Tom Mitchell

Thomas Walter Mitchell (11 November 1906 – 4 February 1984) was an Australian politician, author and sportsman. Mitchell was born at the family property "Towong Hill", near Corryong, Victoria and was educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney and Cambridge University from 1925 to 1930 before returning to Australia, and Towong Hill. At the time the property consisted of of prime land beside the Murray River, but today has been reduced to , as sections have been split to various family members. A keen skier, Mitchell founded the Australian National Ski Federation in 1932, captained the Australian skiing team and won gold medals in competitions against England and New Zealand. He was an Australian champion in the downhill and long-time member of the Ski Club of Australia. He and his wife Elyne Mitchell (daughter of General Sir Harry Chauvel) were the first people to ski the western slopes of the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains, including the demanding runs of "Little Austria". Mitchell joined the Second Australian Imperial Force in 1940 and was a captain in the 2/22 Battalion and Headquarters 8th Division. He was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and was interned in the infamous Changi POW camp until 1945, being forced to work on the Burma Railway by his captors. While at Changi, he also helped found the Changi ski club. He later built a chapel, in memory of comrades lost during the war, on his property.