Blair's hut, Alpine Huts 1994 sheet 06 1
Victorian Alpine Huts survey, for Parks Victoria April, May 1994.
Thomas Blair came to the colony for gold, reaching the Ballarat field. His marriage to Annie (nee Robertson) at Wandiligong, in 1862, yielded sons, William Francis (Frank), Jack, Aleck, George and Thomas, and daughters Effie and Isabel{ Stephenson: 242; `Voice of the Mountains' (VOM), #13, 1990: 6 adds Aleck and daughters to family; Carroll}. After Thomas died in 1889, the family moved to Tawonga from Melbourne. Jack and Frank purchased property there in 1913 and, in 1917, the Homestead at German Creek{ ibid.}. After dairying farming for a time, Frank Blair started grazing, introducing black Angus to the area in 1921{ ibid.}. A listing of alpine grazing runs taken out 1835-1935 shows Frank Blair leasing lot C14 1921-1931 and William F Blair leasing C18 1920-1960{ Cabena: 152}. C14 was then taken up by JW Edmondson 1931-9, the period when this hut is thought to have been built. Reputedly Frank also purchased a number of freeholds at Freeburg{ Stephenson: 242}. The old mining path, Dungey's Track, had been closed by fallen trees some 13 years prior to 1922 forcing Frank to take his cattle around Mt Hotham to the High Plains. In 1922 Frank Blair reopened the stock route, Dungey's Track, aided by government money given to establish it as tourist track{ Holth, COTHC: 133}. Frank took his cattle along the track for the first time in 1922 and is thought to have led tourist parties there in the mid 1920s{ Holth: 133; VOM: 6}. What is thought to the first overnight ski-touring party taken up to the High Plains was in 1925, led by Frank Blair to his hut near this site{ VOM} Tom & Frank Blair built the first Blair's Hut 1923-4, only to have the hut destroyed by fire in 1931{ Stephenson: 243f.}. It was rebuilt soon afterward by Frank and his son, Frank junior (or Frank's brother, Tom, with Tom Briggs), finishing after Christmas 1932{ ibid.; Holth: 136 citing Ross Blair, see SLV oral}. Since Frank's son, Ross and his grandson, Max, have continued to use the second hut for grazing. A photo of the hut taken in December 1931 shows it as a log hut, with a bark roof held in place by a sapling frame, with log-framed yards at the rear{ VOM: 7}. The hut is shown in other early photos as a gabled bark hut, constructed with tied sapling logs weighing down a shallow-pitched bark roof and wall cladding. Another part of the wall is built from logs{ Stephenson: 244}. The fire place is also shown as vertical bark slabs held in place with saplings. Cleve Cole described it in the 1930s: he noted it as at 3,650 feet altitude and sited on the `famous Dungey's Track'. It was built from `woollybutt log walls, bark roof, window, earth floor. Bunk accommodation for 8 people. Size 20x12. (6mx3.6m)' A plan shows bunks at one end and a fireplace at the other. A table and the door occupied the other walls{ ibid.: 271}. This hut now measures 6x3.8m and appears to be the same plan and basic log structure. Roy Weston's description from the same period placed it as 3.1/2 miles from Dibbin's and 6 miles from Lawler's Hut{ Stephenson (1982): 286}. The bark roof was maintained every 10 years but eventually was replaced with corrugated iron in 1968, along with some purlin saplings{ C Smith, DCNR, 1992 cites Holth: 136f}. Recent reconstruction work was carried out in 1993 but because original material was taken from the site, the intention to retain the existing wall logs and the door was thwarted and new logs were used{ DCNR file note from Ralph Whelan to Ted Stabb, 13.4.93}. The logs engraved with the names of the Blair children had gone{ ibid.}.
Blair's hut, Alpine Huts 1994 sheet 06 1
Victorian Alpine Huts survey, for Parks Victoria April, May 1994.
Thomas Blair came to the colony for gold, reaching the Ballarat field. His marriage to Annie (nee Robertson) at Wandiligong, in 1862, yielded sons, William Francis (Frank), Jack, Aleck, George and Thomas, and daughters Effie and Isabel{ Stephenson: 242; `Voice of the Mountains' (VOM), #13, 1990: 6 adds Aleck and daughters to family; Carroll}. After Thomas died in 1889, the family moved to Tawonga from Melbourne. Jack and Frank purchased property there in 1913 and, in 1917, the Homestead at German Creek{ ibid.}. After dairying farming for a time, Frank Blair started grazing, introducing black Angus to the area in 1921{ ibid.}. A listing of alpine grazing runs taken out 1835-1935 shows Frank Blair leasing lot C14 1921-1931 and William F Blair leasing C18 1920-1960{ Cabena: 152}. C14 was then taken up by JW Edmondson 1931-9, the period when this hut is thought to have been built. Reputedly Frank also purchased a number of freeholds at Freeburg{ Stephenson: 242}. The old mining path, Dungey's Track, had been closed by fallen trees some 13 years prior to 1922 forcing Frank to take his cattle around Mt Hotham to the High Plains. In 1922 Frank Blair reopened the stock route, Dungey's Track, aided by government money given to establish it as tourist track{ Holth, COTHC: 133}. Frank took his cattle along the track for the first time in 1922 and is thought to have led tourist parties there in the mid 1920s{ Holth: 133; VOM: 6}. What is thought to the first overnight ski-touring party taken up to the High Plains was in 1925, led by Frank Blair to his hut near this site{ VOM} Tom & Frank Blair built the first Blair's Hut 1923-4, only to have the hut destroyed by fire in 1931{ Stephenson: 243f.}. It was rebuilt soon afterward by Frank and his son, Frank junior (or Frank's brother, Tom, with Tom Briggs), finishing after Christmas 1932{ ibid.; Holth: 136 citing Ross Blair, see SLV oral}. Since Frank's son, Ross and his grandson, Max, have continued to use the second hut for grazing. A photo of the hut taken in December 1931 shows it as a log hut, with a bark roof held in place by a sapling frame, with log-framed yards at the rear{ VOM: 7}. The hut is shown in other early photos as a gabled bark hut, constructed with tied sapling logs weighing down a shallow-pitched bark roof and wall cladding. Another part of the wall is built from logs{ Stephenson: 244}. The fire place is also shown as vertical bark slabs held in place with saplings. Cleve Cole described it in the 1930s: he noted it as at 3,650 feet altitude and sited on the `famous Dungey's Track'. It was built from `woollybutt log walls, bark roof, window, earth floor. Bunk accommodation for 8 people. Size 20x12. (6mx3.6m)' A plan shows bunks at one end and a fireplace at the other. A table and the door occupied the other walls{ ibid.: 271}. This hut now measures 6x3.8m and appears to be the same plan and basic log structure. Roy Weston's description from the same period placed it as 3.1/2 miles from Dibbin's and 6 miles from Lawler's Hut{ Stephenson (1982): 286}. The bark roof was maintained every 10 years but eventually was replaced with corrugated iron in 1968, along with some purlin saplings{ C Smith, DCNR, 1992 cites Holth: 136f}. Recent reconstruction work was carried out in 1993 but because original material was taken from the site, the intention to retain the existing wall logs and the door was thwarted and new logs were used{ DCNR file note from Ralph Whelan to Ted Stabb, 13.4.93}. The logs engraved with the names of the Blair children had gone{ ibid.}.