Tawonga Huts
Photo 1973, Courtesy John Mitchell © 2002
Known as Tawonga Huts
Location: Bogong High Plains on the "Feathertop" 1:25000 map at GR 180163. There are four huts here, about 4 kilometres from the Pretty Valley Pondage carpark. Cross the causeway and walk up the Fainter FT. Over the top, the track drops down into the valley of the Tawonga Huts Ck. Follow the snow poles to the hut.
All huts survived the 2003 fires.
GPS Location:
History
The first hut in the area was built by John Ryder prior to 1888 but it was pulled down by a horse teathered to the post, and was then rebuilt in that year.
The third hut was built in 1923 of palings. Many cattlemen used the Tawonga huts, notably Ben Cooper, for whom a cairn sits nearby.
The current huts were built about 250m south of the original set, in the 1950's. The "Refuge Hut" as named, was built by the SEC in 1928 and pulled here in the 1980s. The fourth hut, shown above in the 1970's was originally a cookhouse and brought to the site on a truck by Billy Hicks, but was burnt down in 2000 and a replacement was then built, looking similar to that above.
Caretakers - Hicks Family
References
Hueneke Pp132, 134, 244.
Butler Pp 306 - 314