MT. SUGARLOAF

	Lat / Long GDA	-37.514896, 147.707540 Approx.
	Department	FCV...etc...DEECA
	Work Depot	Bairnsdale
	Region	Gippsland
	Grading	Secondary
	Elevation (ASL)	880m
	Height	16m
	Construction -37.514896, 147.707540	Timber
	Cabin size	?
	Public access to site	Yes
	In use since	1943? - ?
	CFA Region	11 - Eastern

Photo supplied by Paul Jones

THIS TOWER NO LONGER EXISTS

One of three timber towers in the Bruthen Fire District, along Mt. Little Dick and Mt. Taylor.
The tower was constructed by Cecil Cross and Charlie Wain, using large hand-hewn spliced legs, with timber bracing, steel re-enforced joints and steel bolts. The legs were set into concrete pads. The tower had a tapering structure crowned by a small lookout cabin. The base wass 5.7m square and height was approx. 18m. The cabin had a lean-to corrugated iron roof and louvre windows.
The best preserved of the three timber towers that survived in the Gippsland area until the 2007 fires.
The Mt. Sugarloaf tower was historically significant as a rare artefact associated with the evolution of the State's fire detection system and was scientifically rare as surviving example of an early form of timber firetower, similar in design and appearance to many others which were erected throughout Victoria during the 1940s. For a copy of a 1997 Historic Forest Sites document, please click here.
Some of the papers found, talk about 'circa 1943' as when to tower was built, but the concrete pad at the bottom of the legs clearly shows 1948. (see thumbnail.
Information supplied by the Historical Section from the NRE, from reports by David Bannear.)

Please click on thumbnails for enlargements


Base of the tower	Year of construction?

Photos supplied by Paul Jones

Mt. Sugarloaf tower was burnt in the 2006/2007 fires. It is now a communication site only.

Back to Gippsland
Back to Victorian Towers
Back to Home Page