The Helmut Kofler Hütte at Mt Buller was opened as a shelter for skiers by the Chairman of the Forests Commission, Alf Lawrence, on 28 June 1959.
It replaced an earlier building and was named after one of Mt Buller’s most colourful characters.
Helmut, a native of Austria, was the manager of the original Mt Buller Chalet and a passionate ski jumper who entertained his guests with his aerial escapades.
Helmut and his wife, Muriel, were killed instantly in September 1940 on an inclined tramway used to transport timber logs from the higher slopes of Mt Buller to the sawmills below at Mirrimbah. They were ascending the mountain when the cable from the lifting winch and winding mechanism failed and the “truck” they were riding on then crashed. Two others were seriously injured.
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 