Numerous huts were built on the eastern side of Mt Wellington during the 19th century, reaching a peak in the 1890's and 1900's, when there were more than 40 such structures; private retreats cut into the thick bush on the lower eastern slopes. Of these, only one, Lone Cabin, is standing today, and it has been re-built several times. Most of the others had fallen victim to bushfires before the first world war (fires have raged through the area six times since 1851 - most recently and catastrophically in 1967.)

Today the only cabins on the mountain are the three council-maintained shelters pictured above, each on or around the Lenah Valley Track; Luckman's Hut, closer to the pinnacle, and the fire lookout near The Organ Pipes.

The highest altitude hut on the mountain was Thark Hut, which fell into ruin long ago. I stumbled upon the remains of it during a blizzard, near the bottom of the saddle of Thark Ridge, on the central plateau. Until that time, I hadn't even known about it. Returning some ten years later, I was unable to find even the modest remains which we'd seen during the snowstorm.