PATCHELLS

	Grid Reference	-37.580806, 140.885528 approx. (GDA 94)
	Department	ForestrySA
	Work Centre	?
	District	Penola
	Grading	?
	Elevation (ASL)	95m
	Height	6 - 8m
	Construction	Steel
	Cabin size	?m x ?m
	Public access to site	?
	In use since	19?? - ??

Can you help with a photo?

Below is an extract from the Fire Tower chapter of a book, Forestry Tales, that was written by Michael H. Bleby OAM. It is used with permission, thanks Michael.
The Penola District had 3 fires towers, the principle Number 1 tower on Tower Road, the Nangwarry tower which was an open wooden box with a roof on top of the large concrete water tower in the town, and the tower at Patchells to the south in a remote location on top of a sand hill, which had a small cramped open cabin

We have no details about this tower but we received some further comments from Michael Bleby in relation to the tower:
'The Patchells tower was to my best recollection on a slight sand hill rise at approx. -37.580806, 140.885528. The description of it having a small cramped open corrugated iron cabin is accurate. A steel tower about 6-8 m tall. The current fire break layout could well be different from the plantation on site in the 1960's when I knew it. It was only ever used as a supplementary tower on days of Extreme fire danger, or if the visibility generally was poor along with high fire danger. I don't know when it was removed, my guess would be after the 1983 Ash Wed fire that affected that whole area.
Today there is a communications tower on a fire break just to the East of this location. I recall it being referred to as the tower at South Patchells. Patchells was the locality name for that block of plantation on Penola Forest. (Don't recall an apostrophe) It was most likely land originally purchased by the Woods & Forests Dept from a family whose name was Patchell'.

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