Dux Hut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dux Hut
Dux Hut, 1998
Location	Dux Anchorage, South Stradbroke Island, Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1919 - 1930s (interwar period)
Built	c. 1930 - c. 1930
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Dux Hut
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	6 April 1998
Reference no.	602012
Significant period	1920s-1930s (fabric)
Significant components	hut/shack
Builders	Augie Dux
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Dux Hut is a special old hut on South Stradbroke Island in Queensland, Australia. It's a "heritage-listed" place, which means it's important to history and protected. A man named Augie Dux built this hut around 1930. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on April 6, 1998, because of its historical value.

The Story of Dux Hut

Dux Hut was built around 1930. It stands on a piece of land called Oyster Camp Reserve R.638 on South Stradbroke Island. The hut was used by an oysterman named Augie Dux. He worked an oyster bank right across from the hut in Tipplers Passage.

Oyster Farming in Moreton Bay

People have been collecting oysters in Moreton Bay for thousands of years. The local Aboriginal people used them as food. Later, in the 1820s, British convicts collected oyster shells. They burned the shells to make lime, which was used for building.

By 1863, the Queensland government started making rules for oyster farming. They wanted to make sure oysters were collected in a sustainable way. This meant people needed licenses to collect oysters. Later, in 1874, they created leases for larger oyster areas.

Growing the Oyster Industry

By 1886, oyster farms in Moreton Bay stretched for almost 100 miles (160 km). There were many oyster banks and areas available to lease. Moreton Bay was known as a great place for oysters to grow. Many oysters were sent to Melbourne, Australia.

However, the oyster industry faced problems. Sometimes, too many oysters from New Zealand were sold, which hurt Queensland's sales. Also, some people took too many oysters without replacing them. This damaged the oyster banks.

Protecting Oyster Resources

To help the oyster industry, a new law was made in 1886. It encouraged sustainable oyster farming. This law offered longer leases for oyster grounds. It also made rules about the size of oysters that could be sold. Farmers had to make sure they kept renewing their oyster stock.

In 1889, the government created special "oyster camp reserves." These were places where licensed oystermen could set up camps. They could build houses and carry out their oyster farming work. Dux Hut is on one of these old reserves, Oyster Camp Reserve R.638. This reserve was created in 1896.

The Moreton Bay Oyster Company

From the late 1870s to the 1920s, a big company called The Moreton Bay Oyster Company owned many oyster leases. They had camps for their workers on the mainland and on South Stradbroke Island.

However, after 1910, the oyster industry started to decline. A big storm in 1898 split Stradbroke Island in two, which hurt the oyster banks. Other problems included mud worms, competition from New Zealand, and high costs. Even so, The Moreton Bay Oyster Company kept going until 1965. Today, large-scale oyster farming is rare in Queensland. Most people now collect naturally growing oysters.

Augie Dux and His Hut

Augie Dux was born in 1878. His family had been involved in fishing and oyster farming for a long time. Augie worked with his father on oyster banks when he was young. Later, he worked for the Moreton Bay Oyster Company.

In 1928, Augie Dux got a license for Oyster Bank 122 in Tippler's Passage. This bank had been worked by Henry Tippler, an early oyster farmer, since at least 1884. Tipplers Island and Tipplers Passage are named after Henry Tippler.

Around 1930, Augie Dux and his son Stanley built Dux Hut. They used recycled timber from an old house Augie had built in Labrador in 1918. The hut was a simple, one-room building. It was a place for them to stay while working and guarding their oyster bank. Stanley Dux remembered spending most of the week at the hut.

The Dux family also built a jetty in front of the hut. Only a few old stumps of this jetty remain today. The Dux family kept their oyster bank license until 1957. The area in front of their hut became known as Dux Anchorage.

Over the years, the hut has changed a bit. A kitchen was added, and some windows were changed. The metal roof has also been replaced. Since the 1970s, Dux Hut has also been used as a place for recreation, like a holiday shack.

What Dux Hut Looks Like

Dux Hut is on the western side of South Stradbroke Island. It faces Tippler's Passage. The hut is surrounded by native plants, with some open space around it. There are also some large, introduced trees that provide shade.

You can still see timber poles in the water in front of the hut. These are what's left of the old jetty. There is also an oyster bank nearby.

The hut has two main parts. The original part has a pointed, "gable" roof and sits on timber stumps. The second part is an extension built after 1957. It has a sloping, "skillion" roof and sits a bit lower.

The Original Hut

The original part of the hut is just one room. Its frame is made of posts and thin tree branches. These pieces are held together with wire, string, nails, and simple wooden joints. Some of the string ties are newer.

The outside walls are covered with different pieces of corrugated iron. Inside, you can see where windows used to be, but they are now covered with iron. There is one window on the western side that opens outwards.

The floor is made of timber boards, covered with pieces of old linoleum. The room has several single beds.

The Extension

On the northern side of the original hut is an extension. It's lower and has a skillion roof. It's also built with a timber frame and corrugated iron walls. However, the timber used here is cut wood, not just branches. The corrugated iron sheets are larger.

This extension has big openings, similar to the window in the original hut. There are also doors on the western and northern sides. Inside, there's a sink and a counter, with some simple furniture.

Why Dux Hut is Important

Dux Hut was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on April 6, 1998. This means it's recognized as an important historical place for several reasons:

A Link to Queensland's Past

Dux Hut helps us understand the history of oyster farming in Moreton Bay. It shows how important the oyster camp reserves were. These reserves allowed oystermen to live and work near the oyster banks. The hut is still there, across from an oyster bank that has been used since at least 1884.

A Rare Example

People who know the area say that Dux Hut is one of only a few oystermen's huts left in southern Moreton Bay. This makes it a rare and special part of Queensland's history.

Showing How Things Were Built

Even with some changes, Dux Hut still looks like a simple oysterman's camp. It's small, simply designed, and made from recycled materials. It didn't have many modern comforts. With the added kitchen and other changes, it also shows how these huts were later used as simple beach shacks for fun.

Beautiful Location

Dux Hut is also important because of its beautiful location by the bay. Its simple, rustic way of being built helps it fit in well with the natural landscape.