DONNA BUANG

	Lat / Long GDA	-37.706562, 145.681386
	Department	FCV...etc...DEECA
	Work Depot	Woori Yallock
	Region	Port Phillip East
	Grading	N / A
	Elevation (ASL)	1249m
	Height	21m
	Construction	Steel
	Cabin size	No Cabin
	Public access to site	Yes
	In use since	1913?-19??
	CFA Region	13 - Central

The current Mt. Donna Buang tower. Photo by Andre Belterman

In the Forest Commission's Annual Report 1926-1927 it states:
"During the year, the following additional fire lookout stations were established: Creswick, Mt. Disappointment, Mt. Donna Buang, Mt. Drummer, Mt. Nowa Nowa, Beech Forest and Mt. Macedon.
Four of these stations were operating last summer, and all seven will be operating during the summer of '27-'28".

This tower has always been a tourist attraction. It has been used as a fire lookout but details are unknown.
The poppet leg tower was erected in 1933 (? see below), it came from the Bendigo Goldmines.
This tower was replaced by the current steel tower in 1963 and was extended to 21m in 1995

In the Forest Commission's Annual Report from 1927-28 is the following entry:
"The efficiency of the Donna Buang station has been considerably increased by the erection of a 70' steel tower. The cost of erection, which was carried out by the Dept. of Public Works, was bore by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, the Tourist Committee and the Forest Commission".

Please click on thumbnails for enlargements


1. The original lookout with text	2. Poppet leg lookout

Thumbnail 1 was taken (with permission) from a display by Parks Victoria at the summit of Mt. Donna Buang.
Thumbnail 2 was supplied by the Healesville Historical Society and used with permission.

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