Exclusive pictures of snowed-in ski enthusiasts featured on the front page and also in following pages of The Canberra Times on this day 57 years ago.
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About 3000 people were trapped by deep snow drifts and raging blizzards in the Kosciusko snowfields.
The Canberra Tourist Bureau and Kosciusko State Park officials warned motorists to keep clear of the area at the upcoming weekend.
Authorities feared that more cars would become trapped and more people reliant on the existing strained resources.
Stories of hardship and chaos were told by people who escaped from the area after being cut off without communications or power for several days.
Supplies of milk, bread, butter, meat eggs and vegetables had been exhausted for several days.
Many trapped tourists ran out of money to make essential purchases. Only cars equipped with chains were able to leave the area.
Some tourists could locate their cars left in the height of the night's blizzard. Howling gales rendered skiing impossible.
The manager of the Coach House Hotel at Thredbo, Mr Mark Cotter, said that they had been without telephones or electricity for three days. Thank goodness there was no sickness, he said.
