Bushfolds No.6 Hut
Located in the newer part of Namadgi, at the southern end of the Bushfold Flat, behind Mt Tennent. The other hut, also referred to as Reads or Bushfold or McMahons sat at the northern end of Bushfold Valley.
There is much debate over the correct naming of this hut. "Reads" is generally considered the historically correct name, but local farmers and personalities more commonly refer to it as "Dr Pearsons". Bushwalkers tend to call it Bushfold.
History
Bushfold sections 110, 111, 112 and 113 were first selected in the 1880s by members of the McKeahnie Family, who held Booroomba Station nearby. The original hut was built in 1884 and sat to the south-east of the current structure where only stones remain today. McKeahnies later built a tin hut south-west but stones from the chimney have not been re-located since the 1970s.
After 1902, Martin and Tom McMahon took up some sections and Martin built a slab hut at the current location. There blocks became part of Booromba until John Hyles bought the station in 1952. Hyles then sold Bushfold to George Read in 1953. George's son Russell paid off the northern section, known then as McMahons.
In 1954, George and Russell built this hut. In about 1965, the section and hut were sold to Dr Hugh Pearson and his wife, Peg. Pearson later died in a car accident near by and the property passed to Brian McCormack until the lease expired in March 1994.
The hut was built in two sections. The southern end had a concrete floor and the northern end, added by Pearson, was left as a garage wtih dirt floor.
Subsequently, the hut was slightly damaged by the 2003 bushfires. (It is shown below in January 2003 following this damage). The Parks Service and NPA volunteers subsequently pulled the building down and cleared this site and Reeds.
On September 19, 2003, the Namadgi Park Board agreed to allow KHA to rebuild the hut on the same site. Rebuilding commenced in May 2004 and three workparties, one during light snow, had completed it to "enclosed state" by September 2004. The new hut is identical in size, but the timber framing is slightly heavier.
See the second page, Reeds, for details on the huts at the northern end of Bushfold.
Construction
Iron walls and roof, over a concrete slab. Two rooms with a brick fireplace. The chimney is unusual in that it was made from a ships boiler in welded steel.
References
- Matthew Higgins Namadgi Sites 1994 p7.
- Val Jeffreys - pers comm
- Steve Angus - pers comm.