b'Dec 2021 Trackwatch.qxp_Trackwatch Layout 128/11/20215:38 pmPage 18The iconic Craigs Hutthe High Country for summer grazing during the mid (Jim Barclay was the Wonnangatta Station manager that1800\'s. Banjo Patersons famous poem The Man from was mysteriously murdered in 1917. ) The current hut isSnowy River recalls this era. The cattle graziers have left a either the second (early 1930s) or possibly the third (aboutlegacy of mountain huts scattered across the area lending 1937) built of logs standing only eight feet high (it is smallto the unique character of our High Country. Whilst these and you need to duck through the doorway when youhistoric huts may seem quaint and rustic, when it came to enter). The floor is said to have originally been of stone, butsurviving the wild mountain weather, they literally meant the this has disappeared over time.difference between life and death to cattlemen and women. Arthur Dale, the first Forestry Officer for Mansfield whoBindaree Hut; You will find BINDAREE HUT in the also built the similar Tomahawk Hut is reported to haveshadows of Mt Buller and Mt Stirling. built this hut in the early 30s as he needed huts along hisThe first hut was built here about 1914 and was of patrol lines to find shelter in. In 1937 Bindaree Hut wasvertical slab format. It was presumed to have been built by reported to have been built or rebuilt by Fred Fry (also aJim Ware whose family had the first cattle grazing lease on Forestry Officer and the builder of Frys hut and many morethe Howqua from 1909 to 1932 and built mustering huts in this area), Harry Norris (who also worked for the Stateand stockyards throughout the area. The Ware family also Forestry Commission and was employed to build forestryhad a family property in Merrijig named Bindaree. There is camps and huts in the area, including 8 Mile Hut whicha photograph of Jim Barclay in front of the hut dated 1916. was burnt down by hikers in the 1960s). Harry O\'Brien andJoe McIlroy. It is reported to have been paid for by theMansfield Tourist Association.In the 70s all that remained of the old chimney was theinterior stack of stone as the old log frame and iron hadcollapsed and disappeared over time. Working with thecurrent Parks Ranger, it was replaced with a completelynew fireplace that was rebuilt in 1983 of river stone andmortar (the rocks in the chimney all came from the Howquaout front. It was a club project at the time, my brother Peterhad not long joined the Goulburn Valley 4WD Club and Iwent along to help. We did it from the ground up with areally good mortar mix and it would have had some"boncrete" mix in for good measure. Peter and I took thecement mixer up with the ute. - story from Maurice MoNext to GGS Hut on top of Mt Stirling Dent).16 DECEMBER2021 TRACKWATCH'