From the Vietnam War to Noosa: The Story Behind Noosa Men’s Shed’s “Long Shed”
When you step inside “The Long Shed” at Noosa Men’s Shed, you’re walking into a piece of Australian Army history. What began as a prefabricated hut designed for soldiers in the Vietnam War has found new life — as a space for mateship, learning, and community connection.
Back in 2015, then Noosa Men’s Shed President John Williams heard a rumour that the Army was donating several old Lysaght Huts — prefabricated steel buildings originally made in the mid-1960s for use by Australian troops in Vietnam.
The buildings were designed by Lieutenant Colonel John M. Hutcheson, MC, ACM, TSM (RVN) & Bar, RAE, in his capacity as the Director Engineer Stores (DES) at Army Headquarters in Canberra. His design brief required that the huts use a minimum number of nuts and bolts, be easy for soldiers to erect, withstand high winds, and be suitable for both earth and concrete floors. In 1967, a Lysaght Hut cost around $4,000, with the six wooden shipping crates adding another $2,000. About twenty-seven huts were discovered still in their original mid-1960s packing crates at an Army depot in Wallangarra, on the Queensland–NSW border.
John reached out to then Defence Minister Peter Dutton, and before long, Noosa Men’s Shed received approval to take one home — provided members could manage the transport and assembly themselves. The Shed paid around $1,400 to transport the hut, and by October 2015, it arrived in Noosa.
By April 2016, a concrete slab was in place (thanks to a Noosa Council grant), and a small but determined team — Stefan Prystupa, Bob Jack and Ian Dell — began the challenge of assembling the structure. With an Army manual and a trusty box of Sidchrome tools, they transformed a pile of metal and bolts into what became known affectionately as “the Long Shed.”
Over the next six months, members fitted out the shed with walls made from the original Army crates and added a kitchen, office, toilets, and even a shower. The Long Shed was officially opened in June 2017 by Mr Llew O’Brien, MP, Member for Wide Bay, thanks to the efforts and pride of the Noosa Men’s Shed community — a shining example of teamwork and resourcefulness.
The Long Shed’s story is part of a bigger picture. Across Australia, several Men’s Sheds have benefited from the donation of these historic Lysaght Huts — once destined for war zones and now serving as places of camaraderie and care.
Share your story
We’d love to create a record of these huts and where they’ve found a second life. If your Men’s Shed has an ex-Army Lysaght Hut, please get in touch at info@qmsa.org.au — we’d love to hear your story.
Delve into the history of the Lysaght Huts
To pay tribute to these wonderful structures, Noosa Men’s Shed member, Paul Asbury, has written “The Australian Army Lysaght Hut – a Short History”
