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Story: Skiing

T-bar lift

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T-bar lift

The T-bar lift, as its name suggests, has a seating bar shaped like an inverted T and can carry two people at a time. It is more efficient and safer than the rope tow, and was introduced on commercial fields. These two people are getting onto a T-bar lift at Coronet Peak skifield in 1978.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAQT 6403 B16046

by Winton Cleal

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Andrew Troup, Skiing – Commercial skifields, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11854/t-bar-lift (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Andrew Troup, published 2 March 2009.