Range Rover Club - Victoria

Four Wheel Drive Victoria is assisting, on our behalf, with rebuilding the King River Hut near Mansfield.  The first part of the project is procuring the materials needed, and FWDV is seeking some help with this.  Maybe you or your business can assist?  

The Materials List (attached at the bottom) includes new and second-hand building materials.  If you can assist with providing any of these materials, on any basis ranging from donation to commercial, please let Wayne Hevey at FWDV know.  Wayne is on events@fwdvictoria.org.au.  If you can help, please respond promptly so the project can get underway...

Below is Wayne's email to the RRCV and an introduction to the King River Hut from Fleur Smith of Parks Victoria.

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From Four Wheel Drive Victoria

Hello all,

Please refer to the introduction piece below, written by Fleur Smith, Project Officer, Parks Victoria, Mansfield, which gives an outline of the King Hut which was destroyed by bushfire in July-August 2008.

Four Wheel Drive Victoria has been asked to assist in the reconstruction of the structure, a role which we have gladly accepted..

Our part primarily in the rebuilding process, is to see whether we can assist in the procurement of any of the materials listed in the attachment, for the construction of the hut.

We took the liberty of offering our members assistance on your behalf, knowing that you all would like to see these iconic landmarks restored and maintained for future generations to enjoy and use, as we have done and still do.

Please ensure that this request reaches all of your members as we wouldn’t like to have some thinking they weren’t welcome to assist.

Wayne Hevey
Projects & Events Manager
Four Wheel Drive Victoria
Email: events@fwdvictoria.org.au

About King River Hut

Victoria has a large variety of huts scattered throughout the High Country in the Alpine National Park and State Forest. Many of these huts are of state significance. They vary greatly in age, condition, accessibility, original use and historic significance. Many of these huts are rated as having significant heritage values due to their connections with past activities and events and particular design and construction features.

King River Hut is situated on King-Basin Track in the Alpine National Park and is managed by Parks Victoria (PV). The King-Howqua Unit (KHU), Mansfield is the local PV team responsible for the management of the hut and its surrounds.

Brief History of King River Hut

The original King River hut was built of a drop-slab construction with an iron clad roof. It was regularly used by cattleman and was reputedly built by Jim Hearn in the 1930’s. The later hut was built 70 metres north of the original hut sometime in the 1950’s by the Ross family. It has been said that the hut was build in the 1950’s then relocated to the site in 1971 (as per the earliest graffiti on the internal wall of the hut).

The Ross family built the hut to service their cattle maintenance and mustering activities. It has recently served as a link to the grazing heritage of the high country. The hut was regularly used by the Ross, Gough and McCormack families. The Lovicks also frequented the site as it was a travel route from Merrijig to the Mt Cobbler run via the Delatite and King rivers.

I would kindly ask that we have responses by the end of January, this may be a bit tight time wise, please see what you can do to assist this project and inform us of any assistance that can be offered.

Regards,
Fleur Smith,
Ranger
Parks Victoria, Mansfield