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Located at Kellys Lane, Holmes Plain, a part of the Alpine National Park in Victoria.
James Vincent Kelly (Jimmy), son of Pat Kelly who first came to Gippsland in 1872, owned this hut. It was built for him by Denny Connolly and Charlie Howlett in 1934. The Kelly, Higgins and Holmes families were interested in breeding horses hereabouts, for the Indian market.
The area was named after Constantine and James Holmes, and their hut was nearby, but ruined by the 1920's. The chimney footings are visible.
Connolly and Howlett built the hut for James Keely with materials brought in by pack horse. J Norton had previously held the lease but Jim Kelly took it up as soldier settlement in 1920 after the first world war.
The hut has been modified many times over the years. The first was a drop slab building with a gabled roof and half a skillion shed. Vertical slabs and an iron roof were later used, plus an extension to the shed. The chimney has also been altered to an iron version, which is different to the first slab and stone chimney.
Unusually, the chimney is near the door.
Vehicular access to this hut is high clearance AWD and the track is subject to
a seasonal winter road closure from June to November.
Ref:http://www.khuts.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=752:kellys-hut-snowy-plains&catid=69&Itemid=211
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Victoria is Australia's second smallest State and covers only 3% of Australia's land area but has the second highest population of all States and Territories. Victoria's mainland and islands have a total length of 2,512 kilometres coastline which is about 4.2% of Australia's 59,736 kilometres of coastline. Australia is the driest inhabited continent and Victoria is no exception although the state capital Melbourne has the reputation to have 4 seasons in one day. Victoria is located in the southeast of mainland Australia and includes the most southern point on mainland Australia at Wilsons Promontory National Park.