Sandy Lake Hut
- Stephen Spurling III Photo: Weekly Courier, December 1904 (TAHO)
T H E H I S TO RY OF SANDY LAKE H U T – B U I LT 1903 From: Rebuilding of the S A N D Y L A K E H U T AT L A K E M A C K E N Z I E by MOUNTAIN HUTS PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC.
T
he central highlands of Tasmania’s G r e a t We s t e r n T i e r s i s a n enchantingly beautiful area. The alpine landscape is as stunning as it is desolate, as inviting as it is menacing and a place where you are likely to experience all four seasons on any given day at any time of the year. The area is also known as the ‘land of a thousand lakes’. Within the land of a thousand lakes are the ‘Chudleigh Lakes’ – a collection of approx. 40 lakes of varying sizes which are found in the catchment area of Lake Mackenzie on the Great Western Tiers behind the Mole Creek-CavesideChudleigh districts. The history of fishing in the area commenced over 120 years ago when trout were introduced into the lakes. Fry were first released into Lake Mackenzie in 1895 having been carried by hand to the plateau via the Mole Creek track. Within a few short weeks a second release had occurred, this time the young
trout having been tenderly transported to Lake Mackenzie via Parsons track from Caveside. Stocking of the lakes continued over a ten year period and within a couple of years of the initial release large fish and good catches were being reported from across the Chudleigh Lakes. The stocking of the Chudleigh Lakes had been the initiative of the Northern Tasmanian Fisheries Association and the success of the venture was reflected in the increasing number of anglers visiting the area. As the appeal and reputation of the Chudleigh Lakes grew, so did the need for accommodation. The Northern Tasmanian Tourist Association which was based in Launceston combined with the Fisheries Association to plan for the erection of a hut amongst the pines near a beach of golden sand on the shores of a small lake near Lake Mackenzie - Sandy Beach Lake. A detailed report in the Examiner n e w s p a p e r o n We d n e s d ay 2 3 r d
Sandy Lake Hut - Photographer H J King (Photo courtesy Nic Haygarth) Fishing News - Page 18
December 1903 confirmed the Hut had been completed and passed into the hands of the Northern Tasmanian Fisheries and Tourist Associations for future management. A money raising venture for the building scheme had commenced some months earlier - about mid-year in 1903 when a public appeal for subscriptions was launched in Launceston resulting in private citizens and business people donating just over £64 ($128) to finance construction of the proposed accommodation hut. The task of planning and building was allotted to Mole Creek resident Mr. J. Lee who rallied a gang of some 20 to 30 men from the Mole Creek, Caveside, Chudleigh and Western Creek districts as his work crew. Decent sized trees from which to obtain suitable building material were not available on the plateau so Lee’s first task was to source timber from the front of the mountain and have it carried to the building site. The Parsons brothers from Caveside were instrumental in assisting Lee in the laborious and back breaking job of ferrying the timber, once split, on their shoulders to the plateau. Within a few short months the hut had been built. Small and rectangular and made entirely from weatherboards with a shingle roof, the hut consisted of two rooms each with a paned glass window and a veranda facing the lake. A large fireplace with a stone chimney was built by the locally renowned skilled craftsman Sydney Higgs. It is reported that the interior walls were lined with oil cloth and the wooden floor covered in linoleum. The hut was very
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well equipped with everything from furniture in the form of beds, tables and chairs to everyday kitchenware including cutlery and crockery. Much of the fittings and furniture had been purchased in Launceston. All a visitor needed to bring was food and a sleeping blanket. Percy Smith and Charles Harrison from the Northern Tasmanian Fisheries Association had been the prime movers in initiating the idea of an accommodation facility, so it was fitting that they had the honour of officially opening the hut on the weekend of 19-20th December 1903. The Examiner reported that the two gentlemen travelled by train from Launceston to Chudleigh where they were driven to Caveside and from there travelled on foot via Parsons track to inspect the new hut. With the opening of Sandy Lake Hut, Caveside resident, Joseph Parsons, who had been acting as honorary water bailiff from the late 1880’s was also appointed official mountain guide – a voluntary service he had already been conducting for many years. From the initial release of fry into Lake Mackenzie in 1895, there was now evidence of wide spread fish populations in many of the interconnecting creeks and neighbouring lakes. As a result, visitor numbers to the plateau were increasing at a noticeable rate thus creating a demand for more accommodation on the mountain and so in 1911 the Northern Tasmanian Fisheries and Tourist Associations once again combined to orchestrate the building of a hut, this time near Lady Lake close to where Higgs
