Fry's Hut works - July 2007 and September 2007

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN THE FINE ART OF POST SPLITTING OR HELP AT FRY’S HUT WORK PARTIES?

A post splicing training day with ParksVic ranger Trevor Larner will be held at Murchison on Saturday 7^th July 2007 and will be for 4-5 hours duration only. The weekend of the 21-22nd July 2007 has been chosen for slab splitting at a property at Cheshunt. A cleanup at Fry's hut will occur on the 8 & 9 of September 2007. Completion of the major works are expected to take place in November 2007 and February 2007.

PLANS FOR SUMMER 2006/2007 ACTIVITIES

The 2006-7 fires have put these activities on hold.

TO BE RESHEDULED - Please contact HMOs directly to help with any of the works proposed for the coming summer.

AREA 1: EAST GIPPSLAND & AREA 3: DARGO
HMO DAMIAN CROZIER
Damian will be visiting the huts in the East Gippsland area in the coming Spring/Summer.
There are some 22 timber workers huts in the Dargo area and work has been done on the Seldom Seen hut as this was a priority for DSE Bairnsdale. It is a popular hut on a much used road. DSE has been working on the Turntable forestry camp. MacDonald’s hut is next on the list to be worked on, and works will be scheduled after the road re-opens.

AREA 4 LICOLA & AREA 5 BAW BAW
HMO MICK VANDERZALM
Mick is planning work on Miller’s and Howitt huts in the Licola area over Summer 2006/07 and on Kelly’s over Summer 2007/2008. He completed a reconnaissance of 12 huts in the Baw Baw area and is proposing two weekends over the coming summer to clean up and repair in conjunction with DSE in Erica. He is looking for someone to assist with the Baw Baw area as HMO or Assistant HMO working with Mick.

AREA 6: MARYSVILLE
HMO PETER GRAHAM
New HMO Peter is learning the VHCHA ropes. VHCHA AGM – Marysville, Sat 11 November 2006.

AREA 7: HOWQUA
HMO CHRIS CLARKE
New HMO Chris will be spending time visiting the huts this spring/summer.

FRY’S HUT IN AREA 7
Ken Birch will continue as coordinator of work on Fry's hut, with a slab splitting weekend on 21/22 October and work on the east wall scheduled for 25/26 November 2006. Further work to finalise this major restoration will be scheduled for November 2007.

AREA 8: BARRY MOUNTAINS
HMO ANDY KASS
Over the Melbourne Cup Long Weekend the CFA4WD Club will carry out repair works to West Humffray River shelter. This work was originally planned for June but was postponed due to early snow falls. Andy and his team will also tour as many huts as possible with some pre-summer maintenance as the goal. There will be more pre-summer clean-up and maintenance in the weekend of 2/3 December 2006.

AREA 9A: HOTHAM
HMOs FIONA & LEE MAGNUSSEN
To finish off work on CRB hut, Dinner Plain, a weekend will be scheduled for Autumn 2007.

AREA 9B: BOGONG
The rebuilding of Ropers Hut is programmed for Feb/March 2007 – more details in the December Newsletter.
Annual Bogong area clean-up is scheduled for the weekend of 2/3 December 2006.

AREA 10: DARTMOUTH
HMO BRAD COOKSEY
Brad started early this season with some work on the under ground Hut at Yackandandah and some other huts in his area. He will be visiting Wombat PO Hut, Kennedy’s Hut and the Lazy H Hut in the near future to ascertain what needs to be done this summer and schedule the works.

AREA 11: DAVIES PLAIN
HMO RICHARD HUBBARD
Richard has met with DSE to plan future works on huts in the Davies Plain area. He produced a set of maintenance plans for huts in the area based on principles provided by the Parks Victoria Heritage Planner. The Flying Swagman hut needs work and funding options are to be investigated.

Past Projects and Activities

2/3 December Howqua area

Willing workers needed for clean-up days at Ritchies and Bindaree huts in the Howqua area.

Saturday 2nd December – Ritchies hut - this will require approx. 2 km walk-in from 16 mile track via 4wd.

Sunday 3rd December - Bindaree hut - access can be by 2wd.

Both days - approx. 10 am start on site with volunteers to be totally self sufficient, including food, drink, gloves, hand tools etc. for grass and debris clearing. Parks Victoria rangers will be in attendance.

Please contact Howqua HMO Chris Clarke if you can help

McNamara's Hut

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

The Newest 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)

VHCHA Calendar 2008 - This popular item is now 'Out of Stock'. With some excellent photograpghs of some current and lost huts these calendars are fast beoming a collector's item. The alendar for 2008 featured black & white photographs by our members of the following huts from across the High Country of Victoria. Wilsons, Limestone Creek, Strobridge, Guys, S16, Ryans Spur, Tomahawk (cover), Top Crossing, Silver Brumby, Wallaces, Lavertys, and Davies Plain.

Pre-Xmas Breakfast 10 December

DATE: Sunday 10th December 2006

TIME: 9.30am

PLACE: Sky High Restaurant
26 Observatory Road
Mount Dandenong
Melway Ref: Map52 F12

COST: Approx $15-$20

DIRECTIONS: Take the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road ( the main route through the hills). Take the Ridge Road turn off ( enter from either end - it forms a loop off the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road). Take the Observatory Rd turn off. Proceed to the top of the hill and park as directed by the attendant on duty. The entry to the Restaurant faces down the mountain side with views over the suburban area to Melbourne in the distant.