The Banks Hut
Known as Banks Hut, The Banks Hut, or Max and Bert's (Oldfield) Hut. “The Banks” was the name used, but in reference to the Oldfield Family, some visitors prefer to use the term “Max and Berts Hut” which was not used historically.
Location
Hidden in the Booth Range, Namadgi National Park. The Banks is registered on other web sites, including this one. The hut just survived the 2003 bushfires but was burnt down in the 2020 bushfires. It is not shown on the Colinton map but it is at GR873417. This is the second hut on this site.
GPS:
Brief History
The original Banks Hut was used by Ted Oldfield before the 1st First World War, but only a few stones of the chimney remain.
Some refer to it as "Max and Berts" hut as built by Max and Bert Oldfield in the early 1967, using a few stones from the first hut. It was used to support cattle grazing on the Booth Range lease (Block 6) after the site for The Bog Hut, was found to be too wet and cold for much of the year.
Earlier holders of the lease included the De Salis family of Cuppacumbalong and Mr Massy of Gundaroo. The first were probably the builders of the original hut, but this is not known definitively.
From about 1955 to 1991, the hut was not visited, and was "re-discovered" as a result of the oral history project and interviews undertaken by Matthew Higgins in 1990.
When Maurice Sexton, Olaf Moon and Reg Alder vis re-visited about 1998, the hut contained all the furniture and items used by cattlemen in the 50's, including a foldout chair or bed, cooking utensils, lanterns, alarm clock rabbit traps, horse gear, all of which have been carefully documented and most removed for safe keeping.
This hut was in a beautiful location, but may be unlikely to be re-built due to aboriginal carvings that are quite close on the stone ridge to the west.
Construction
The Banks hut was a simple building of corrugated iron over bush poles, with a flat skillion roof.
Caretakers - None
References
Namadgi Sites by Matthew Higgins 1994, P 16.
Personal Visit OJM
Murray Dow's Website.
Photographs copyright Olaf Moon © 1998. Maurice Sexton, Reg Alder and another shown in some.