; As the last of the wooden lookout towers
which once dotted the Dandenong Ranges, an area
of particular significance in Victoria's bushfire history; and for
its associations with Dandenongs'
residential development, tourism, and fire safety
provisions.
The tower is part of the history of the urbanisation of the
Dandenongs, particularly after the
First World War, when rising car ownership enabled subdivision of
beauty spots beyond Melbourne's rail network. It was built in 1923
as a land selling feature for the Mount Upwey Estate, one of the
Dandenongs' largest subdivisions, to
provide potential purchasers with panoramic views of the Estate's
beautiful setting.
(tower in 1924 with
lots of random people on it lol)
The tower also became a vital component in the
community's continuing struggle with the fire menace. It was used
as a fire spotting lookout for the Upwey Fire Brigade, which was
formed in 1918, the first of the Dandenong townships to set up a
brigade. It remains as a distinctive symbol of the prominent and
sometimes tragic part which fire has played in the life of the
Dandenongs.
The Belmont tower became such a well
known tourist landmark in the Dandenongs that by 1927 the Rose Postcard company
had included the tower in its special three-dimensional series on
Victoria. The Dandenongs have long
been, and remain, a leading tourist attraction in Victoria, and
visitors have enjoyed the scenic outlook from the tower over many
years.
The nearby tea room, now a private residence, enhances the
significance of the tower. The tower was once a destination and
starting point for many of the area's walks, and the tea room
provided refreshments for weary hikers. The tea room was one of
numerous such facilities which were established to cater for hikers
and cyclists at popular tourist destinations on the periphery of
Melbourne during the inter-war period.
(Max the geo dog at the foot of the tower)
The tower's unobtrusive timber structure with
its bush feel blends into the forest atmosphere of the turn of the
century when many timber structures - such as the trestle bridges
on the 'Puffing Billy' line and the now demolished timber lookouts
on the region's many hill tops - were landmarks in the Dandenongs. With sympathetic repairs the
tower will continue to add to visitors' enjoyment of the
Dandenongs.
The Cache
This cache is smaller than a
micro but bigger than a nano and I can
promise you its not the normal eclipse tin
J
we have all
found
Please DO NOT climb the tower as its not needed
and its fenced off as its not structurely
sound any more but feel free to stick your hands thru the bars and
feel the old charm *hint*
(The tower as it is
today)