Mt Wills FT Hut
Photo couresty of G. Butler and his Vic Huts Heritage Report.
Known as Mount Wills Summit Hut or Mount Wills Fire Lookout Quarters.
Located at the summit area of Mount Wills, among snow gums and granite outcrops, close to the Australian Alps Walking Track.
From Mitta Mitta, drive approximately 42 km south along the sealed Omeo Highway to the Mount Wills Road turn-off. An unsealed access road climbs approximately 1.7 km to the Mount Wills car park near the Tallangatta Ski Club’s Woollybutt Lodge. Check the condition of this section before taking a low-clearance vehicle; if unsuitable, park safely near the highway and walk up.
From the car park, follow the gated management track uphill towards Mount Wills. Allow approximately 3 km each way and three hours return for the summit walk. Public vehicles are not permitted beyond the gate. Walking from the highway adds approximately 3.4 km return. Snow, fallen timber and seasonal conditions can affect access.
Brief History
Mount Wills Hut was built as accommodation for the mountain’s fire lookout personnel. Graeme Butler’s Victorian Alpine Huts Survey dates the quarters tentatively to the late 1960s or early 1970s. Other reports say it was built in 1969.
A separate fire lookout cabin was erected on a rocky summit outcrop during the summer of 1962–63. The lookout monitored forests in the Omeo and Tallangatta districts and communicated by radio. It was demolished in 2000, while the accommodation hut remained available to walkers.
The summit area also has an earlier skiing history associated with the Tallangatta and District Ski Club. Its Woollybutt Lodge and earlier summit shelter should be distinguished from the fire lookout quarters.
The surviving hut is a recognised stopping place for walkers on the Australian Alps Walking Track. A walking party recorded using it in May 2025.
Construction
A rectangular hut with an enclosed living area, a separate room and a stove.
It is built on a steel frame, compressed panel board and gable iron roof. The hut has a large living room complete with stove and sink. There are also two bunk rooms, with accommodation for four in each.
References
Graeme Butler and Associates, Victorian Alpine Huts Survey, 1994–95: Mount Wills Fire Lookout Quarters, sheet 20/1.
Parks Victoria, Alpine National Park — around Mitta Mitta, Omeo, Tallangatta and Corryong, Visitor Guide.
Fire Lookouts Down Under, Mount Wills.
Neil Fahey, The Bushwalking Blog, Mount Wills, walk undertaken December 2009.
Australian Alps Walking Track — Section 6, walking account dated May 2025.
Mapping Guidance:
GPS: 36.81142°S, 147.47397°E. Approximate mapped hut position; not field-verified.