Halls Hut on Lake Malbena handed provisionally heritage listing

The structure known as Halls Hut was built in the 1950s by Reg Hall and Dick Reed and has long been a site of importance for bushwalkers and fly fishers.

The provisional listing is part of an ongoing dispute between ecotourism business Wild Drake and activists who oppose the construction of a proposed luxury standing camp on the same island.

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The provisional heritage listing was granted following a nomination by historian Dr David Young. An opponent of the Wild Drake development, Dr Young said he made the submission as he believed the proposed development would negatively impact the historical hut.

"It's no secret that I'm one of the numerous people in Tasmania, who's opposed to the development that Daniel Hackett has applied for which is currently in deliberation," he said.

"I'm a bushwalker and flyfisher, and I walk a lot in the Central Plateau area, camping and fishing, and that's what spurred me into making the nomination.

"I wouldn't make a nomination of that kind in a frivolous manner."

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Dr Young who worked for Heritage Tasmania for five years said he had never been to Halls Island or seen the hut but knew its history professionally, and was confident it met the required heritage criteria.

Dr Young said for the site to be considered for heritage status it needed to meet one of eight criteria.

The assessment conducted by the Tasmanian Heritage Council found Halls Hut met four of the eight and that it was important to the course or pattern of Tasmania's history; demonstrated a high degree of creative or technical achievement; had a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social or spiritual reasons; and had a special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in Tasmania's history.

Halls Hut owner and Wild Drake operator Daniel Hackett took over the lease of the island in 2018 and said he has always supported the heritage listing and was please with the nomination.

"We welcome it, we've supported it all along. We've contributed more historical materials to the project than anyone else," he said.

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Mr Hackett said the site of the development would not negatively impact the hut but would contribute private funds required to restore the site which has fallen into disrepair.

"The way we position the standing camp since day one has been so that you can't see the standing camp from the heritage hut and vice versa so they both maintain their own sense of space," he said.

"We've done a lot of jobs, fixing chimneys fixing ladders fixing front doors or which have been damaged by other users.

"Unfortunately, we can't do any major works because of the heritage values etc ... and the fact of being nominated for potential listing, there's a bit of a formal process involved."

It is one of six huts in national parks entered in the Heritage Register including Dixons Kingdom Hut, Junction Lake Hut, Du Cane Hut and the Hobart Walking Club Hut. Public comment on the provision listing can be made at www.heritage.tas.gov.au.

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