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Created by Copilot AI and may not be accurate. Awaiting review
| Built | 1925 by George Fitzgerald for the Johnston family; rebuilt 1976 |
| Condition | ★★★★☆ (intact; main section by booking only) |
| Location | Alpine National Park, VIC – Mt Nelse, GR312217 |
| Alternate Names | Telemark Hut |
| 1925 | Original hut built for summer sheep grazing by Johnston family |
| 1946 | Grazing ceased; hut sold to Telemark Ski Club |
| 1976 | Original hut destroyed by fire; rebuilt by SCEG and Wangaratta Ski Club |
| 1983–Present | Unlocked emergency section enlarged; main section available by booking |
Johnstons Hut was originally built in 1925 by George Fitzgerald for the Johnston family of Tongio, who grazed sheep on the Bogong High Plains until 1946. The hut was later acquired by the Telemark Ski Club and became a popular base for ski touring and bushwalking.
After the original hut was destroyed by fire in 1976, it was rebuilt with support from the Ski Club of East Gippsland and the Wangaratta Ski Club. The current structure includes a locked main section and an unlocked emergency shelter. It remains one of the most accessible and well-equipped huts in the Mt Nelse region.
The hut is a 5.5 × 5.6m timber structure with a skillion extension, built on concrete piers. It features shiplapped hardwood boards, a corrugated iron roof, and a stone fireplace. The locked section includes bunks, gas lighting, stove, shower, and basic supplies. The unlocked section offers a potbelly stove, bunk, and fold-down table.
A long-drop toilet is located nearby. Water is available from a nearby creek and should be treated before use.
Johnstons Hut is managed jointly by the Ski Club of East Gippsland and Wangaratta Ski Club, under a Parks Victoria maintenance agreement. It is protected under alpine hut conservation guidelines and regularly inspected. Booking is required for the main section; the emergency shelter remains open year-round.
Visitors must book the main section via email and collect keys from designated points in Bright or Bairnsdale. The emergency section is available without booking. Interpretive signage is recommended to highlight its grazing origins, ski club legacy, and fire reconstruction. Access is via Heathy Spur or Watchbed Creek from Falls Creek.