Mountain Huts Preservation Society Inc

Mountain Huts Preservation Society Inc.

Trappers Hut

The Trappers Hut  which sits under the Central Plateau escarpment  in the Mersey Valley, en route to the Walls of Jerusalem, was the first project undertaken by the MHPS. It is significant as one of the few remaining standing snarer’s huts in the Mersey High Country. The original hut was built in 1946 by brothers Dick & Ray ‘Boy’ Miles and brothers Roy and Alistar ‘Shot’ Walters. The Miles and Walters families had lived in the Mole Creek district for generations. The Hut was used by snarers as a place to shelter from the winter snow, while their skins were nailed to the walls and dried by the heat from the fire and smoke. Preliminary discussions for the restoration of The Trappers Hut took place in August 1988 between the MHPS, in consultation with the Dept of Parks  Wildlife and Heritage, and with the full co-operation of the Forestry Commission. The first working party on site was in April 1989. The original hut was completely demolished and the rebuilding process took 3,800 hours of volunteer work and was completed in December 1990. Working bees, held on the third Saturday of every month for 18 consecutive months, were always well attended. One notable exception was a particularly snowy, wintery weekend when just two dedicated members turned up! All tools required, including chainsaws, were carried up the track by MHPS members for each and every working bee. The timber beams and slabs for the walls were sourced from the nearby bush, while the shingles for the roof were split in Mole Creek and flown in to the hut site by helicopter. Approximately 70 people walked in to the Hut for the official opening on 8th December 1990, including a very special guest, Dick Miles, who made the trip on horseback to witness the dedication of the Hut which he had helped build almost half a century earlier.

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