The Man from Snowy River is a 1982 film directed by George Miller and based on A.B. “Banjo” Paterson’s poem of the same name, published in 1890. The poem and film tell of a legendary stockman from the Snowy River region who, in an unnamed part of the Australian Alps, joins the pursuit of a prize colt who has escaped and joined a herd of brumbies, or wild bush horses.

The Australian AlpsThe Man from Snowy River is set in the Australian “high country,” which has an important place in the nation’s pioneering heritage and bush mythology. As the name suggests, “high” country refers to the mountains in the area and their alpine landscapes and sub-alpine snow gum woodlands. [a] The true alpine zone lacks trees; instead, it has a complex of shrubs and grasses that are covered by snow during the winter. [d,g] The high country is extremely vulnerable to climate change, with scientists estimating approximately 90% reduction in snow cover and corresponding changes to alpine flora and fauna by 2050. [a, n, o]

The source of the Snowy River is at an altitude of 2,200m on Mount Kosciuszko and the river runs over 350km through the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales and the Snowy River National Park in Victoria, flowing into the Bass Strait near the town of Orbost. The Snowy River was subject to a massive hydroelectric scheme that included 16 dams, seven power stations, a pumping station, and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines, and aqueducts being built between 1949 and 1974. By diverting the water that used to flow into the Snowy River into tunnels in the mountains and then storing it in dams, the water can be used to create electricity. [r] While the hydroelectric scheme successfully generated electricity and diverted water to irrigate agricultural land, the drastic reduction in flow by 99% damaged the river’s ecosystem, diminished water quality, and caused sedimentation and the accumulation of silt and non-native vegetation such as willows that choked the riverbed. [i] Responding to concern from the scientific community, environmentalists successfully lobbied to have 21% of the river’s annual flow restored by 2012. [j, q].

Brumbies in VictoriaThe Man from Snowy River features herds of brumbies, or feral horses. Horses arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, and the first record of horses escaping or being abandoned happened in 1804. As machinery began to take over the duties of the horses, many were abandoned or released. Now, Australia has the largest population of wild horses in the world, with approximately 400,000 spread throughout all states and territories on the mainland. [c]

Paterson explained in a newspaper article that the mountain pony on which he himself learned to ride, and on which the horse in the poem is likely to have been based, was a sturdy little horse whose dam was a Timor pony and whose sire was an Arab stallion. [m, p. 21]

Brumbies can survive in a variety of habitats—including deserts, rocky ranges, subalpine mountains and wetlands. But they prefer open grassy plains with lots of grasses, shrubs and water. They eat mostly grasses, but will eat other plants as well as roots, bark, buds and fruit.

Brumbies tend to form one of two types of social groups [b, c]:1. a family, or harem group consisting of one stallion (a male horse that has not been castrated) and up to three mares (a

female horse) and their offspring 2. a bachelor group of all male horses

The Man From Snowy RiverHydroelectricity and Grazing in the Victorian High Country

The film scene in which the heroine Jessica (Sigrid Thornton) falls over a cliff and is rescued from a ledge was shot at Hell’s Window on Mount Magdala, pictured. Source: J. Stadler, 2012.

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Brumbies are considered a nuisance because they [b]:

• damage soil and native plants with their hooves

• damage and contaminate water holes by overgrazing and trampling

• spread weeds through seeds carried in their dung, manes and tails

• compete with native animals and cattle for food and water

• can potentially carry diseases such as African Horse Sickness and Equine Influenza, which can be transferred to domestic horses

Drought and severe bushfires are the only significant natural threats to brumbies. Although brumbies can go further than cattle without water, they often die during drought from starvation, lack of water, and eating toxic plants that they would normally avoid. [b]

Without human control, it is estimated that brumby numbers will increase by 20-25% per year [b,c]. Therefore, brumbies are controlled through:

• mustering or trapping of herds of brumbies, where some of the younger horses are kept for saddle horses or pets, and the rest are transported to abattoirs

• shooting some brumbies (either from helicopters or the ground) in large groups, which is quick and considered a more humane choice as it eliminates the stress involved in the mustering processes

The control of brumbies is controversial because:

• Many people believe brumbies are an icon of Australia’s heritage and are culturally significant.

• Brumbies have tourist appeal—particularly in alpine regions where they are considered an economic resource for Australia.

• Brumby meat can be sold for pet food or exported overseas for human consumption.

• Many people believe current methods for control are inhumane, and would prefer fertility control methods instead.

The horse that the man from Snowy River rides is described in the poem by Banjo Paterson as, “something like a racehorse undersized, with a touch of Timor pony – three parts thoroughbred at least – and such as are by mountain horsemen prized.” [p]

Fig 3. Large male Western Rock Lobster caught by a recreational fisher freediving near Carnarvon, 2009. Source: M. Stadler.

Figure 2. Tom Burlinson (the actor who played “the man,” Jim Craig, in The Man from Snowy River) at a shooting location for the film, Craig’s Hut, Mount Stirling. Source: J. Stadler, 2012.

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Grazing in the High CountryThe Victorian High Country has had a 150-year-long history of cattle being moved into the alpine regions to graze during the late spring—summer season. Stockmen drove the cattle into the mountains and camped in graziers’ alpine huts such as Lovicks Hut, originally built by the Lovick family in 1925 on Mt Lovick. Craig’s Hut on Mt Stirling (pictured in Figure 2) was built as a set for The Man from Snowy River film. It burned down in December 2006 in the Great Divide bushfire that scorched a million hectares of land over 69 days, but was rebuilt in 2008. Despite protests from cattlemen who have lived in the mountains for generations and who hold the tradition to be part of Australia’s pioneering heritage, grazing in the high country has become controversial. [k,l] Cattle are thought to be having a negative impact on the alpine environment by:

• trampling stream banks, springs and soaks

• damaging and destroying plants

• polluting water

• creating tracks

• causing soil erosion

• reducing wildflowers

• spreading weeds and invasive species

• leaving dung, which spoils the enjoyment of the area for visitors [e]

Cattle were banned from Mount Kosciuszko, “where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough,” [p] and from whence the titular character of The Man from Snowy River reportedly hailed, because of concerns about water quality for the Snowy River Hydroelectric Scheme. Since grazing has stopped, some previously rare plants and animals have reappeared. [g]In the Alpine National Park, where The Man from Snowy River was filmed, cattle were banned in 2005. However, in 2010, a controversial “scientific cattle grazing” trial took place to find out whether grazing cattle might reduce bush fires. [h] The idea that by eating the vegetation, and thereby reducing the fuel for a fire, cattle reduce the incidence and intensity of bush fires in the area was rejected in a study by the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation in 2003. [g]

The legendary poem “The Man From Snowy River” and the beautiful mountain scenery in the film are reminders of Australia’s pioneering heritage and the economic importance of livestock, yet the sensitivity of the alpine ecosystem means scientists need to continue to monitor factors such as snow coverage, water flows in the river systems, and the impact of grazing and introduced species in the high country.

In the film, The Man From Snowy River, Clancy says, “Jim, Mr Harrison is just talking of taming the Snowy river country. You know it better than anyone. What do you think?” Jim replies, “Well sir, I think you might sooner hold back the tide than tame the mountains.”

Figure 3. Grassland on Mt Stirling, Victoria. Source: J. Stadler.

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References for The Man from Snowy River and Grazing in the Victorian High Country[a] Andrew Gorman-Murray (2008), “Before and after Climate Change: The Snow Country in Australian Imaginaries.” M/C Journal, 11.5, http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/65

[b] Australian Government, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2011) “Feral Horse (Equus Caballus) and Feral Donkey (Equus Asinus)”, http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/b32a088c-cd31-4b24-8a7c-70e1880508b5/files/feral-horse.pdf

[c] Steve Csurhes, Gina Paroz and Anna Markula, Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (2009), “Pest Animal Risk Assessment: Feral Horse (Equus Caballus)”, http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/documents/Biosecurity_EnvironmentalPests/IPA-Feral-Horses-Risk-Assessment.pdf

[d] Groves, R. H. (1998) “Grazing in the Victorian High Country”, CSIRO Report to Parks Victoria.

[e] Victorian National Parks Association (2010) “FAQ Sheet: Cattle Grazing in the Alpine National Park”, http://vnpa.org.au/admin/library/attachments/PDFs/Fact%20sheets/FAQ-Alps%20cattle%20grazing.pdf

[f] Richard Willingham, (13 January 2011) The Age: “Grazing Returns to High Country”, http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/grazing-returns-to-high-country-20110112-19o95.html

[g] Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), (2011) “Fire and Grazing in Australian Alpine Landscapes”, http://www.csiro.au/en/Outcomes/Environment/Australian-Landscapes/AlpineGrazingAndFire.aspx

[h] Michael McCarthy (2011), “Alpine Grazing: Let’s Research Fires Where They Pose Most Threat”, The Conversation, http://www.csiro.au/en/Outcomes/Environment/Australian-Landscapes/AlpineGrazingAndFire.aspx

[i] Wayne D. Erskine, N. Terrazzolo and R.F. Warner (1999), “River Rehabilitation From the Hydrogeomorphic Impacts of a Large Hydro-Electric Power Project: Snowy River, Australia”, Regulated Rivers: Research and Management, vol. 15.1-3, pp. 3-24.

[j] New South Wales Government, Department of Primary Industries, Department of Water (2012), “Snowy Flow Response Monitoring and Modelling program”, http://www.water.nsw.gov.au/Water-management/Monitoring/Snowy-River/Snowy-River/default.aspx

[k] Chris Soeterboek (2008), “'Folk-Ecology' in the Australian Alps: Forest Cattlemen and the Royal Commissions of 1939 and 1946”, Environment and History, vol 14.2, pp. 241-263.

[l] E. Clark. (1989), “Ecology or Heritage: Value Clash in the Victorian High Country”, Environmental Studies Occasional Paper - University of Tasmania, vol. 23, pp. 119-124.

[m] Allen Mawer (2012), “Banjo Country: Places, Ponies and People.” Canberra Historical Journal, no.69, pp. 20-24.

[n] Garnaut Climate Change Review (2011) “Beyond Reasonable Doubt”, http://www.garnautreview.org.au/update-2011/garnaut-review-2011/chapter1.html

[o] Kevin Hennessy, Penny Whetton, Ian Smith, Janice Bathols, Michael Hutchinson and Jason Sharples, (2003) “The Impact of Climate Change on Snow Conditions in Mainland Australia” CSIRO, http://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/73212/TheImpactofClimateChangeonSnowConditions2003.pdf

[p] A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1890) “The Man From Snowy River”, The Bulletin.

[q] John J. Pigram (2000), “Options for Rehabilitation of Australia's Snowy River: An Economic Perspective”, Regulated Rivers: Research and Management, vol. 16.4, pp. 363-373.

[r] Australian Government (2008), The Snowy Mountains Scheme, http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/snowy-mountains-scheme

This fact sheet and its links were last checked on 23 March 2014.

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