Broken Dam Hut
Known as Broken Dam Hut, sometimes as Broken Down Hut.
Located at along the Four Mile Track, 7km south of the Snowy Mountains Highway. It is also accessible from the trail to Snowy Plain.
History
This is one of seven hut in KNP that has had a complete book written about it. “The many lives of Broken Dam Hut” by Harry Hill 2008.
There have been two huts on this site. Some people believe that the original hut was originally a workers cottage from the sawmill near Rules Point, which was later moved by Ted Quinn to this site using a bullock team.
Another view says that it was built at the Nine Mile diggings near by, and that Tom Yan dragged it over rolling logs to the present site, also using bullocks. The structure of the sleepers under the hut would indicate that this is a possibility
Original hut showing logs underneath, were photographed Reet Vallack on 30 April 1972
Whatever, both tales are possible as the original hut had floor joists that would have allowed easy movement. More likely is that it was moved from Rules Point to Nine Mile then later moved again to the present location (an excellent one given the terrain).
Construction started earlier than 1927 when it gets mentioned by Herbert Schlink in is first winter crossing diaries.
Construction
As for so many others, this hut was modified many times, including the addition of the veranda, that was to be its un-doing in 1989 when the hut was burnt to the ground by a party trying to dry out their gear, in bad weather, and who lit a fire that was too big,
The original hut used floor joists and had unusual 18 cm weatherboards, a gable roof of iron and wooden floor. The new hut is materially the same, but with more robust footings.
References
“The many lives of Broken Dam Hut” by Harry Hill.
Hueneke Pp 91,92, 108-111