Cirque Hut

[whiskeylover]

The history of Cirque Hut below Barn Bluff? Can anyone give us a history and maybe even some photos. There are archive records of Cirque Hut logbooks from Nov 1974 - Feb 1976 and then from Feb 1983 - Jan 1985. Can anyone shed some light on when it was built, where it was and when it was pulled down and whether there was a fire. Thanks in advance.

[whiskeylover]

Bump. Hoping someone knows a bit about it. Any takers?

[Eott]

From my recollection would have have thought it predated '74 I remember the hut hut had I think potbelly wood stoves that "T" off horizontially thru to one end of the hut that was partitioned off as a drying room where you could hang clothes, It was qutie effective as the stoves could be got very hot. You could cook on top of the stoves also. It's location at the time was I think about 1/2 a K further on from the old Waterfall Valley Hut, I'm not sure where the new huts are in relation to the old hut. I think they may have used this style of hut, pre fuel only status, as a means of supplying a means of supplying cooking facilities that didn't need wood at the time I was there wood was used but I think they may have been thinking of coal for fuel. I've have on idea if this was actually the case just my thoughts as I can recall it actually taking longer to collect firewood at Waterfall Valley than it did to walk there, minimal MIB, but you didn't go around chopping green wood you had to find deadfall. Just to give you an indication of the demand for firewood at the time, I recall counting 34 tents and the hut packed when I was there in January in the early 70's. Others may be able to add more or correct me if I'm wrong.I also have a feeling it was burnt down a not uncommon occurance when huts had fireplaces. Mark

[whynotwalk]

Some good recollections Mark. I stayed there in the early 1980s, when coal was being used as the fuel source. At the time I thought there wasn't a lot going for the hut other than good views over the valley rim towards the east, and the lovely but leaky shingles.

I've managed to dig up a couple of images and a little info. Cirque Hut was built in 1969, and was removed in 1993 (not burned down). It had just one room, and now I quote from some PWS sources.

"The frame of the hut is sawn hardwood. The foundations are constructed of King Billy pine poles, braced sparingly. The flooring is 19mm T&G boards. The roof is oiled King Billy shingles on hardwood batterns. The interior of the hut is clad throughout with masonite. The fireplace is a 'Rommest' pot belly stove. Site also features a toilet."

As for its location, the recorded Easting is 412354, and Northing 5380588.

I hope that helps whiskeylover

cheers

Peter

Cirque Hut in 1987, looking south-east

Looking west, with Barn Bluff in the background

[Son of a Beach]

"...Site also features a toilet."

...and from what I remember, that toilet featured a very large tiger snake that liked to sun itself on the flat rocks just outside the toilet door!

Thanks for these photos though. I only stayed there (and only saw the hut) the one time, so it's good to see some photos of it to help my rather pathetic memory along.

[whiskeylover]

Thanks for that. I always wondered why I had missed seeing it - but that now makes sense as my through trips of the Overland track were all dated after it was removed and it mustn't have been visible from the track to Barn Bluff which I did visit before 1993. Pity they removed it in some ways, but it obviously had some issues both with location in the water catchment and its construction. Keep the info and photos coming. Ta.

[corvus]

Include my thanks for the photos as I also only saw it once,toilet had fantastic views albeit it was on on a big lean
corvus

[tas-man]

Another reference to this hut is on the Kosciusko Huts Association website in their Tasmanian Huts section here:
http://www.khuts.info/Hut%20Profiles%20 ... Cirque.htm

[corvus]

Another reference to this hut is on the Kosciusko Huts Association website in their Tasmanian Huts section here:
http://www.khuts.info/Hut%20Profiles%20 ... Cirque.htm

That is where the "constructed in 1998" is mentioned instead of the correct date which was 1969 I believe.
corvus

[Eott]

Interesting that that they have the construction date as 1998, but the photo taken in 1991.

Mark

[Vagabond]

Hi all,
I don't know whether anyone is still interested in this thread, but I've attached a photo of Cirque Hut. I took it with my Dad's old Yashica on New Years Day 1977 during a trip down the Overland Track with a bunch of my Uni mates.
This was our first major walk in Tasmania though we'd been trekking all over the mainland for sometime. We were all quite young, adventurous and somewhat ill prepared for what Tasmania could bring. We had seven days of excitement as the temperature dropped, the cloud base lowered and the rain and sleet swept over us. It cleared as we were approaching Pine Valley hut.
I remember the hut as being comfortable with a drying area at one end. The long drop dunny was some distance away on the other side of the ridge and had great views out the door back toward Barn Bluff.
Those were the days,
Chris

[corvus]

Nice reminisce Vagabond ,the view from the Dunny was Magical when you could see it
corvus

[Vagabond]

Nice reminisce Vagabond ,the view from the Dunny was Magical when you could see it
corvus

Thanks - after all of the intervening years, I still have very fond memories of that trip. We were on Uni holidays and were in Tasmania for 8 weeks. We completed quite a few walks in that time and well remember looking out on the SW from Strathgordon wondering if I'd ever muster the courage to explore that area. Stories of the King and Clayton families inspired me to try and I've never looked back.

Chris

[Graham17]

Any old maps of Cirque hut I wonder what date demolished?

[Overlandman]

1993