Home The Story of KHA Links to EVERY Hut How to Join KHALeave a Message for usHow to call or email KHA people Things Happening - Workparties, trips etcPeople in KHA and from the mountainsLinks to Clubs, NPWS etc.
Books about the Snowy and KNP Storytelling Sample Articles from our NewslettersNew Projects that are happening with KHAThe Kosciuszko Plan of Management RenewalMinutes from KHA Committee MeetingsVolunteer Organisations with similar interests to us.Accurate Locations for hutsEmergency Beacons and how to use themTypes of maps, and relative locationsContact points for outdoor gear suppliersValuable documents held in the National Library, for KHA

 

Venables Hut (Plonkeys)

Photograph copyright Olaf Moon © 2002.

Also known as Venables, Plonkeys, Plonks, Lindleys and others! Strictly speaking, Stokes is another ruin, a few metres down the hill, and Lindleys is in the far south of the Goobarragandra. Plonks and Plonkeys are commonly used, but are detrimental to the orginal inhabitant, so Venables is probably the most appropriate name.

Location

Beside a tributary of the Goobarragandra River, on a spur with a great view. The Grid reference is 333764 on the Blowering 1:25,000 map. A GPS position is available.

Brief History

The hut was built by Jack Venables for his own use and to support grazing in the early 1950's.

Jack eventually moved here permanently after being jilted by a woman. The hut received the name Plonkeys, after he was known to enjoy too many liquid lunches. This piece of history is, however, disputed by others.

The hut included at least four other buildings around it, one of which stands today, as a shed. Three others are clearly visible, collapsed on the ground.

The picture above is very recent, being taken in January 2002. It shows the building as a sturdy structure, requiring some much needed TLC. However the panel board may be asbestos cement, making the restoration that much more difficult and costly. A Tumut based team are assessing the options currently, but no Conservation Study exists.

The hut is on an ideal walking path across the northern KNP from Tumut to Peppercorn.

Irwins and Old Stokes ruins are nearby, and Kells is about 7 km up the same valley.

Construction

Stokes is a home built on strong piers, with hardwood timber framing. The lining and some walls is fibro and the roof is iron. The fireplace flue is a massive piece of engineering, being built from welded steel!

NOTE: the wall board of this huts has been tested positive to be made from asbestos, so a special NPWS taskforce will remove it to be replaced by KHA in 2005.

Caretakers - KHA Committee and NPWS

References

  • Hueneke Pp181-182.
  • KHA reference number 0303,
  • KNP POM L.102. There is currently no Conservation Study for this hut.
  • The original Stokes Hut is now a ruin nearby and is Reference number 0301.

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2001 by Kosciusko Huts Association

Copyright for all photographs resides with Olaf Moon unless otherwise indicated, where they reside with the named originator. Apart from any fair dealings for research or critique, KHA and Olaf Moon reserve all rights. No content from this site may be reproduced, used or reused in any format whatsoever, without written authority of the Copyright owners.
Webwork by Olaf Moon of Wildtwo Pty Ltd