Huts of the High Country - Our Heritage
Huts of the high country are a unique part of our Tasmanian heritage, reflecting cultural traditions that have become part of our folklore. During the early years of the 19th century (circa 1830s onwards) men went into the mountains and forests to eke out a living to provide for their families at home.
Shepherds, cattlemen, snarers, fishermen, and even miners were all attracted to the mountains to follow their particular pursuit, whether it be the grazing of sheep and cattle, or the trapping of possums and wallabies for the skin trade, fishing or fossicking—all as a means to support their loved ones and, in many cases, supplement their farm income.
Within such a harsh landscape, the one thing common to all these men who called the mountain ‘home’ for many months each year, was the need for shelter, and many of these early pioneers left their mark on the plateau in the form of a rustic hut; although often simple and basic in construction, they were very effective as shelter.
Different Men....Different Huts
Depending on the reason for being on the mountain, different groups of men built different huts. Those who drove sheep to the plateau to graze during the summer built shepherds’ huts for protection, such as Allisons Hut, while the mountain cattlemen built examples such as Dixons Kingdom Hut.
The high country snarers built the iconic snarers’ huts, of which the Trappers Hut on route to the Walls of Jerusalem and Basil Steers Hut on February Plain are prime examples of huts not only built for shelter but also in which to dry, process and store skins.
Old Pelion Hut is linked to the mining days, while huts such as Ironstone Hut at Lake Nameless and Lady Lake Hut atop Higgs Track were built for fishermen and for bushwalkers seeking a wilderness adventure.
The construction styles and materials used in the huts of the Tasmanian high country are a unique statement about the attitudes and way of life of their builders. Most were built of local timbers and stone with very few items of technology. Their simple, crude architecture and carefully chosen sites reflect a particular Tasmanian solution to the problem of high country survival.
A large number of huts have fallen into disrepair and are in a ruinous state, with tumbled chimneys and rotting timbers all that remain at many sites.
Not just building, but memorials
These sites represent, in part, our cultural heritage, and the aim of MHPS is to preserve and interpret these sites where appropriate. We believe that these huts are not just buildings, but memorials to those who have since passed on, leaving us a legacy which must be cherished, preserved and protected.
Our Aim

These sites represent, in part, our cultural heritage, and the aim of MHPS is to preserve and interpret these sites where appropriate. We believe that these huts are not just buildings, but memorials to those who have since passed on, leaving us a legacy which must be cherished, preserved and protected.
New Members Welcome

Membership is open to any individual or group with a love of the mountains and their history, people whose wild country experiences are made more enjoyable by using the huts and those who appreciate the refuge provided in emergencies.