Young's Top Hut (SEC Survey Hut), Alpine Huts 1994 sheet 07 1
Victorian Alpine Huts survey, for Parks Victoria April, May 1994.
Osborne Young built the original Young’s hut at the old yards, which are up the hill from this site c1883. During this time he held the BUNDARMUNGIE (County of Bogong) run. where he ran cattle and horses on the High Plains. He was known to have mustered 1500 whalers (horses) in one season { Carroll} Replacing the cattleman's hut, this Young's Hut was reputedly one of two built in 1928 for the SEC's early hydrological and meteorological survey of the Bogong High Plains{ Lawrence (1993): 13f}. The hut's components were thought to have been packed in from Mt.Hotham. However, the 1948 Department of Lands & Survey Feature Map of the area shows this hut south of Young's for the first time but the 1945 Kiewa Scheme Locality Plan and a 1933 tourist map do not show it. Rather than being built in the 1920s, this hut appears to have been erected on this site c1945. Peter McNamara, son of Charlie McNamara, confirms that the hut was erected in the 1940s { Carroll}. This survey camp is shown in 1945 with a timber gabled hut with four wall panels visible, matching this hut's construction; 5 tents and a privy tent are nearby{ Napier: 31}. The hut is without a verandah, has a corrugated iron roof, what appears to be an insect screen door and a metal flue at the end indicates a fuel stove/heater (pot belly stove?). There may be a chimney stack at the other end, matching today's metal chimney. Peter McNamara, states that during its use by the SEC, tents were erected on the east side of the hut for accommodation { Carroll} Roy Weston's plan of the old Young's Hut in the early 1930s showed an area 14x10' (4.3x3m) with a chimney at one end, the door on the side and single level bunks on the opposite side{ Stephenson (1982): 285}. It was located `on the southern edge of the High Plains 1.1/2 miles from snow pole 193, 8 miles from Cope and 3.1/2 miles from Dibbin's. The walls were timber, the roof iron and it had sleeping accommodation for two{ ibid.}. Weston thought that the original hut had been burnt 1930 or 1931 and this hut built one year later{ ibid.}. The ruins of this hut survive to the north of the SEC hut, with associated yards. Authorisation of the Sugarloaf-Rubicon hydro-electric scheme had been given by parliament in 1922 and in the following year investigations were commenced into the Kiewa scheme{ Napier: vii}. The first river gauges were installed there in 1925, preceding intensive survey work 1925-9{ ibid.}. In 1952 the SEC hut was sold to local cattlemen, the McNamaras and Les Watts from Cobungra Station, for 16 pounds{ Lawrence, pp.19,25,32; Holth (1980): 169f.}. Over the years it was used most by the McNamaras, Westons and stockmen from Cobungra. It was also used by walkers, prompting one angry entry in the log book from a stockman accusing someone of leaving the hut cupboard open, allowing rats to eat the food and sleeping bags{ ibid.}. By the 1980s it was on GB45 which was leased by Pooncarie P/L and Charlie McNamara and used mainly by cattlemen, particularly since Young's hut was in ruins{ Boadle (1983): 55}. It was shown in 1983 as 6x3m (2m wall height), with the fire place at the north-east end, the door on the south-east side and windows on the north-west and south-west sides{ Boadle (1983), plan}. It had a corrugated iron roof, weatherboard walls, and the hardwood frame was sawn (75x35mm sections). The floor rested on brick piers and the fireplace (heating, cooking) was also brick, with galvanised iron. The frame was then regarded as too light for snow loads and there was already a hole in the north-west wall{ ibid.}. The site was near snow gum woodland, with grass cover to the clearing. A 30m diam. stockyard was near the ruins of the old Young's hut, 500m north-west. The hut was regarded as unaltered as of 1990 and considered of historical importance { Lawrence: 32}. The Border Bushwalking Club has repaired the hut in recent years, including lining the internal walls, work on the verandah and installing a woodshed { Carroll}.
Young's Top Hut (SEC Survey Hut), Alpine Huts 1994 sheet 07 1
Victorian Alpine Huts survey, for Parks Victoria April, May 1994.
Osborne Young built the original Young’s hut at the old yards, which are up the hill from this site c1883. During this time he held the BUNDARMUNGIE (County of Bogong) run. where he ran cattle and horses on the High Plains. He was known to have mustered 1500 whalers (horses) in one season { Carroll} Replacing the cattleman's hut, this Young's Hut was reputedly one of two built in 1928 for the SEC's early hydrological and meteorological survey of the Bogong High Plains{ Lawrence (1993): 13f}. The hut's components were thought to have been packed in from Mt.Hotham. However, the 1948 Department of Lands & Survey Feature Map of the area shows this hut south of Young's for the first time but the 1945 Kiewa Scheme Locality Plan and a 1933 tourist map do not show it. Rather than being built in the 1920s, this hut appears to have been erected on this site c1945. Peter McNamara, son of Charlie McNamara, confirms that the hut was erected in the 1940s { Carroll}. This survey camp is shown in 1945 with a timber gabled hut with four wall panels visible, matching this hut's construction; 5 tents and a privy tent are nearby{ Napier: 31}. The hut is without a verandah, has a corrugated iron roof, what appears to be an insect screen door and a metal flue at the end indicates a fuel stove/heater (pot belly stove?). There may be a chimney stack at the other end, matching today's metal chimney. Peter McNamara, states that during its use by the SEC, tents were erected on the east side of the hut for accommodation { Carroll} Roy Weston's plan of the old Young's Hut in the early 1930s showed an area 14x10' (4.3x3m) with a chimney at one end, the door on the side and single level bunks on the opposite side{ Stephenson (1982): 285}. It was located `on the southern edge of the High Plains 1.1/2 miles from snow pole 193, 8 miles from Cope and 3.1/2 miles from Dibbin's. The walls were timber, the roof iron and it had sleeping accommodation for two{ ibid.}. Weston thought that the original hut had been burnt 1930 or 1931 and this hut built one year later{ ibid.}. The ruins of this hut survive to the north of the SEC hut, with associated yards. Authorisation of the Sugarloaf-Rubicon hydro-electric scheme had been given by parliament in 1922 and in the following year investigations were commenced into the Kiewa scheme{ Napier: vii}. The first river gauges were installed there in 1925, preceding intensive survey work 1925-9{ ibid.}. In 1952 the SEC hut was sold to local cattlemen, the McNamaras and Les Watts from Cobungra Station, for 16 pounds{ Lawrence, pp.19,25,32; Holth (1980): 169f.}. Over the years it was used most by the McNamaras, Westons and stockmen from Cobungra. It was also used by walkers, prompting one angry entry in the log book from a stockman accusing someone of leaving the hut cupboard open, allowing rats to eat the food and sleeping bags{ ibid.}. By the 1980s it was on GB45 which was leased by Pooncarie P/L and Charlie McNamara and used mainly by cattlemen, particularly since Young's hut was in ruins{ Boadle (1983): 55}. It was shown in 1983 as 6x3m (2m wall height), with the fire place at the north-east end, the door on the south-east side and windows on the north-west and south-west sides{ Boadle (1983), plan}. It had a corrugated iron roof, weatherboard walls, and the hardwood frame was sawn (75x35mm sections). The floor rested on brick piers and the fireplace (heating, cooking) was also brick, with galvanised iron. The frame was then regarded as too light for snow loads and there was already a hole in the north-west wall{ ibid.}. The site was near snow gum woodland, with grass cover to the clearing. A 30m diam. stockyard was near the ruins of the old Young's hut, 500m north-west. The hut was regarded as unaltered as of 1990 and considered of historical importance { Lawrence: 32}. The Border Bushwalking Club has repaired the hut in recent years, including lining the internal walls, work on the verandah and installing a woodshed { Carroll}.