Joe and Peter were first tasked with supervising the construction of a jeep track from King Saddle down to the Howqua River. During October-November 1949, until the new jeep track reached The Monument, they camped in the engineer’s camp at Mirimbah. The route followed existing cattle and mining tracks along the divide between the Delatite and King catchments, over Mount Stirling, then along the divide between the King and Howqua catchments and over The Monument. Just shy of Stanleys Name the track turned south down a long spur to Falls Creek and on to the Howqua River near Bindaree Hut.

Assessment of the timber resources was combined with the ongoing construction of the jeep track from the first camp the assessors set up at a site known locally as ‘The Springs’ in the upper reaches of Bindaree Creek. They used this camp for some weeks. They found some of the best timber in the Howqua catchment in this area. Construction work was initially done with an International TD18 ‘dozer, which proved unreliable. Later, a Caterpillar D7 driven by Bill [Batey?] was used. The camp numbered about eight at this stage.

Joe and Ian Hibbins reconnoitred down to Bindaree Hut ahead of the track works on December 9^th but, while a rough track was pushed through prior to Christmas, the unreliable machine, a wet spring and early summer meant a vehicular track to Bindaree Hut wasn’t completed until January 1950. A heavy snowfall on 20^th December had the crew concerned that they wouldn’t get out for Christmas.

The main camp was moved to Bindaree Hut after the 1949 Christmas break. For about six weeks this was the base camp for the whole assessment which comprised three parties. Other camps were set up on the river downstream at Ritchie’s Hut and upstream at the foot of the Howitt Spur. Horses supplied by Fred Fry and Jack Lovick were used to pack supplies to these camps. At one stage, use was made of the Wangaratta Ski Club hut on Mt Buller. The western extent of the assessment was directly south of Mt Buller on both sides of the river and on the slopes of the mount itself.

Vehicular transport comprised a Ford ex-Army blitz and a 1949 Land Rover. In mid-January, Joe drove the blitz over the Upper Howqua River – the first vehicle ever to do so. After about four weeks in camp, most of the crew took a break and went to the Mansfield races on Australia Day (Monday). One of the chainmen stole the blitz and crashed it into a car in front of the Commercial Hotel; he spent the night in jail. Joe was able to get the rest of the crew back to Bindaree by daylight on the Tuesday.

Through January and February, Joe’s crew of four worked from Ritchie’s Hut. They would walk through the bush on a compass bearing starting from, and either north or south of, the river up to the top extent of the Alpine Ash. On most days they could return in a day. Sometimes they would take a pack and camp at the end of the strip for the night and work back to the river the next day. The assessment project was completed in April or May 1950. The assessment strip lines were laid out at 20-chain intervals and marked on the ground to allow their accurate positioning. They were mapped using Abney levels, steel measuring tapes and prismatic compasses – a process known commonly as a ‘chain and compass survey’.

The initial maps had been compiled by the Lands Department from aerial photographs flown by the RAAF in 1944; some of the first to be prepared in this way for the State. They were relatively simple form-line maps – they did not include contours – because, at this time, the aerial photos did not have vertical control (referenced to known elevations on the ground). To provide vertical control, the assessors used aneroid barometers to determine the relative heights of features throughout the area that were readily identifiable on the photos. The procedure required the assessor to carry three barometers and take altitude readings at the identified features at hourly intervals. At the same time, a member of the crew back at the camp would take readings from a base barometer thereby accounting for variations in atmospheric pressure throughout the day. This process, together with detailed maps and notes made during the stripping process, provided the data necessary for the production of topographical maps.

While the upper reaches of the Howqua River catchment were accessed by logging crews in the late 1950s, the road providing access to the lower reaches, above Sheepyard Flat (Brocks Road) crossed the Howqua in 1963.

These and other notes informed Chapter 6 of the ‘The Howqua Hills Story’. This is an extract from: Graeme Stoney (2020) ‘The Howqua Hills Story’ – Edition 3, which included revision of Chris Stoney’s Editions 1 and 2.)