Click on this link to navigate to information and the history of the Stones Outstation

Historic pictures of Stones Outstation that have been located via various sources. If you are able to contribute any additional historic pictures please contact the Webmaster of this site.

On Saturday 28 July 2007, Gavin, Ray, Mick, Kevin and Matt headed out to Stones Outstation Hut for a site assessment and to carry out a basic clean-up of the site. (On the approval for the go ahead being granted by the Park Ranger who we were meeting at the gate at 10am.) We waited for the Ranger until 11am at which time he hadn't arrived so we walked in to carry out only the site assessment. Luckily the dead Roo by the hut door that Mick and Steve had reported on there last visit had been cleared away. Photos: Ray & Matt

15-16 September 2007 - Working Bee. We have been chasing a hut in the Lake Eildon National Park for awhile now and we recently recieved permission from Parks Victoria to commence work on it. Ok so the first weekend of work at stones outstation went a little like this......... Gav, WayneP, myself and my girlfriend Jennifer rocked up at the turnoff to Stones Outstation around 3:00pm on the Friday afternoon, it was drizzling with rain but wasn't unbearable. We spent some time carting all our gear from the cars down to the hut, which wasn't as hard as I first thought it might be. With the aid of wheel barrows and back packs we soon had everything we needed down at the hut. We cut some fallen timber that was near the hut and soon had a great fire going and were chatting about this and that over a few beers, we didnt do anything in the way of work on the hut on the Friday but started with that on the Saturday. Saturday morning arrived and the weather was fantastic we got up and had a cuppa or two and then headed up to the cars and the start of the walking trail to Stones. First thing on the agenda was to clear the track from the turnoff sign to the hut, the first section of which was very overgrown. After a bit of playing around with one of the brushcutters (with no success), which was playing up, we started on the track clearing with a good Sthil unit that WayneP had brought with him, it made light work of the first section and we soon could see clearly through the scrub. By this time the rest of the crew had arrived and we then headed down to the hut to make a start down there. We started by clearing around the base of the hut, which has sunk into the ground and is what is causing most of the rot to the structure. We removed some of the pailings on the walls to get some air flowing through the hut in an attempt to dry it out a little and also put some silicon over the holes in the roof. Next up we cut some new poles for the hut we needed 9 all up. Our plan is to use hi lift jacks and acro props to lift and support each side of the hut in turn, so we can remove the old rotten posts and replace them with nice new ones. At the same time we will be able to cure the lean the hut has developed over the years. We will also be raising the hut and raising the floor level at the same time with the soil removed from the exterior. We will also try to create a way for the water coming off the roof to run away from the hut rather than into it. So after the work on Saturday we all settled in for a roast dinner and plenty of beers and camp fire chit chat. Sunday morning was spent packing up and getting everything back up the hill to the cars, but not before a group photo..... Trip Report: Mick. Photos: Ray.

22-23 September 2007 - Working Bee. Well the second weekend at Stones went well and we managed to replace all the upright posts on the hut, Gavin, Mick, Stevo, Wayne, Dean, Matt, Ray and kids attended this working bee. Gav had already arrived at Stones a day before myself and Stevo got there on the Friday afternoon, after a quick trip with the barrows we had our stuff down at the hut and hopped into a couple cold beers. Saturday morning started with the removal process of the front side of the hut. First we used high lift jacks to lift the hut out of the ground whilst doing this we realised that most of the main vertical posts were just sitting on top of the ground and not actually in the ground. Once the side of the hut was off the ground we used acrow props to hold it up in position we then set about removing the old rotten posts. When the posts were out of the way we dug new holes into the ground for the nice new posts we had already cut the weekend before. Once all the holes were dug on that side we poured some quick set cement into the 2 corner post holes and let it set while we had a beer break. The purpose of the quick set cement was to form a footing for the post to avoid it sinking into the ground again as it had done before. Then we started with measuring and cutting the new posts to fit into their respective positions along the front side of the hut. One by one these posts were cut and fitted to the structure when the front side poles were replaced and nailed into position we lowered the jacks and removed the acrow props and started on the second side. By around 4:00pm on the Saturday we had all the posts replaced and were all pretty stuffed but happy with the result. We still have to finish off the fireplace and come up with a plan to finish off the bottom edge of the hut where the inside panels have all rotted away from moisture. Trip Report: Mick Photos: Ray & Matt.

13-14 October 2007 - Working Bee. Stevo, Matt, Ray and Gavin arrived at the campsite Friday and had a lovely dinner of roast pork, vegies with gravy or apple sauce all cooked in the camp oven by Stevo then an early night to bed Up early Saturday to start work on the hut, Ray and Steve cleaned out the dirt and rubble around the fireplace before Steve was alarmed by the presence of a snake perse, whilst Matt and Gavin levelled the high ground areas around the outside of the hut. Jason and his son Noah arrived to help with the timber slabs on the chimney, before Clarkie and Justin also arrived. Jason had to leave early to get his son off to work, Clarkie and Justin needed to find some tracks in Toolangi, Steve also needed to be home and Matt left with Steve, leaving Ray and Gavin for a dinner of roast souvlaki marinated lamb and roast vegies and gravy for two. Sunday up early, a hearty breakfast then into the paving of the fireplace hearth and inside the doorway, after Ray had finished the bricks we moved dirt into the hut to raise the floor level to help prevent seepage. Trip Report: Gavin Photos: Ray & Matt.