O'Dells Hut

Photo courtesy of Gary Duncan 2003

Known as O’Dells Hut or O’Dells Track Hut.

Located at Mt Delusion. It’s on O’Dells Track, Brookville (East Gippsland Shire). ExplorOz lists a hut ruin about 3 km from Mt Delusion. exploroz. It is marked on the Rooftop map near Mt Delusion at 05498 58704.

History

The builders are unknown and it is likely that it was moved from another place to this one. The heritage assessment (H2411) suggests it may be an adapted former shepherd hut or road crew hut, based on how often requests for portable huts show up in period records.

It was likely used in goldmining and logging activities in the area. There was a gold battery site using a portable steam engine at nearby Odells Gully. The hut may have been relocated to its current position and used in logging between the 1940s and 1970s. heritageheritage

The hut is partly destroyed and has not been used recently; it is now more of a curiosity.

Construction

It’s a single-room portable hut with timber stud, weatherboard-clad walls and an arched corrugated iron roof.

It’s significant as a rare example of an early portable hut. Most other portable huts in Victoria appear to be of later construction. heritagecouncil

References

• It’s on the Victorian Heritage Register (H2411), included on 6 April 2022, under Criterion B. heritagecouncil