Youngs Hut
Photo courtesy of Gary Duncan © 1994.
Known as Youngs Hut, SEC Survey Hut, or Youngs Top Hut
Located at south of Mount Jim on the Bogong High Plains, at about 1640 m.
From Falls Creek drive via the signed Pretty Valley/Mount McKay Road to Pretty Valley Pondage, roughly 9–10 km including unsealed mountain road.
Park at the authorised endpoint. Follow the mapped high-plains walking route towards the Australian Alps Walking Track and Mount Jim, then the signed Youngs Hut branch descending into the snow gums.
This is a substantial alpine walk, not a short roadside visit; confirm the full distance and junctions on a current topographic map before departure. The road and walking approach are exposed to seasonal closure, snow and poor visibility.
History
Osborne Young built the original Youngs hut nearby, at the old yards, which are up the hill from this site, in about 1883.
An earlier hut was built in 1923 and received a renovation by Charlie Rundell Jnr in 1928, with the installation of a new floor and roofing iron. The basalt stones of the fireplace remain.
The present hut is a former SEC prefabricated building, similar to Kelly Hut. The earlier account dates its original manufacture to 1928 and describes transport by packhorse. The 2005 heritage survey, reproduced by VHCHA, places its erection at this site around 1945. The manufacture and relocation dates should therefore be distinguished and checked against SEC records.
Construction
The hut is weatherboard like the original, and has a corrugated iron roof and chimney, with a veranda at the front.
Caretakers
Border Bushwalking Club.
References
Hueneke Pp 133, 246
Magnussen Pp 156 - 157
Butler Pp368 - 370
Mapping Guidance;
GPS: approximately 36.95165°S, 147.21517°E.
UTM Zone 55H: 519157 m E, 5910470 m N (WGS84). Approximate VHCHA mapped position.