Photos
| Built | 1935 by stockmen from the Barry Way region |
| Condition | ★★★★☆ (well-maintained, popular rest stop) |
| 1935 | Constructed by stockmen for summer grazing in Pilot Wilderness |
| 1970s–80s | Used by bushwalkers and cross-country skiers; minor repairs |
| 2000s–present | Integrated into Australian Alps Walking Track; maintained by NPWS |
Cascade Hut was built in 1935 by stockman Bill Nankervis and others as a grazing shelter in the southern part of Kosciuszko National Park. Originally roofed with bark, the hut’s early photographs from the 1940s show its rustic alpine character, typical of high-country slab huts built for practical use during summer grazing seasons. The hut is located near the Cascades, about 50 metres off the fire trail between Dead Horse Gap and the Tin Mines, and has long served as a waypoint for bushwalkers and skiers exploring the region.
In the early 1970s, Cascade Hut was restored by the Illawarra Alpine Club, who have maintained it ever since alongside other nearby huts like Tin Mines and Charlie Carters. The restoration included replacing the bark roof with corrugated iron and dri-creting the dirt floor in 1976. A raised timber sleeping platform was added, along with a rock hearth fireplace and an external toilet. The hut’s enduring presence and careful upkeep have made it a beloved stop for generations of outdoor enthusiasts.
Cascade Hut also holds a place in Australian literary history, having inspired Elyne Mitchell’s *Silver Brumby* novels. The surrounding landscape, with its snow gum woodlands and rugged ridgelines, evokes the spirit of the high country that Mitchell captured in her writing. Today, the hut stands not only as a relic of alpine grazing but as a cultural landmark, maintained through decades of volunteer stewardship and cherished by those who walk its trails.1
The hut is a compact timber structure with corrugated iron cladding, a pitched roof, and a stone fireplace. It features a single room layout with timber bunks, a small verandah, and a drop toilet nearby. The original design has been preserved with minor upgrades for durability.
ERROL SCAMMELL-Jnterviewed by Klaus Hueneke, 5/3/1982. 2
KH: Don and Rob!
ES: Benson, they're Bensons.
KH: One of them built Cascade hut and it wasn't the same one that built the riverstone huts.
ES: That would be Rob I'd imagine. They had another friend of theirs, Jack Cox used to work with them - Nankervis' had him working for them.
...
ES: ...I don't know anything about the hut at Cascades because it was an old hut when I was there. I was there ahead of Bensons.
KH: There was an old hut at the Cascades, when was that?
ES: When I was there it would be in the early 30s.
KH: Well this hut that's there today was built by Don in 1935 I reckon.
ES: That could be right.
KH: Then there was a hut there before that?
ES: Oh yes, well I camped there in a hut with the Nankervis'.
KH: But not with Jimmy!
ES: Jimmy was never out there in my time, Jimmy was only a boy.
...
ES: Is that the Cascade hut?
KH: Yes, with a bark roof.
ES: That's different from when I was there. He come there after I was out there. That is the way they built the bark huts though.
GEORGE DAY - Interview by Klaus Hueneke, 3 March 1982. 3
GD: No. I got the key off the ranger at Jindabyne and Bill took his Landrover and he let us through the place at the Cascade hut, the track turns off.
KH:So you could drive in some distance?
GD: We drove right to the Cascade hut, save taking a pack horse. Gordon drove the 4-wheel drive in, we'd led his horse along.
Cascade Hut is listed in the KNP Plan of Management Schedule and supported by a KHA Conservation Brief. It lies within a remote wilderness zone, requiring active stewardship and seasonal monitoring.
Cascade Hut is associated with the middle phase of pastoral use and has a long association with the Nankervis local family. It provides evidence of a long history of use and conservation by recreation-based caretaker groups. It is listed as a historic item for cultural heritage values on the Register of the National Estate
The site is managed by NPWS with support from the Illawarra Alpine Club, ensuring its continued role as a safe haven for backcountry travelers.
Notes from 'Kosciuszko National Park Huts Conservation Strategy' October 20054