MT. STANLEY


Grid Reference DV 823659
Department DEPI
Work Depot Ovens
Region North East
Grading Primary
Elevation (ASL) 1050m
Height 14m (original)
? (current)
Construction Steel
Cabin size ?
Public access to site Yes
In use since 1932 - 1991 (original)
199? - current
CFA Region 24 - North Eastern

Mt. Stanley was opened in 1932 after constructed through working bees. The material for the tower was donated by the Forest Commission. The tower has 3inch (75mm) angle iron legs braced with 2inch (50mm) angle iron.
It's prime use was fire detection, but it was also used as a scenic viewing platform. A cabin was added in 1948 and was replaced twice (1968 & 1984). This tower was last used in 1991. The cabin was removed in 1995 and relocated to the Mt. Pilot tower.
Fire detection from Mt. Stanley is now carried out in the adjoining telecommunication tower which was built in 199?.

Photo and information was supplied by the Historical Section of the NRE and came from a rapport by David Bannear.

In the Forest Commission's Annual Report from 1928-29 is the following entry:
Negotiations are in hand for the establishment of a lookout station, viz: Mt. Stanley
By arrangement with the Beechworth Progress Association, that body is paying a small proportion of the cost of the tower and is undertaking its erection.

Please click on thumbnails for enlargements
Graeme Swinton on duty
in new tower in 1994
Note cabin on
old tower in window 		New Mt. Stanley in 1994 Mt. Stanley in 1996 with
more dishes & aerials 		Mt. Stanley, the old
& the new

First 3 Thumbnail photos supplied by Graeme Swinton.
The 4th thumbnail photo was supplied by Jim Browning, current towerman.

Inside cabin temperature
on 30-01-2009 		Mt. Stanley on 11-02-2009
4 days after Black Saturday 		Mt. Stanley in May 2009

The 1st thumbnail photo was supplied by Jim Browning, FLO at the time.
The 2nd thumbnail photo was supplied by North East Newspaper and used with permission.
The 3rd thumbnail photo was supplied by Andre Belterman

The tower operation had a Prohibitation Notice issued due to a few Worksafe concerns in Feb 2012. The concerns were in relation to the ladder, radiation from the nearby TV and Radio transmitters and asbestos in the cabin floor. All issues were resolved.

Mt. Stanley in April 2016, photos supplied by Steve.

In August 2022, Mark A Webster posted his recollections of the Ash Wednesdays fires (16 February 1983) on Facebook. Mark was the FLO on Mt. Stanley on that day.
For a copy of his post on FB, incl. the comments, please click here.

This photo was supplied in May 2023 by Jim Browning, ex Mt. Stanley FLO.
It's believed that the photo was taken in the 1940s

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