ABODE AMONG THE GUM TREES. Acrylic Block

Acrylic block size: 50cm x 18cm (3cm thick) 

About the photograph.

Cascade Hut, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia.

"A day exploring the pilot wilderness area had me return to Cascade Hut late in the day before sheltering for the evening. Representing the iconic cattleman's history of this area, I was keen to capture the hut amongst its Snow Gum surrounds. As the sun set, the hut blended in with the surrounding gum trees while a calm descended on the area with nothing but the sound of nearby birds. A truly peaceful way to end the day in this alpine setting. With a small amount  of snow still left on the ground in the background, it was a reminder that in the depths of winter, this hut has been covered in snow many times in its history." - Scott

Cascade Hut was built for the Nankervis family, owners of Tom Groggin Station, who controlled tens of thousands of acres of alpine grazing land through snow leases or permissive occupancy blocks. Accounts of construction and actual builders vary, but all accounts list 1935 as the year Cascade Hut was built. The hut originally had a bark roof, the bark coming from trees some 200 to 300 metres south of the hut. The bark roof was replaced with a corrugated iron roof in the 1950s when the logs strapped with wire to the ridge pole collapsed from rot. A horse yard to the south was completed soon after the hut. The hut is situated on an old Travelling Stock Route (TSR) and several old stock routes meet near the hut.