Ilawong Lodge
Known as Illawong Lodge, Pounds Hut, Pounds Ck Hut, and Tin Hut 1. In actual fact, the Pounds Creek Lodge was quite structurally different from the current hut.
Location
About 1.5Km south of Guthega, this hut was built as a ski lodge and has been renovated a number of times. It is generally closed, but there is minimal but very usable space underneath (on the NW corner), for those requiring it, as a survival shelter. At grid reference 215711 on the Mt Kosciusko 1:25,000 map.
Brief History
The first hut built here was called Pounds Creek Hut in 1925-26. At that time, only two other huts existed, Bett’s Camp and The Kosciuszko Hotel. It remains but has been extended considerably. This first structure was built by the NSW Government Tourist Bureau for Dr Schlink in 1926, as a location for ski touring. It had two rooms and four bunks, and was intended to be one among a group of interlinked ski chalets, along with Kunama and Albina, both of which have now gone. The original Pounds Creek design and photograph are available.
It was extended in 1956 by John Turner and others as a club lodge, and is now associated with the Australian Alpine Club and their prominent members, Tim Lamble and Robert Pallin (son of Paddy Pallin). Members take considerable pride in the fact that all materials and supplies for the hut are carried in by hand.
There is a well marked crawl space under the building for shelter in an emergency, but it is barely high enough to sit upright. However it is lined, and would be comfortable and safe in a blizzard. A snow shovel is kept above the front door.
Lodge members were also responsible for building and maintaining the swing bridge across the river, which is very useful for skiers heading up onto the main range.
With the advent of the new Plan of Management in 2004, there is a proposal to cease the lease on the hut, and open it to the public, but how that will actually occur, has not been finalised.
Construction
The lodge is large and consists of four main rooms with a roof and walls of iron, floor of wood, lined. It includes solar power and gas heaters. The toilet is inside the lodge.
Reference
KHA reference number is 2424.
Hueneke Pp 9, 19.
GPS: S 36.396216 E 148.356031
Other Photographs
The original Pounds Creek Hut is shown below from the KHA archives about 1949.
