Fry's Hut, Alpine Huts 1994-5 sheet 30 14

Victorian Alpine Huts survey, for Parks Victoria 1994-5.

The Howqua Hills cattle grazing area was opened up by Dr Steele of Mansfield in the late 1860s{ Stephenson: 101f.}. Jim Fry worked as a carrier for the gold mining which was undertaken in the area during the early 1870s, acquiring a former mine manager's house (c1874) and residing with his family on this site for some 54 years{ ibid.}. Marge Allen recorded a horseback journey to Wonnangatta station in 1922, with Ralph and Jim Fry, among others. She visited Mrs Fry who was in residence `..a few hundred yards' from the Howqua Hut where the part camped (Fry's hut shown as on this site on a map drawn retrospectively of the trip ){ Allen: 6}. When Jim died in 1927 his nephew, Fred Fry, took the house, being joined later by Steve, an older brother. Fred built a number of huts in the area (Ritchie's, Gardner's, Upper Jamieson and Schuster's huts) so when his own house was eaten by termites he is thought to have built the present building{ ibid.: 104-6}. A plan attributed to architect SJB Hart, drawn by `P.R.P.' and dated June 1951 shows what was described as a Forests Commission of Victoria Patrol Hut at Howqua{ DCNR file 09/87/110}. Notes on the drawing indicate that the building already existed and an agreement between Fry and the Forests Commission, dated 26 July 1950, stated that Fry held 34% equity in a building on that site{ ibid. `drawn from sketch plan taken on site'}. The plans showed five rooms and a verandah, two rooms with plank floors, one with an earth floor and two (bedrooms?) with T&G (pine) flooring. The roof was corrugated iron over Malthoid and the walls were clad with `plank siding'. There were only three external windows, one either side of the front door and one in one of the rear rooms. Another internal window linked one of the T&G floored rooms with this rear room. The windows were shown in elevation as twin casements and the doors clad with vertical boards; window positions do not always correspond with those of today. Fred's patrol hut (number B236) disappeared from the official files until Fred was reported in a critical condition in the Melbourne Hospital when the Commission found to its surprise that they owned 66% of the hut{ ibid. cites agreement signed by FS Fry and JC Westcott, 26.7.50}. Now empty, the hut had always been known as Fry's. Fred died in 1971, prompting the district forester, Channon, to suggest its retention for public use because of its magnificent site and rich history. The Commission could use it for work crews or a base camp for fire fighting operations. The hut was `quite solid although rough'. Vandals were the main danger while the hut remained unused. Fry's executor, RG Ritchie, was willing to declare the 34% equity nil to allow the Commission to take over the hut. At that time a walking track was being built past the hut and the Commission approached the Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs to express an interest in maintaining and using the hut. The Federation responded with interest, listing potential works as removal of the pine at the east end, cutting earth gutters around the hut to shed water away from the timber posts and possibly adding roof gutters at a later stage. The windows could be reglazed with Perspex and the numerous furnishings (rabbit raps, pack saddles, bush barrow, bush kitchen dresser, etc.) locked in the rear skillion as the basis of a small museum. Another rear room (with earth floor) should have a floor installed to allow its use as a wood store{ letter from E Quinlan, FVWC, 14.11.71 to FCV}. Mansfield forester, HG Brown, also listed works which could be undertaken: rebuild fence using box and messmate to keep cattle away (3 rail & post), remove pines, replace verandah posts/timber members, replace corrugated iron on rear skillion and some 32 split slabs, repair rear window, replace bricks in chimney and dig gutters. The garage on west side of river was in fair condition and the flying fox could be restored. The total cost would be $540{ ibid. FCV report 6.3.72}. Around seven acres were to be set aside around the hut as a reserve to control camping in the area. Just across the Howqua River was the former town of Howqua, with street names such as Lovick, Spring, Fern and North and early allotment holders such as HC & A Lovick (1884, 1886), PO Hanlon (1886) and T Richards. Later land owners in the town included HK Schuster and Fred Fry himself (1951) who held lots 1-5 and 7 of Section 5, facing Spring and Fern Streets{ Howqua Township plan}. Why Fry built on crown land and not on his allotments is unknown. Fred died in May 1971 but by June 1973, nothing had been done about the hut. Brown feared for the hut's future: `This building has a great historic value and is treasured by a large section of the community..'. The hut had also been featured in Neville Shute's `The Far Country'. Brown repeated his dismay a year later as nothing had been done and finally the FCV wrote to him in September 1974 approving expenditure of $750{ ibid. Brown letters 27.6.73, 6.74}. The extra money may have been to cover replacement of the corrugated iron cladding to the skillion with split slabs: a file note suggested that slabs would provide a `better presentation' although not original. Brown reported in mid 1975 that the fence had been built, the pine removed, verandah timbers and replaced and the roof straightened, the chimney repaired with a double thickness of bricks and burnt timbers replaced, the south (skillion) wall reclad with old slabs to harness room, the five broken windows replaced, two broken doors replaced and the flying fox restored with a new landing on the north bank (since removed by DCNR). National Parks Service ranger David Hurley supervised the hut's further refurbishment in 1988-9, with an estimated expenditure of $5830. These works included: new post & rail fence around hut, replacement of damaged floor and bearers in rear room, restumping of rear outside wall, repair of tin on west wall, replacement of metal part of fireplace (with that of Six-mile hut), repoint bricks in fireplace, replace doors in east former bedrooms, replace window in main room, replace two windows in the front bedroom (one window shown in plan 1951), replace a window in the second bedroom (none shown 1951), reconstruct stone footings, and refix corrugated iron. Second hand windows were used from the `Man from Snowy River Two' film set. In 1991 a toilet block was added, based on a design used in the Cathedral State Park (amended to provide a pitched roof) and sited near an old fruit tree, 200-250m from the river. A further tree was removed from near the hut and the yards reconstructed yet again. Fred Fry Born in Mansfield in the late 1890s, Fred died in 1971, receiving a glowing tribute in the `Mansfield Courier'. Like Jim, Fred had used a wagon and team in the Allen Brothers' and later John Ross's carrying business to serve the Woods Point and Gaffneys Creek goldfields. Fred had then acquired his own team and worked until superseded by motor vehicles. Fred then worked as a stockman at Wonnangatta Station until settling at Howqua Hills where he worked for the Forest Commission and later the Lands Department{ ibid.,p106}. He was regarded highly as a bushman. An early photograph of this hut shows a gabled drop-slab hut with sapling frame, a verandah on one side and a skillion at the rear. The attached chimney has a skillion profile at the top and the roof was clad with corrugated iron{ Stephenson: 106}.

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