Railways organised economical package holidays at the chalet, which included transport by train and bus, accommodation and all meals. Chalet holidays were popular with a wide range of guests: skiers, honeymooners, families and pensioners. After World War II, European migrants were frequent guests, appreciating the mountain charm and old-fashioned service provided at the chalet
Staff at the chalet made every effort to make the guests’ stay comfortable. They could enjoy all the activities on offer, or simply relax in the peaceful, scenic surrounds.
Guests enjoyed the communal environment, with group activities in the ballroom, a drawing room with grand piano, a billiard room, lounge and cafe. Summer leisure activities included guided walks, horse riding, tennis, billiards and table tennis. A swimming pool was later added. Croquet on the elegant lawns was another popular past time. In winter, skiing was supreme, with onsite ski hire, instructors and transport to the Dingo Dell ski run. Evening activities included dances in the ballroom and films on Sunday nights. Nearby Lake Catani was an easy walk from the chalet, popular for swimming, fishing and ice skating in winter.
Organised day trips by car or bus to the Buckland Valley, the Kiewa Vally and Mt. Hotham gave guests a taste of wonderful alpine scenery.
Catering at the chalet was superb. Substantial meals were served in the formal dining room, where guests could meet others at their designated tables, complete with silver service and linen table cloths. On Sundays, a high tea of scones, jam and cream was served. Daily newspapers and a library were available. A café near the dining room was a popular rendezvous for morning and afternoon tea.
Even during the Depression years of the 1930s, the chalet was popular. Between October, 1924 and 30th June, 1930, 27,609 visitors stayed at the chalet.1
In the 1950s, patronage remained high: in 1952, the daily average number of guests in residence was 162.2
Away from the fun of holiday activities, the chalet had a more mysterious side. Many staff members experienced paranormal activities: loud noises emanating from empty guest rooms; the sound of footsteps in the empty ballroom and other eerie incidents. Living onsite, staff learned to live with these unsettling experiences.
In July 1993, the Victorian Railways relinquished control of the chalet and it was managed by private leaseholders. The chalet’s timber construction makes it vulnerable to fire, exacerbated by its location in a densely forested location. In December 2006, the nearby Cresta Valley Lodge, formerly known as Tatra Inn, was destroyed by bushfires. Firefighters prevented the same fate from befalling the chalet, but it was a dangerous situation. The chalet’s operators were forced to close in 2007, due to lost trade. Occasional tours of the grand old building are conducted, but the chalet has not yet re-opened for guests.
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Further reading
Mt Buffalo Chalet & Mt Buffalo National Park: a short history, 199-?, Mt. Buffalo Chalet, Mt. Buffalo National Park
Parks Victoria, 2022, The Gorge and Mount Buffalo Chalet, <https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/mount-buffalo-national-park/things-to-do/the-gorge-and-mount-buffalo-chalet>
See our blog on Guide Alice and our video (above)
Victorian Railways, 1925, Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ended 30th June, 1925, Government Printer, Melbourne, pp 37-38
Victorian Railways, 1930, Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners… 30th June, 1930, Government Printer, Melbourne, p 45
Victorian Railways, 1936, The Chalet, Mt. Buffalo National Park…Victoria: information for guests, October 1936, Government Printer, Melbourne
Victorian Railways, 1952, Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners… 30th June, 1952, Government Printer, Melbourne, p 30
References
- Victorian Railways, Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ended 30th June, 1930, Government Printer, Melbourne, p 45
- As above, p 30
Thank you so much for your story and extensive resources. I used these in researching my upcoming historical fiction time slip, based at Mt Buffalo and The Chalet and featuring Guide Alice Manfield. Hopefully we’ll see the Grand Old Lady filled with people again one day.
I’m glad you were able to use the references for your historical fiction time slip work, Helen. It sounds fascinating! The Chalet is the perfect setting!
I recently visited Mt Buffalo and also walked around the beautiful Chalet. Many other visitors were doing the same and I had a few conversations with other tourists. We were all disappointed that this beautiful asset of Victoria is deteriorating before our eyes.
Such a lot of history is going to be lost if this magnificent Chalet is not going to be enjoyed by future generation. Hoping that funding will be given to restore and open up to the public again.
Mt Buffalo Chalet Story good to see. I have a nice 1930 high quality photo to give you.
Chelsea Mayor of 1928 1929 David Bowman showing front gate with Chalet in background with David in the background.
Also a nice 1929 photo of Chelsea main street.
How can I get them to you by email?
Thank-you for your offer, Wayne. We welcome more photos! You can send an email on our donations offer page https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/get-involved/offer-collection-material-library Click on the green button “Make a collection offer” and a member of staff will get back to you.
i have never heard of this chalet, and live in melbourne, i would dearly love the national trust to do this up and reopen it, i would love to stay there, summer or winter
Our parents used to holiday at Mt Buffalo Chalet every year during the ’40s and 50’s Dad saved up for their yearly trip by saving threepences in a beer bottle which we used to count out on the kitchen table. The beer bottle produced around eighty pounds which went toward their expenses. The Chalet was so popular that rooms were allocated by ballot
In 1963 my child bride and myself honeymooned at the Chalet in an en suite room which was “very posh”.
At risk of being accused of plagiarism, ” travelers will not see the likes of this again.”
I had the pleasure of working at the Chalet in 1978 aged 20.
What a wonderful experience it was.
Mr Meier was the Manager and the chalet ran like a well oiled machine thanks to him.
Hope to visit again one day?
Hi Luisa,
I’m so glad you enjoyed your time at the Chalet. We can only hope that it will re-open one day!
I spent every school holiday at Mt Buffalo from 1946 to 1957, May, September and Christmas. My father being the relieving Manager of The Chalet (Chief Staff Clerk of the Victorian Railways) for all this time then became the full-time Manager in 1955 (he sadly had a heart attack and died there) I have so many great memories of the plateau, most of it explored on horseback, my favourite daily activity. Have sent some information to David Chitty, includiing a silver mustard pot/spoon awarded to me for winning a Ladies Leg Show, aged 11 (held in the old ballroom) in1952. I had planned a trip there in October this year, however eye problems meant I had to defer, maybe next year.
Elizabeth (Liz) Houghton nee Wotherspoon ehoughton59@gmaillcom
My dad turned 91 this year and he worked at the Chalet in 1952 for the Victorian Railways as a carpenter. Here he met my mother who was a waitress and they were married for 60+ years. My brother has written a brief history and included photos here: https://ianjs.com/posts/2014/09/09/mount-buffalo-chalet-1952/
I’m trying to source an item of memorabilia for dad for Christmas, paritcularly relating to 1952. If you can direct me to any place it would be so appreciated.
Hi Debi,
What interesting old photos you have of the chalet staff in the 1950s.
I found a vintage Mount Buffalo Chalet teaspoon advertised on ebay.co.uk. The link is at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323982229283?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338722076&toolid=10001 (Copy and paste to view).
If you would like us to look further, we need you to fill out our online form with your email and other details so we can contact you. The form is on our website at https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/interact-us/ask-librarian Go to the heading “Ask us online” and click on the green button “Send us your question.”
A librarian will do some searching and get back to you.
Have you come across the films made by the railways “Mt Buffalo in Summer” and “Mt Buffalo in Winter” which were shown in the Ballroom at the Chalet every Friday night to advertise the merits of a holiday at the Chalet? I would love to be able to see them again
Hello John, We don’t hold those films at the State Library, but you could try the Australian Railway Historical Society Victorian Division, which has a large collection of Victorian Railway materials (the Chalet was run by the Victorian Railways for most of its history). There is information about their collection, which includes a film archive and a link to their website on the Victorian Collections website https://victoriancollections.net.au/organisations/australan-railway-historical-society-victorian-division-inc (Copy and paste this link to go to the page).
You could also try Cinemedia, which has Victorian films https://www.cinemedia.com.au/search/
Why has the chalet been left to deteriorate , it is a wonderful example of the past and must be looked after . It would be a great tourist attraction , We used to spend our holidays at Bright and often enjoyed a lunch at the chalet , it was a special place to go to . I knew people who had their honeymoon there in the 1960s .
Such a special place .