The First Hotel in Perisher
The Sundeck Hotel is unique in Australia’s snow country as it is not only 1769m above sea level, but also the oldest commercial hotel in the Perisher Valley.
It was first built in May 1959 by Ken Murray (Murray Publishing) who also built Perisher’s first lifts. Just over 6 months later, in January 1960, the £60,000 hotel burnt to the ground. The Sun-Herald famously run the story on it’s front page “48 flee from blazing Alps hotel. Dog gives warning”. Incredibly, just over 4 months later, the hotel was re-built to a different design for the ensuing snow season.
We hope you enjoy our current Sundeck as well as these old photos.
- View from the burnt-down Sun Deck (National Library of Australia nla.pic-vn36484239-5368)
- 1959
- After the fire by Bert Gardner
- The Sundeck Chalet and T-bar (NAA:1200, L32905)
- Guest Room (NAA: A1200, L32917)
- Bar of the Sundeck Chalet
- Dining Room (NAA: 1200, L32911)
- Dining Room (NAA: 1200, L32912)
- The Sundeck Chalet (NAA:1200, L32903)
- Bar of the Sundeck Chalet (NAA: A1200, L32914)
- The Sundeck Chalet
- Lounge (NAA: A1200, L32915)
- T-bar between Front Valley and the Chalet
- Front Valley side-deck