Four Mile Hut
Photo of Olaf Moon copyright © 1999.
Known as Hughes Hut, Four Mile Hut or 4 Mile. This is probably one of the most famous huts in Kosciuszko National Park and slated to be re-built in 2023.
Four Mile hut was burnt down in the 2020 bushfires.
This hut is Located about four kilometres south south east of Selwyns Quarry, and is an easy ski or walk from there, or seven kilometres from Kiandra. Its grid reference is 332 226. The hut is easy to find in an open plain, unless buried by snow as it often is.
Brief History
The hut was built by Robert Hughes in 1937, and used as a mining residence for gold panners. It remained the only complete mining hut on the Kiandra gold fields.
For many years (until about 1981) there was a box of very live and sweating dynamite under one of the bunks, presumably to give any resident silly enough to light a really big fire in the hearth, a night to remember!
Four mile is a very popular ski destination, and has saved the lives of a number of people over the years. However, skiers should be aware that it is very small, and therefore not reliable shelter for parties un-equipped with tents.
Construction
This hut was made from anything left lying around, but its main elements included slab walls and floors and corrugated chimney and roof.
Use of flattened five gallon cans is a feature. There is an external toilet and stone hearth to the fireplace, one of the key reasons it still stands. A unique feature is that a small leather washer was put under every nail used to hold the roof (and much of the timber work) together. A recent renovation team had to duplicate this work requiring considerable time and effort.
Caretakers - In the early 1970's The Bogong Group undertook the first clean up and found the first dynamite. In 1978, Klaus Hueneke organised the first major restoration with members of KHA. Since then the NSW Nordic Ski Club.
Value
Four Mile is one of the most critical huts in the KNP, both for historical reasons, and survival shelter. It is an easy walk or ski from Selwyn Ski Resort.
References
Hueneke, Klaus “The Life of a Mountain Hut” 2019
Hueneke “Huts of the High Country” Pp xviii, Pp 89, 91, 101-103
KHA number 1009.
A conservation history has been completed for Four Mile Hut
NPWS POM Reference is L.1.