Blair's Hut
Photograph courtesy of Jim Moon © 2002.
Known as Blairs Hut
Located at West Kiewa Logging Road, Snake Valley. Shown on the Bogong map GR154138.
GPS Location:
Brief History
Thomas Blair (an old miner from Ballarat) married Annie and had four sons, Frank, Jack , Aleck, George and Thomas, and daughters Effie and Isabel. When Thomas died in 1889, the family moved to Tawonga from Melbourne, onto a property purchased in 1913 by Jack and Frank.
Frank leased areas C14 and C18 in 1920-21. Frank re-opened Dungey strack, aided by Tourist money and Frank Blair led the first ski touring party to this location in 1925.
Tom and Frank Blair built the hut in 1923-24, only to have it destroyed by fire in 1931. It was rebuilt soon after by Frank and his son, and completed by Christmas 1932.
Major work was done to replace the lower logs in 1993, although some say that the work was rather more extensive than this.
Construction
The hut is a log cabin measuring 6m by 3.8m with a gable iron roof, replacing an original bark one in 1968. The internal stone lined fireplace is unusual. It is almost identical to Dibbins hut
Caretakers - The Alpine School and Blair Family.
References
Hueneke Pp 105, 106, 231
Holth and Stephenson
G. Butler 1996 Pp19-22.