Mt Franklin Chalet
Photograph copyright Olaf Moon © 1991. The photograph was taken during a major upgrading and renovation of the Lodge.
Known as the Mount Franklin Ski Lodge or Chalet.
Location, near to the summit of Mt Franklin, and just off the road from Piccadilly Circus to Mt Ginini. Grid Reference is 600709 on the Tidbinbilla 1:25,000 map.
GPS:
Brief History
This hut was burnt down in the January 2003 bush fires.
This was the single most significant cultural heritage loss in these fires for Namadgi.
The hut was specifically built for skiing and was the oldest club-built ski lodge on mainland Australia (older lodges exist in Tasmania at Mt Field NP).
It was built in the summer of 1937-38 for the Canberra Alpine Club. A large kitchen and living area was downstairs and bunk rooms upstairs. A toilet was built in nearby NWS, to satisfy the Cotter catchment regulations, so the hut is very close to the border.
The hut was upgraded in the 1950s, with internal lining of baltic pine. The kitchen stove came from the Prime Minister's Lodge. The doors to the stove were stolen within days of the lodge being burnt down. Ski runs were also cleared nearby, but have now largely overgrown, with the Slalom Hut being at the lower end of one of these.
Construction
Timber weatherboards, two story with gable iron roof. Multi-roomed with spectacular kitchen and loft bunkrooom.
Caretakers - Canberra Alpine Club
References
KHA Hut list
Various Heritage studies - Matthew Higgins