Tin Mines - Carters Hut
Also known as Tin Mine 3, SMA or SMC. Carters is the one remaining hut from a series built for the mines. The others ran in a straight line to the left of this hut.
Located on the Tin Mine Fire Trail, about 20 Km south of Dead Horse Gap. Grid Reference is 117376 on the Thredbo 1:50,000 map.
Brief History
The area has been mined since 1873 for tin, but in 1935 to 1936, the Mt Pilot Tin Mining Syndicate built several huts but all were abandoned by 1938. Carters is the last remaining.
Charlie Carter, a hermit and philosopher lived here from 1938, living a precarious life selling brumby hides and doing a little mining. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1953. His hut, the only one left of the mining huts, was restored by the Illawarra Alpine Club in the 1980’s. It is currently suffering from a fire that was too hot, and has charred the end wall of the building.
There is also a Tin Mine SMA shelter at 117376, built by the SMA in 1954 for survey and later used by CSIRO and Forestry until it was removed by the NPWS in 1992.
Caretakers - Illawarra Alpine Club.
References
Hueneke Pp xviii and 174 - 177.
Reference by KHA is 2702 for the Barn and
Carters and 2703 for the SMA hut.
KNP POM numbers are L.32 and L.119.
A Conservation Brief and History notes exist, with extensive material on Charlie Carter.
A book has been written by an Illawarra Club member, but has very limited release, approximately 5 copies (mostly photographs).