Rugman's Hut
Photo of the original hut before it was reconstructed after the fires had gone by - by Olaf Moon, shows Sian Moon 2003.
Known as Rugmans Hut, Charlies hut
Located in the deep south of Byadbo, on the Devil's Hole Fire trail, below Paupong. Access is via Dalgetty, Beloka and Paupong. The hut is located at 477397 on the Numbla Vale 1:50,000 or 1:100,000 maps, and can be reached by following the NP boundary FT or driving across a property.
The hut was dismantled by locals, immediately prior to the 2003 fires, (and not burnt) but is now almost completely re-built by NPWS and others.
History
It was “re-discovered” in 2002 by Don Wellsmore and others interested in its restoration. KHA members and Moon family visited immediately afterwards, surprised that there was a hut in existence that was not on the KHA register.
Rugmans was built in 1932 by Charlie Rugman, who lived in the hut for 10 years until he died in the 1940s. He is buried at Beloco cemetery. The hut clearly had itinerant use in the 1970's.
Posts and a bottle dump nearby would indicate that this is the second hut on the site. Bottles dated 1931 and 1915 were found. Posts show a "sleep-out", byre and third shed were also built nearby. A horse yard and the remains of the byre are visible above the hut.
Immediately prior to the 2003 fires, local graziers apparently removed most of the hut materials, with the aim of re-building it in the future, which was achieved.
Construction
The original hut was constructed with slab sides, some of which have collapsed. The slabs are unique in KNP, being split poles from the nearby native pine, Callitris species.
The floor is concrete, a later addition. The structural timbers and roof still stand, but the stone fireplace is partially collapsed. The tin cap to the fireplace lies complete, nearby. Some furniture remains, including a set of storage shelves and an iron bed. The remains of a sprung double bed lie in the sleep-out.
A timber and wire fence remains around the perimeter. A few metres above the hut is a small stockyard, still in good repair, with a collapsed byre. A nearby wall of stones shows the probable location of a previous hut.
A water tank stands beside the hut, with a coating of chicken wire an cement added, to retain its water-proofness.
Caretakers - Wellsmore family.
References:
personal notes - Olaf Moon
Pers comm - Craig Doubleday
GPS: S 36.677135 E 148.653180