Trappers Hut
Photographs by O Moon November 2022.
Known as Trappers Hut
Located in the Central Plateau, on the way to Walls Of Jerusalem National Park. Walk from the Arm River Road Sign-in spot.
Brief History
The current Trappers hut is a replacement for the original that was built in 1946 by Roy and Alistair “Shot” Walters and Ray “Boy” Miles.
Following agreement with the Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Forestry Commission and MHPS in August 1988, the first working-bee was held on Saturday 22 April 1989.
On Saturday 21 October 1989, the old hut was dismantled completely. This proved to be a good decision, as the foot plates were substantially more rotten, than previously thought. The aim was to rebuild the hut in the same style and on the same footprint as the original. There were some interesting challenges as Dick Miles, one of the original builders said that the door hinges had originally been made of wood, and so were the replacements. The hut was completed by December 1990, after more than 3,800 hours of volutary labour, plus a further 2,500 hours of “walking to the hut” and general administration. It was opened on 8 December 1990, with Dick Miles present, at the age of 70 having ridden to the site by horse, a day before he was due for surgery.
Originally, Nicholas Miles selected a plot on Dublin Plain in 1929, and built the first hut here, after successful adjistment of cows during the depression for other farmers in Deloraine. The first rough shelter was built above the present site in 1934, and was one amongst about four huts built by Nicholas in the area.
His son, “Boy'“ Miles fresh back from the horrors of Changi Camp, built the present hut with Dick and Alistair Walters in 1946, from a single "splitting" log. The hut had neither chimney nor window at that point. The snow was particularly heavy that year, but they made a good profit from trapping animals for their skins. It was a classic “snarers” hut with nails in all walls, to hold the skins.
Boy also built the Lake Ball hut in 1968, following the burning down of Arthur Youd's old hut at the eastern end of the lake.
Construction
Split paling walls carefully overlapped, with originally shingles, now an iron and paling roof.
Caretakers Mountain Huts Preservation Society. The re-build of Trappers Hut was the first successful restoration by MHPS, but while it was still underway, they were successfully negotiating with DPWH to rebuild Ironstone Hut at Lake Nameless.
GPS Location: S 41.78453 E 146.24939
