Past Activities

April 2003:  Built Horsehair hut replica on new site on Horsehair Plain to commemorate the loss of Horsehair hut, the oldest High Country hut in Victoria before the 2003 fires.

January 2004:  Conducted Pioneer Skills Workshop in Omeo to support the Omeo Community one year after the fires and as a lasting tribute built the Roughriders hut in traditional cattleman style on the Omeo Rodeo paddock.

April 2004:  Rebuilt McNamaras hut, Buckety Plain, on the original site and to the design of the hut destroyed by the 2003 fires. Like the original hut, the new hut is used extensively by the Mittagundi Outdoor Education Centre.

Winter 2004:  Input to designs for replacement of Federation and Michell huts by Parks Victoria.

April 2005:  Major maintenance on CRB hut, Dinner Plain.

May 2005:  Emergency repairs to Frys hut which eventually became two year program to restore the hut.

April 2006:  HMOs and other members visited the Currango homestead in the Kosciuszko National Park (NSW) for a workshop Huts in the Landscape convened by the Australian Alps Liaison Committee.

May 2006:  High Country Huts Conference titled “Working Together To Get The Job Done” was held in Dinner Plain and involved Parks Victoria, DSE and VHCHA.

September 2006:  Memorandum of Understanding between VHCHA and the Alpine District of Parks Victoria signed on 29 September to ensure cooperation and community involvement in the ongoing protection of High Country Huts.

December 2006:  Special Bulletin issued to members to address concerns about the Great Divide fires and to advise of the suspension of VHCHA activities until the fire danger had passed.  The rebuild of Ropers hut by VHCHA and Parks Victoria was postponed until 2007.

March 2007:  Government allocated $60,000 for restoration of high country huts by VHCHA.  The VHCHA has been represented at all Burnt Huts Stakeholders meetings convened by Parks Victoria and DSE this year.

July 2007:  Maintaining huts of the high country requires old skills and there are currently only a handful of skilled craftsmen available to the VHCHA.  So that these skills are maintained and extended the VHCHA Committee actively supports and promotes a range of skills based activities for interested members to participate in and two such workshop held in July 2007 covered pole splicing and slab splitting.

September 2007:  Completion of major works to restore Frys hut.

January 2008: Work on Ropers Hut rebuild, assistance with rebuilding Craigs and Bluff Huts. Heritage survey of huts commenced in the Marysville/Baw Baw areas. Refurbishing of Tomahawk, Upper Jamieson and Razorback huts was carried out over the summer period. Repair works also carried out on Guys, Kellys and McMichaels huts. HMOs were busy in many regions carrying out site inspections and minor repairsand maintenance.

The original McNamara's Hut was built in January 1955 by "Roney" (John Meighan) McNamara, "Jack" (John Kevin) McNamara, "Little Mick" (Michael Francis) McNamara and "Bill" (William John) Toland. It was used by "Roney" Mac and the Naughton's of Cobungra Station, as they shared the Buckety Plain Run. The McNamara's arrived in the district in the 1850s and were related to the Gray Family, the original selectors of Cobungra Station.

The hut site is Buckety Plain north of Bundarrah River and the original hut was destroyed by fire in January 2003. The Mittagundi Outdoor Education Centre, which is a non-profit organisation who operate special programs for kids, have used McNamara's for over 30 years as part of their program and this was a great loss to them.

Read the full story (pdf)

Read the planning details and updates

Roughrider's Hut

Built Australia Day Weekend 2004 by members of the VHCHA.

Click here for the full story and pictures.

Federation and Michell Huts

Many huts were damaged or destroyed in the 2003 bushfires. Of these, both Federation and Michell huts were completely destroyed. As these huts were assessed as having significant refuge value, they are being rebuilt by Parks Victoria under the Bushfire Recovery Program. Both huts are located above the snow line along popular walking routes. These sites experience heavy snow falls, strong winds and extremes in temperature, thus it was recommended that both huts be replaced for the primary purpose of refuge or emergency shelter.

Read the full story (pdf)