Keppels Hut
Photos courtesy of Gary Duncan © 1995.
Located at Keppels Creek, Lake Mountain GR983533.
History
This is the third hut on this site. Maurice John Keppel came to Australia in the ship "Joshua" in 1851-2 and settled in Melbourne. He married Mary Grainger and them moved to Marysville and took over the hotel. They had four children, John, Jerry, Catherine and Michael.
They took up the land in 1864 and the original title is still in the possession of his grand daughter, Miss Keppel. It is located on the Edgar Track a pack horse route to Warburton from the Woods Point mines.
Originally they built two huts, "The White House" on Mt Margaret and "Wild Oat Hut" on Lake Mountain. Both were burnt in the fires. The first was never replaced but the second was. The Forrestry Commission replaced the shingle roof with iron.
The huts were used for cattle grazing. Sheep were also kept. Jerry died in 1955 and Maurice in 1963. When relinquished, the lease had been the longest held by one family in the Victorian alps in history.
Construction
Horizantal weatherboards, over timber frame. Stone chimney, wooden floor.
Caretakers - unknown.
References
Hueneke Pp 239.
Stephenson Pp154, 155, 157, 160