Sandy Lake Hut – The history, rebuild and reopening — MHPS

THE HISTORY OF SANDY LAKE HUT – BUILT 1903

From:

Rebuilding of the SANDY LAKE

HUT AT LAKE MACKENZIE by MOUNTAIN HUTS

PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC.

The central highlands of Tasmania’s Great Western Tiers is an 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 newspaper on Wednesday 23rd 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 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 Sandy Lake Hut - Photographer H J King (Photo courtesy Nic Haygarth)

First Release of Trout into Lake Mackenzie 1895 - Photographer: Stephen

Spurling III - Weekly Courier (Photo courtesy John Pithouse)

Track summits the Great Western Tiers above Western Creek. This second hut was also a two-roomed structure (three rooms if the small fish house annexe is counted) with a central fire place but whereas Sandy Lake Hut was of timber construction, Lady Lake Hut was primarily built from sheets of galvanised iron including the tin roof. Sydney Higgs, creator of the stone chimney at Sandy Lake Hut a few years earlier, was the chief builder of Lady Lake Hut, enlisting the services of local handymen to assist with construction and the carrying of iron sheets from the valley below. He continued the role of caretaker responsible for repairs and maintenance for at least another decade after the hut’s completion.

With generously sized fish being caught in healthy numbers and with each fishing season outdoing the previous, anglers and hikers continued to flock to the mountain for recreation and relaxation. It was decided to build a third accommodation unit on the shores of Lake Nameless. Once again, the Northern Tas. Fisheries and Tourists Associations were the driving force behind the push to provide better amenities for tourists and public subscription was called for to fund the building project. And once again, Syd Higgs was the contractor entrusted with the task of building the hut. It was a mammoth undertaking for a man now aged in his late 60s. Nestled beneath Forty Lakes Peak, Ironstone Hut, completed during the summer of 1917-18, was built entirely of stone with an iron roof. Syd Higgs’ signature trademark was the massive stone chimney which completed the hut.

With the completion of Ironstone Hut, three splendid huts were now available to recreational users on the plateau. The main source of access to the plateau was via Higgs Track from Western Creek, Parsons Track from Caveside and the track from South Mole Creek.

Sydney Higgs cut the track which bears his family name - Higgs Track - in the early 1880’s as a stock route for access to a grazing lease held by his father Joshua Higgs in the Lake Lucy Long area. The track was subsequently improved and maintained when its tourism value was recognised.

The South Mole Creek track came into being shortly after the hut was built at Sandy Beach Lake. A pre-existing track from Mole Creek proved too steep and too long and with the increase in visitors it was necessary to cut a track with a better grade for quicker walking times and which was suitable for pack horses.

Parsons Track was cut by brothers Joseph and Herbert Parsons in the late 1800’s. Their parents, John and Susan Parsons raised 6 sons and 5 daughters on their Caveside property at the foot of the Great Western Tiers. Living in the shadow of the mountain it was only natural that the boys would develop a deep love of fishing, hunting and exploring. Joseph Parsons had been made an honorary Water Bailiff in 1888 and had commenced guiding tourists and fishing groups to the Chudleigh Lakes. When the Sandy Lake Hut was commissioned, he assisted greatly in carrying supplies – on his back – to the building site. Unlike Higgs Track and South Mole Creek Track which were suitable for horses, some very steep sections on Parsons Track (the aptly named Little Grunter and Big Grunter) made it impossible for horse power to be used.

Each of the afore-mentioned walking tracks was well marked with wooden stakes (also known as snow poles) and rock cairns. The wooden poles were obtained from the local trees, often

the pencil pines, and so were not only extremely durable but vitally important for marking the route especially when snow blanketed the ground. Fishing and recreational pursuits remained very popular within the Chudleigh Lakes area until the late 1920s, early 1930s. The eventual slump in popularity could probably be attributed to vehicle access by road becoming available to other fishing areas such as the Great Lake combined with the reported decline in the quality of fish, whether by over stocking or over fishing, in the Chudleigh Lakes. With a dwindling number of anglers and bushwalkers visiting the area, maintenance of the huts inevitably began to suffer. Sandy Lake Hut with its open fire place and scarcity of wood in the immediate vicinity became a target of vandalism and slowly over time its internal wooden fixtures such as table, chairs and beds were burned and eventually the floors and walls were pulled apart and likewise used for firewood. The kitchenware – crockery, pots and pans – were used for target practice until eventually the entire hut which was once described by enthusiastic fishermen as being “like a hotel” was reduced to a shamble. At one stage sheets of tin were carried in on horseback via the South Mole Creek Track in an attempt to patch and repair the roof and walls. Eventually, what little was left of Sandy Lake Hut www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Sketch - Tourist Huts - Chudleigh Lakes - (Ian Hayes)

was destroyed by a fire – the jury remains out on whether it was deliberate or accidental. Sadly, less than sixty years after it was built, all that remained of Sandy Lake Hut was the solidly built stone and mortar chimney. But that too was eventually demolished prior to flooding of Lake Mackenzie by the Hydro Electric Commission when the Mersey Forth power scheme was developed in 1969. With the building of the dam at the western end of Lake Mackenzie the tiny Sandy Beach Lake was swallowed by the increased water volume and the beautiful golden sands were drowned along with the foundation stones where once stood Sandy Lake Hut.

By the mid 1900’s all three huts which had been built as part of the tourism venture by the Fisheries and Tourists Associations were decayed or destroyed. During the past two decades, the Mountain Huts Preservation Society is proud to have been responsible for the rebuilding of the trio of huts – Sandy Lake, Lady Lake and Ironstone – and to once again make them available to bushwalkers and the fishing fraternity some 100 years after their initial existence on the plateau and in recognition of our pioneering forefathers, and as a tribute to those individuals and organisations who recognised the value, inherent beauty and cultural importance of the high country.

Sandy Lake Hut - Rebuild complete (Photo Marg Howe)

THE REBUILDING OF SANDY LAKE HUT 2015-18

Over a century ago, in the early 1900s, the forward thinking and progressive Northern Tasmanian Fisheries and Tourist Associations built three huts in the Chudleigh Lakes area to promote fishing and tourism in the area.

In the ensuing decades all three structures suffered irreparable damage due to the ravages of extreme weather conditions, wildfires and sadly, even vandalism. The huts lay in ruins on the plateau of the Great Western Tiers for over half a century. The Mountain Huts Preservation Society had, by 2004, rebuilt two of the huts – Ironstone Hut and Lady Lake Hut - and it was both desirable and logical that the third hut – Sandy Lake Hut - should also be reconstructed to complete the trilogy.

The remains and foundations of the original Hut, which dated from 1903, are now submerged under the waters of the enlarged Lake Mackenzie following the Hydro Electric Commission’s development of the Mersey Forth power scheme in 1969. It was therefore necessary to establish a new site for the rebuilding of a replica hut. In May 2012, six MHPS members (Geoff Berry, Rodney Linger, Kelvin Howe, Paul Mansell, James Boxhall and Sandra Tiffin) inspected an area on the north eastern shore to identify a suitable site for a new hut. A second field trip occurred a few months later in December when Society members returned to the area accompanied by a PWS representative to view the proposed site which was situated on a peninsular between Pine Marsh Bay and Sandy Lake Bay, approx. 250 metres from the high water mark, reasonably level, sheltered from the wind and with a very pleasant view.

In January 2013, with the water level in Lake Mackenzie extremely low, the original Hut’s foundations were exposed enabling a visit from Society members to measure and accurately record authentic dimensions.

Then followed a lengthy process of more than two years during which plans were drawn up and applications submitted to be processed by authorities such as Parks & Wildlife Service, Hydro Electric Commission, and Meander Valley Council. Meanwhile, Society members were kept occupied with researching the original hut, acquiring building materials and formulating plans and strategies for future working bees.

The first official working bee took place on 5th September 2015. The work crew consisted of 12 Society members and 1 PWS representative who assembled at the Lake Mackenzie car park and, along with considerable supplies and building tools, were ferried across the lake by boat. The 10 minute water taxi ride became a regular feature of future working bees and saved considerable time as opposed to walking around the perimeter of the lake. The weather for the initial working bee was fine but brisk and with parts of the lake frozen, the boat needed to break through ice before it could tie up and unload on the shore line. And, before any work could commence in earnest at the new hut site, snow needed to be shovelled from the area. Undaunted by the cold, levels were ascertained, measurements taken and marked and the rebuild of Sandy Lake Hut commenced.

(Note: This hut is also referred to as Sandy Beach Lake Hut and Lake Sandy Beach Tourist Hut. In formal applications with regulatory authorities and on the PWS Reserve Activity Assessment the title of Sandy Lake Hut has been used – therefore in this publication and from the Society’s view point this name has been adopted for all future reference.)

By the end of October 2015 the foundations for the hut and the chimney had been completed. The roof trusses which had been pre-assembled off-site, along with pre-cut timber for the framework, were delivered by PWS helicopter. Working bees were well attended and held on a regular fortnightly basis resulting in the first wall frame being erected in November 2015. By early January 2016 the entire framework was finished and ready for the external timber cladding.

Work was progressing but then came the disastrous bush fires in mid-January 2016, which swept through sections of the Great Western Tiers affecting large areas in and around Lake Mackenzie and threatening the very safety of the hut. All Society members could do was hold their collective breaths. For those who lived in the shadow of the Tiers or who had seen at close quarters the flames which skirted the mountain top and the all enveloping thick smoke which lingered for days, it was an incredulous feeling when word filtered through that the hut had in fact been saved due to the direct action of a patrolling Tasmania Fire Service crew.

Members were keen to resume work, however those plans were thwarted by the unprecedented heavy rain which immediately followed the fires resulting in extreme flooding, erosion and landslides. The road to

Lake Mackenzie suffered severe degradation in several places and as a result was closed to traffic until repairs and restoration could be completed.

On 19th March 2016, after a delay of 10 weeks, working bees resumed and continued regularly until late in October of that year before a recess was taken due to adverse weather conditions. Due to the setback to the timetable caused by the fires and floods it was decided to place corrugated iron as a temporary measure on the roof for protection against the fast approaching winter. External timber cladding of the Hut was also completed and the internal walls were lined with Baltic pine. A mixture of linseed oil and turpentine was used to coat and seal both external and internal walls. A latched, solid wooden door and window frames were also fitted before working bees ceased for 2016.

Following the Christmas/New Year break, members were keen to recommence work now that the hut was taking shape and they could see many, many months of hard work coming to fruition. Between January 2017 and February 2018, the two major tasks at hand were the completion of the large stone chimney and the replacement of the iron roof with just over 2000 shingles. A large rocky knoll found in close proximity to the hut site provided a suitable supply of stone and many members spent considerable time and energy in prizing large slabs from the quarry and carrying them to the hut. A quantity of one-ton bags was also filled with stone and relocated to the hut during a subsequent helicopter lift of materials by PWS. The task of laying paving stones under the veranda at the entrance to the hut was also completed. A woodshed was built at the rear of the hut to store dry wood to accommodate the fire box which had been installed.

Almost 6 years since the idea of a hut rebuild was first mooted, and after 40 working bees, 3 helicopter lifts, more than 2400 volunteer hours involving 60 members, 4 junior members and 3 PWS personnel, on Saturday 7th April 2018, Sandy Lake Hut was officially opened.

Completion of the Sandy Lake Hut is the culmination of the Mountain Huts Preservation Society’s desire to reinstate, preserve and protect the culture of our forebears and ensure that fishermen and bushwalkers can continue to enjoy the high country for recreational pursuits in relative comfort and safety.

More information can be found in the booklet:

The History and

Rebuilding of the

SANDY LAKE

HUT AT LAKE

MACKENZIE by MOUNTAIN HUTS

PRESERVATION

SOCIETY INC. ABOVE: Shingles start to go on replacing the temporary roofing iron.

CENTRE: Joe Parsons cuts the opening ribbon (more appropriately binding twine) to reopen the Sandy Lake Hut 7 April 2018. MHPS President Roger Nutting looks on.

BELOW: A large crowd walked in to the enjoy and celebrate re-opening 7 April 2018.