Of the hut I bolted: A preliminary account

of prefabricated semi-cylindrical huts in

Australia
Iain Stuart
Prefabricoted semi-cylindricol huts haue been a familiar element of Australia's orchitectural landscape. Many of the postwar generation would haue slept, eaten, been taught or possibly been conceiuedin such a hut. Often simply called Nissen
Huts, they were common feotures of military bases, migrant comps, hospitals and educational institutions. Howeuer,
recent researchhas shown that not much is hnown about the hutsand their history in Australia and that there is a need
for some more precise occounts of their types and uariety. The aim of the paper is not to prouide a definitiue account of
the Nissen,Quonsetqnd similor huts, but to mahe some preliminary commentson the occurrence of the types in Australia

Introduction
This paper is the result of researchthat I undertookwhen
requestedto assessfour small and two large semi-cylindrical
huts at the former East Hills Migrant Barracks site near
Sydney.lInitially,
the huts were assumedto be Nissenhuts or
possiblythe Americanversion,the Quonsethut. The research
was directedinto how to tell one from the other in order to
assesstheir significanceas buildingtypes. The mdn difficulty
was in finding sufficientinformationon prefabricatedsemicylindricalhuts to enablethe hut types to be identified.lt was
assumed,becauseof theirubiquitousnature,that therewould
be a considerableamount of informationavailablein Australia
and overseas.A number of likely sources were searched
without success, The lack of informationabout huts was
somewhatsurprising,as they seemedto be a common itemon
militarybases and other institutionssuch as hospitalsand
migrantcamps.'
The resultsof the researchare presentedbelow as a guideto
prefabricatedhuts. The aim of the
identifyingsemi-cylindrical
paper is not to providea definitiveaccount of the Nissenand
the QuonsetHuts, but to provideinformationon the natureof
the huts, how to distinguishbetween the types and some
preliminary
commentson theiruse in Australia.lt is hopedthat
this will assistthosefaced with a semi-cylindrical
hut to assess
by providingsome contextfor the assessment.

The Nissen hut and its derivatives

One of the difficultiesof war has always been the need to
accommodatethe troops. Often the soldierswere billetedin
requisitioned
houses,in tents or slept in the open. Campaigns
were often limitedby the needs of accommodationand had
distinctwinterphaseswheretroopswent into 'winterquarters'.
With the adventof mass mobilisationsuch as occurredin the
WorldWar lthe demandfor accommodationsoon outstripped
availablebarracksor what could be requisitioned.Moreover,
the demandfor accommodationwas often not where existing
buildingscould be readilyadapted or erected.Tents were of
limiteduse as they providedlittle shelterfrom the elements,
particularlyin the Europeanwinter.So with the age of mass
armiesand total war came a need ior mass accommodation.
It is not surprisingthen that duringthe courseof WorldWar I a
design for a prefabricated,portable multi-purposehut was
developed,in France,by a servingofficer.3
Between'l6 and 18

April 1916, Major Peter Nissenof the 29th Company,Royal

Engineers,
beganto experimentwith hut designs.Nissen,a
middle-agedminingengineerand inventor,constructedthree
prototypesemi-cylindrical
huts.The semi-cylindrical
shapewas
derivedfrom the drill-shedroof at QueensUniversity,
Kingston,
Ontario.Nissen'sdesignwas subjectto intensivedesignreview
by his fellowofficers,Lt ColonelsShelly,Sewell,McDonaldand
GeneralLiddell.After the third prototypewas completed,the
design was formalisedand the Nissen Hut was put into
productionin August1916."At least100,000were produced
in WorldWar I to two basicdesigns:a 16ft span (oftencalleda
'Bow' hut) and a 24ft span (oftencalled a 'hospital').5
There
was also a 30ft-spanhut in production.
Twofactorsinfluencedthe ultimatedesignof the hut. Firstly,the
building had to be economic in its usage of materials,
especiallyconsideringwar-timeshortagesof buildingmaterial.
Secondly,the buildinghad to be portableso that it could easily
be moved to where the accommodationwas required.This
was particularlyimportantin view of the war-timeshortagesof
shippingspace. Inevitablythis led to a simple form that was
prefabricated
for easeof erectionand removal.The Nissenhut
could be packedin a standardBritishArmy wagon and erected
by six men in four hours.The world record time for erection
was t hour,27 minutes.G
In the post-warperiod Nissen,who had patentedthe design,
attempted to adapt the . basic hut design to commercial
housing,seeingin the hut the solutionto the housingshortage.
Despitesome initialpromise,successwas limited.T
During World War ll, the Nissen hut was put back into
productionalong with a similartype, the Romneyhut, whose
history is unclearas yet. According to Francis,the lris and
Romney huts were designed by the British Directorateof
Fortifications,
at RomneyHouse,London.Productionof the lris
was discontinuedas the tubingused in its structureprovedtoo
flimsybut the Romneywas in productionthroughoutthe war.8
The RomneyHut was 35ft wide x 17ft 6in high with ribs at 8ft
centres.The normallengthwas 96 ft. The ribs are describedas
being2.5inof squaretubularsteelwith steelanglepurlinsof 1%
in x 1"/qin. The exteriorwas covered with corrugated steel
sheeting.Therewere slidingdoors, 1Oft8?in wide and 13ft
high,at eitheror both endsof the building.'g
Many other types of hut were producedin Britainsuch as: A,
B, X, Y & Z type timberhuts,lgloosheds,Jane huts,Marston
historic environmentvolume19 number1 2OO5

5 I

sheds, Seco huts, Ctesiphonhuts, Quetta huts and various

types of concreteand asbestoshuts.1o
The Nissenhut was still
in use and there are photographsof Nissenhuts in use during
the FalklandWar. A Nissen hut brieflyappears in the movie
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

American huts
ln the USA,the Quonsethut and its derivatives
weredeveloped
in the 1940s as the threatof war developed.The Quonsethut
was designedby GeorgeA. Fullerand Co. in March 1941 at
the requestof AdmiralBen Morreell,Chief of the Navy Yards
and Docks. Fullerswere given60 daysto deliverthe firstorder.
After studying the Nissen hut, they designed a simplified
versionand first hut was builtat QuonsetPoint,Rhodelsland."
Possiblythis design periodwas a ruseto get aroundNissen's
patent. The design is referredto as being copied by Scottl2
while Rogerscommentsthat 'the AmericanNavyinventedthe
Q uons ethut ' . 13
The initialdesignhad two distinguishing
features:the ribs were
T- shaped,althoughwithoutthe hook bolt, on an 8ft radiusat
4ft intervals (i.e. a 16ft span). The curve of the arch
commencedat ground level.The firstQuonsetHut of this type
was s hippedt o E n g l a n di n J u n e1 9 4 1 .' o
A revised design used a unique steel-archeddb and this
becamethe principaldistinguishing
featureof the Quonsethut
designs.The steelarchedrib was made of a weldedstrip steel
member 2in by 3%in. This member was made from two
lightweightrolled steel, U-shaped,channelswelded together
and containinga groovethat held nails.The rib was curvedto
startthe inwardcurveof the structureat 4ft abovethe ground.
The claddingwas nailedto the steel rib and an interiorlining
could also be nailedto the rib. This speeded and simplified
assembly.This form of Quonsethut was termedthe 'Quonset
redesigned'.The basic dimensionsremainedat 16ft by 36ft.
Quonset huts came in two sizes: normal, of 20ft span, or
Warehouse(sometimescalled Elephantor SMR Hut) of 40ft
span. The Warehouse used a slightly different structural
system.The mdn structuralribswerecreatedby a thin steelUshaped section punch-joinedand spot-welded to two Lshapedmembers.Theseformeda curvedrib, 6in deep, which
was supportedby 18 rivetedmetal purlins,which were 2%oin
thick.Cross-braceswerespecifiedin a 1947planfor a Type'B'
building;'sthese were not apparenton the buildingsat East
Hills.This formed a basic frame of the building.The ribs were
attachedto a sillchannelplate(formingthe wall plate)boltedto
concretefoundations.The exteriorwalls were corrugatediron
attachedto purlinsbetweenthe ribs by nails,as for the smaller
Quonsets.The ends had provisionfor a highdoor,'14ft wide by
13ft6in.

52

Australian usage

'l

Australianswould have first encounteredthe Nissen hut in

World War l, as numerousexampleswere used in the British
lines in France and in the camps in the United Kingdom in
Nissen
1917-18.lmagesfrom the periodwhilenot highlighting
huts do show numerousexamplesin France.For example,23
Nissenhuts are shown in a photographof the ANZAC Camp
near Dickebushtaken on 15 November1917, while 26 are
visiblein an imageof the AustralianCorps Headquarters
on 21
November1917.'eDuring World War ll, many Australians,
particularlythose in the RAF and RAAF, would have
encounteredNissen huts, which were extensivelyused to
houseaircrewon the airfieldsconstructedduringthis time.'?o
It is often stated or imoliedthat the Nissenhuts were erected
in AustraliaduringWorldWar ll. Howeverthere is no evidence
that the Nissenhut was imoortedor manufacturedin Australia
during this war, although the Australianmilitary erected a
considerablenumber of huts to standardiseddesigns,which
includeda semi-cylindrical
wooden 'Bow Hut' and a semicylindricalhut made of 'Fibrolite',Therewas also a large 100ft
by 60ft semi-cylindrical
Armco hut in use.
Thereis a file on the pool of Prefabricated
Huts establishedin
AustralianLines of Communication(L of C) during the war.2i
The filecommenceswith the issuingof a memo establishinga
'pool' of 200 prefabricatedhuts in L of C areas in Australia
(QuartermasterGeneral to GOC NSW t of C Area,
24/11/1942).Two typesof hutswere in the pool;a plywoodhut
1Sft by 12ft and a masoniteand/or iron (corrugatedor plain)
hut 16ft by 12tf..In a subsequentmemo MajorGeneralFewtrell,
GOC NSW L of C Area,notedthat in fact plywoodwas in short
supply and that the masonite hut type was more waterresistantespeciallyif it had a metalroof : 'lt is found that, while
masonitestands up reasonablywell for walls,for roofs under
steamy, wet and dry conditions, it buckles and is not
satisfactory'(4/1/1943). But steelwas a strategicmaterialand
General
despiteattemptsto get steelroofs,the Quartermaster
insistedthat masoniteroofs be used (23/7/1943).Some 185
huts were manufacturedby F.C.W Powell& Sons in Sydney(in
early 1943) and later C. Davis & Sons of Adamstown(NSW)
undertook a contract fol1000 to a modified 'Queensland
design'.This was part of a contractof 5000 huts constructed
in NSW,Victorianand Queenslandin April 1944.22
Presumably,
if Nissen or other hut semi-cylindrical
types were available,
these would have,beenused or at leastmentionedin this file.

Productionof the hutswas initiallyat the U.S.Navy'stemporary

advancedfacilitiesat West Dainsville,
Rhodelsland.Production
was latermoved to the Stran-SteelDivisionof the GreatLakes
Steel Corporation. Stran-Steel'ceased production of the
Quonsetin 1959.16

There was an extensivemanufacturingprogram to produce

Prefabricated
Huts on behalfof the UnitedStatesArmy during
World war Two. The Allied Works Council undertook this
program with productionin New South Wales.23
There is a
detailedhistoryon US prefabrication
that containsboth written
and photographicdocumentationin the NationalArchives.2a
The file shows that these buildingswere timber-framedwith
asbestos cement or galvanisediron cladding. There is no
evidence of the Nissen or other types being produced in
Australiaor importedto meet US requirements.

Some 170,000 huts were constructed and used for any

purpose imaginable.They formed part of prefabricatedbase
facilitiesthat could be deployedaroundthe world.17For those
who recallthe T.V.seriesMcHale'sNavy,most of the buildings
were Quonset Huts. They were also used in Korea and
.1970s,
Vietnam.By the
the use of the QuonsetHut was being
discontinuedas stocks ran down.18

Duringthe War,a largenumberof new baseswerecreatedand

existing ones were expanded. For example, camps at
Ingleburnand at Greta (NSW)were createdin 1939 to house
brigade-sizedunitsfor the 2nd AIF Woodenhuts were erected
to the 'P -l' designratherthan Nissenhuts.Similarly,
at the
(NS\A/)
created
in
1942 or at the BoganGate
baseat Wallgrove
(NSW) Ammunition Depot25,Nissen huts were not used.

historic environmentvolume1I number1 2005

At RAAF Wagga constructed from 1939 onwards,

accommodationwas providedin 'C' type huts. Nissen huts
were only used in the post-war era.26In all these cases, if
Nissen huts had been availableduring the War, surelythey
would have been used, as they were extensivelyused on
similarsites in the UnitedKingdom.Instead,standarddesigns
usingwoodenframesand galvanisediron or asbestoscement
sheetswere used." lt is thereforeconcludedthat Nissenand
Romneyhutswere not used in AustraliaduringWorldWar ll, as
there is no evidencein the specificationsfor constructionon
militarysites brought into use at that time of these hut types
beingused.28
With the adventof the US militaryin Australia,it is presumed
that the Quonsethut and Warehouseswere also erectedat US
bases;thereis evidencefrom photographsand plansthat this
is what occurred. This seems however to be limited to
Queensland,whereat leastfour huts havebeen identified.re

Huts for the immigration program

At the end of WorldWar ll, Australiaembarkedon an ambitious
programof immigration.
ln 1947 the Ministerfor lmmigration,
ArthurCalwellannouncedan intakeof 70,000 immigrantsper
year.3oBetween 1947 and 1951 some 310,OOOassisted
settlersarrivedcomprising165, 000 DisplacedPersonsand
120,000 British immigrants,as well 160,000 self-funded
immigrants.3lOne of the practical problems was where to
house them (especiallyconsideringthe widespreadhousing
shoftage of the immediatepost-war period). Militarybases
were a convenientsolutlonas they had accommodationand
were owned by the Commonwealth.Although some bases
were locatednearcapitalcitieswhere immigrantswould hope
to settle,most of the largerbases were locatedfor strategic
reasonsin North Queensland.As well, some accommodation
was in tents, which were clearlyunsuitable.As a result,new
camps had to be constructedand existingones enlarged.
It was recognisedat the highest levels that some form of
temporaryaccommodationwas necessaryand it seems that
the Commonwealth Government, through the High
Commissionerin London,began negotiationsto obtainstocks
of Nissenhuts. Two sourceswere investigated:purchaseof
second-handhuts from dealers and purchase of new huts
through the British Ministry of Works. Mr W. P. Brown a
'technicalrepresentative
of the CommonwealthExperimental
BuildingStation'was based at AustraliaHouse, London,and
he was involvedin the purchasenegotiations,
Brown noted that 'the usual procedureis for dealersin this
countryto buy blocks of the huts as they stand all over the
country.After dismantlingthem and sortingout all the pieces
capableof repairfrom those which have to be discarded,the
dealersthen reconditionthe piecesand rearrangethem in hut
sets for sale' (Memo dated 22 April 1949, to the High
Commissioner).3'zThe
BritishMinistryof Works controllednew
huts, and after some Australianapproaches (seemingly
involvingthe Prime Minister),the Ministryof Works offered
Australia,660new 36ft x 16ft Nissenhuts at egO each. They
also offered200 60ft x 24ft Nissen huts for e147 and .l00
Romneyhuts,96ft x 35ft, at e0 (Memo dated22 April 1949,
to the DirectorGeneral,Works and Housing33).
SubsequentlyBrown noted that 'new' actually meant
'unissued'and that 'some [ofl the materialhas been in stock
for a considerable
time'. Some of the comoonentswere rusted

and would require treatment or possible replacement.The

British Ministry of Works agreed to supply 5% additional
corrugatediron sheetsto cover defectivesheets(Memodated
27 May 1949, to the DirectorGeneralof the Departmentof
Works).saBrown also requested advice from Australia on
whetherfittingssuch as dormerwindows and extraventilators
were required.lt is not clearwhetherthese were supplied.
It is commonlystated that the huts used in MigrantCentres
were acquiredfrom ex-AustralianArmy stocks made surplus
afterthe conclusionof the war.35
This is not true for the Nissen,
Romneyand both types of Quonsethuts; they were imported
along with the immigrants.Thereis no doubt that other Army
hutssuch as the wooden 'P' type hutswere usedfor immigrant
housing but these were infrastructurealready in place on
existingbases (e.9. Greta,Wallgrove).The MigrantCentre at
East Hills, although on Commonwealth land, was a new
constructionthat utilisedSAARHuts and Quonsethuts for the
administrationbuildings and Nissen huts for migrant
accommodation.s6
This seems to have been a relatively
common practice,with the Romney and larger Nissen huts
perhapsreplacingthe SAARhuts as they were of similarsize.
Apart from obtainingimmigrantNissenand Romneyhuts from
the UnitedKingdom,two typesof QuonsetHutswere salvaged
from United States bases in Manus lsland and shipped to
Australia.Thesewere 100ft x 40ft warehousehuts (laterreferred
to as SMR Huts37)
and 56ft x 20ft huts. The smallerQuonset
huts are referredto in the files as being Type A and Type E
(howeverthe drawingsin the filesreferto TypesB and C!).38
In a memorandumdated 18 January 1950 the following
informationwas givenregardingavailablehut types.3s
Table1 Availablehut typesJanuary1950
Ordered

Received

NissenHuts
36'x 16'

330

245

Ex Ministrvof Works
Ex A.J. Andersonand Co

165

110

NissenHuts
96'x24'
Ex Ministryof Works

50

Ex A.J. Andersonand Co

85

20
0

Romney Huts
96' x 35'
Ex Ministrvof Works

20

zv

Ex Manuslsland

42

4Z

SAAR Huts
100' x 40'
Ex Manuslsland

30

30

QuonsetHuts
56'x 20'

However,it is not clearwhetherthesefiguresreferto shipments

Australia-wide
or only to SouthAustralia.
In a memoto the Secretaryof Treasurydated 6 April .1950, the
DirectorGeneralof Works notes that 'when the first stage of
the constructionprogram for accommodatingDisplaced
Personmigrantsis completedapproximately1000 Nissenand
45 Romneyhuts will be availablefor the second stage, which
will provideaccommodationfor Britishunsponsoredmigrants
and theirfamilies'.ao
historic environment volume 19 number '12005

53

Figure 1 Planshowingthe conversionof a NlssenHut into migrant

accommodation.

Figure 2 NlssenHul near Bungil'sShelter(Victoria),now a drsused

farmbuilding.(1.Stuart)

The memo continuesto advisethat, while in the first stagethere

were ten persons to a Nissen Hut, in the second stage it was
envisagedthat 'one migrant,his wife and their dependants'
would be allocatedto a small Nissen Hut (presumablya 30' x
'16'one as this was the smallesttype).The Romneyhuts were
mainly used for recreationpurposes. lt was estimatedthat 'at
least' 1500 more NissenHuts and 50 RomneyHuts would be
required.The BritishMinistryof Workscould supplythe lot for
about e20,26'l5. lt was proposedto allocate300 Nissensand
30 Romneysto NSW,400 Nissensand 20 Romneysto Victoria
and 300 Nissensto SouthAustralia.al

By 1952-53 however,it is apparentthat there were surplus

huts. In September1953 the Departmentof Works in South
Australiaadvertisedthe sale of materialto make 357 Nissen
huts30' x 16' w i de and 78 N i ssenH uts60' x2 4', as sur plus
to requirements.
As well,the componentsto make incomplete
versionsof 16 Quonsethuts and 1 SAARwere put up for sale.
These huts lacked materialto make ends or lining.Without
going into specificdetailsall the huts sold at well below their
'book value',for example36' x 16' huts sold on averagefor
e76, almosthalf of the 'book value' of e 150.43

However,it seems that prices were checked and better prices

and deliverywere offered by second-handbuildingdealers,
notablyUniversalSupplies(Belvedere)
Ltd, A.J. Anderson& Co
Pty Ltd and UtilityBuildings,Perth.In a furtherMemorandum
(dated 12 July 1950) the following quotations to supply
buildingswere accepted.a2

Many CommonwealthDepartmentsreceivedtheir Nissenhuts

aroundthis time includingthe Army and the RAAF.Huts were
also sold as the immigrationprogramwound down and as the
Commonwealth Government began to provide better-quality
accommodation.Huts began to find civilianuses typicallyas
farm buildingsor as garages.Establishing
the full rangeof uses
and adaptationsof the huts is an interestingchallengefor the
futureand an added dimensionfor heritageassessment.

This information,althoughincompleteto some degree,gives

an indicationof the size of the huts-for-immigrants
program
duringthe late 1940s.
Table 2
Accepted quotes for supply of prefabricated huts
Accepted Quotation

54

Gost
(per hut)

UniversalSupplies(Belvedere)
Ltd
1000 Nissenhuts 36' x 16' with outer lining
of new corrugatediron and innerliningof
second hand iron

t118.0.0

A.J. Anderson& Co Pty.Ltd

470 NissenHuts 36' x 16' with outer lining
of second hand corrugated iron and without
innerlining.

t82.10.0

65 NissenHuts 60' x 24' with outer lining

of 24' gauge aluminiumsheetingand without
innerlining

1293.0.0

UtilityBuildings,Perth
400 NissenHuts36'x 16'with outerlining
of 24' gaugealuminiumsheetingand without
innerlining

t113.0.0

137 NissenHuts 60' x 24' with outer lining

of second hand corrugatediron and without
innerlining

e245.0.0

historic environment volume 19 number '12005

Figure 3 Detalls of Nr.ssenHut construction; nate the curved T-shaped

rib and the timber flooring. (1.Stuaft)

Table3 Distinguishingfeaturesbetweenhut types

Span

Distance
between ribs

Natureof ribs

Attachment of cladding

16ft

6ft 0.5',

SteelT shape

Hook bolt to
wooden purlins

24ft

6ft 0.5"

Steel T shape

Hook bolt to
wooden purlins

16ft

4ft

SteelT shape,
2inby 2? in

Nailedonto wooden
purlins(no hook bolts)

16ft

4ft

LightweightSteel
two channelswelded
together2in x 3? in,

Wooden studs are placed

betweenthe ribs and
sheetsnailedto them.

20ft

4ft

Romney

3sft

8ft

2.Sinsquare
tubularribs

Notsure,
boltsor screws?

SMR/Quonset
warenouse

4Oft

4ft centres

Lightweightsteel
section with two
'l- shapedpieces
weldedto top and
bottom, 6 in

18 purlins,galvanised
iron nailsthrough
galvanisediron into
metalpurlins

Hut Type
Nissan

Quonset

Threemetalpurlins,
wooden studs are olaced
betweenthe ribs and
sheetsnailedto them.

Distinguishing between hut types

The key issuesin differentiatingbetween the varioustypes are:
r

.
r
.

Overall dimensions (in particular the width, span or

diameter).The lengthshould be in a multipleof the space
between ribs, which was differentin each hut type.
The shapeof the buildingcross-section.
Natureof the rib system,includingrib shapeand spacing.
How the galvanisediron claddingwas attachedto the ribs
and purlins

These are set out in Table3.oo(above)

The early Quonset was
different in that the inward
curve
of
the
arch
commencedat ground level
rather than about one foot
from the ground in the later
Quonsets.

Figure 4 lnterior rib of a

Quonset Hut at East Hills; note
marks where the ribs have
been welded; a subsequent recladding has resulted in the
corrugated iron being screwed,
not nailed, into the rib. (1.Stuart)

Figure 5 lnterior detail of the rib of a Quonset

warehouse: it is of a different form to the
Quonset Hut. (1.Stuart)

historic environment volume 19 number '12005

JJ

Remains

References

As time passes, the huts graduallydisappearor rust away.

Typically,
the galvanisedironcladdingrusts leavingthe frames.
Simplemaintenancesuch as keepingthe hut painted,making
sure there is no soil build-up over the base and adequate
drainage,helps preventrust damage.

CadsonE. and CarpenterE. 2000 'BaseAdvancinga Post-Military

Landscape'
at http://quonsetpoint.artinruins.com,
accessed2SthApril
2005.

ij

There are still a number of huts survivingalthough no

comprehensiveoverall count of huts has been undertaken.
However, I know of about 20 Nissen and Quonset Huts
survivingin NSW and Victoria,at least10 QuonsetWarehouses
and 1-2 Romney Huts. Nissen huts have been noted near
Stawell (Vic),at Villawood(NSW),in the YarramalongValley
(NSW, Grenfell(NSW, Wee Jasper(NSW)and aroundDapto
(NSW. A common adaptationhas been to mount the hut on
solidwooden stumps, raisingit four to six feet off the ground,
to createa workingareaunderneath.
SMR huts seem to havea higherlevelof sulival, presumably
due to their size, which makes them readilyadaptableto a
variety of uses. Interestinglythose that the author has
inspectedhave all shown evidenceof twistingstressesin the
ribs suggestingthe dbs are on the borderlineof beingtoo light.
Examplesof SAAR huts can be found on former migrant
hostelssuch as Villawood,Mayfield(NSW).Scheyville(NSW,
at the Universityof Wollongong(now added to the NSW State
HeritageRegister),as well as Ourimbah(NSW, Footscray(Vic)
and in the videoclipfor KillingHeidi's'LiveWithoutlt'. Romney
huts apparentlysurviveat the former IngleburnArmy Camp,
NSW, and at leastone existsin Townsville,
Qld.
It would seem usefulfor an attemotto be madeto conserveat
least one of each type along with an archiveof plans and
specifications.
To date in New South Walesthere have been
limitedattempts at preservationand none that rest solelyon
the huts as examplesof a uniquetype of building.Mind you,
how many examplesare requiredof identicalbuildingsthat
were producedin theirthousands?

Conclusion
The prefabricatedsemi-cylinddcdhut story is of interestas
they are familiarartefacts,so familiarand embedded in the
landscapeand memory that they are gentlyfading away as
they rust or are demolished.This paper is at leasta beginning
of a historyof the huts that were boltedtogether.

Acknowledgments
The work from which this paper deriveswas undertakenwhile
I was at HlA-EnvirosciencesPty. Ltd. An earlierform of the
paper was presented at the 2001 ASHA Conferencein
Canberra and copies have been supplied to a number of
architectsand historiansinterestedin hut types. Staffsat the
various offices of the National Archives were heloful in
respondingto my inquiries.Specificthanks are due to Jane
Cummins-Stuart,Brian Egloff,LaurenCook, Pete Kriz, Tony
Brasil,SamanthaMackayand my poor old cat Skerrick.

Engineerin Chief(Army)1966Handbookof NissenHuts: 16'0"and 24' 0"

Span,lssuedDecember1944,RevisedMarch i.966,Army Code No
14867.Probably
a BritishArmypublication.
Copyin the planroomCSIGlD OfficeRMF BaseWagga,ForestHill.Anothercopy with author
Francis,P 1996 EritrshMilitaryAirfieldArchitecture:From Airshipsto the
Jet Age, Yeovil,UK: PatrickStephensLrmited.
Garner,J. S. 1993 WorldWarll TemporaryMilitaryBuildings:A brief
historyof the Architectureand Planningof Cantonmentsand Training
Statlonsin the UnitedStafes,US ConstructionEngineering
Research
Laboratories.
lnnes,G.B. 1995 BritishAirfieldBuildingsof the SecondWorldWar Earl
Shinton,UK:MidlandPublishing
Limited.
lnnes,G.B. 2OOO
BritishAiiield BuildingsVolume2: TheExpansion&
lnter-WarPeriods,Hersham,UK: MidlandPublishing.
buildings'
Australian
Lewis,M. B. 1985'Thediagnosis
of prefabricated
Journalof HistoricalArchaeology3: 56-69.
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Martin,A. W. 1987'ThePeople',pp.59-75 inAustralians:
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Stuart,l.M.2001'A Heritage
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National

Archives

of Australia

(NAA):

Hostelfor MigrantsConversion
of 42'x 16' NissenHutto sleeping
accommodation
DrawingNo. VA 2575 13/9/1948.
Prefabricated
PorlableHuts,SP 459/1 (NAA420/83/379\.
Prefabricated
Huts,Provisionof Quonsetand other Hut typesfor New
Australlan's
and StoragePurposes(NAAD156/122
, 1955/277).
Preliminary
Notesfor a Historyof the AlliedWorksCouncil- U.S.
(NAA85601/1, 5).
Prefabrication
Purchase
of Nissenand RomneyHuts(NAAD618,lM 25).
Foldersof Constructiondrawings,numerical
QuonsetHuts(NAAB,3712/O
series;Drawer230-folder8 (Part2),QuonsetHut,1850- 1973).
and drawingsof typesof prefabricated
Specifications
buildingsand
(NM 49716/1, 1640).
houses,Department
of WorksMelbourne

56

historic environment volume 19 number 1 2005

Errata

For some reason I was nevergiven page proofs so a mix up in the

captionsby the editorwas not detecteduntil publication.
Figure5 is in fact the interiorrib of a NissenHut at East Hills

lain $tuart