I had forgotten how monumental the Clifton Hill Shot Tower is. And I really should have remembered as it dominates the skyline in Clifton Hill and Collingwood.
This 80.1 metre shot tower (that is 76.5 metres plus a 3.6 metre chimney) in Reilly Street (now called Alexandra Parade) and its associated factory was built for Richard Hodgson in 1882 to manufacture lead shot. The tower is all that remains today and is probably the tallest shot tower in Australia. It is circular in plan, looking like a tall chimney, and is a masterpiece of brick construction with finely decorated polychrome patterned brick bands at regular intervals. The semi-circular arched windows are also decorated with polychrome bricks. It is a fine example of a rare and distinctive building type – the only other remaining shot tower is to be found in the Melbourne Central shopping complex. The Alexandra Parade Shot Tower is of State significance and represents an era of industrial growth in the 19th century in Collingwood and the inner suburbs. that is 76.5 metres plus a 3.6 metre chimney
Richard Hodgson owned and operated the Lead Shot Works until 1887 after which it was owned by Alfred Harber and Simon Hughes. In 1896 it was purchased by Walter Coop, who also operated the Melbourne Central shot tower. It belonged to the Coop family for 90 years and remained in use until 1947.
Lead shot was made by melting the lead at the top of the tower and then pouring it through a perforated sheet which separated the flow of molten lead into streams. It was then broken up to form droplets. The droplets were shaped and solidified as they fell from the top of the tower, and were cooled by dropping into a trough of water at the bottom of the tower. The shot was then shovelled out of the water trough, dried and rolled down a stepped, inclined table. Undamaged shot cleared the step while damaged shot dropped through a gap at the bottom of the step and was remelted. The round shot was sieved to size and then polished in a rotating barrel for one and a half hours before being sewn into 13 kilogram hessian bags and taken to the munitions factory at Deer Park, in the west of Melbourne.
The Shot Tower is a landmark of Clifton Hill and was used by pilots flying into Essendon Airport as a visual marker to their location.
The Shot Tower is on the Victorian Heritage Register (H0709) and is classified by the National Trust (B3798)
Dear Anne, I agree with the description of the Shot Tower as being monumental, however it is 80m to the tip of the smaller chimney, not 160m as stated above. See Richard Petersen’s web-site for specific details.
I live locally to the tower and am intrigued by it. I have a few questions which I am wondering if you or other members might be able to help answer:
To whom does it belong?
What sort of maintenance does it require and who is responsible for this?
What sort of maintenance does it receive?
Does the internal staircase still exist?
Is the interior toxic?
Can the chimney rooftop be accessed?
What is its title and land footprint?
Given that 2 blocks of contiguous land right next to it are for sale, is there a conservation policy to protect the sight lines of this important structure?
I feel it is such a prominent Melbourne landmark that it deserves all care and conservation that can be directed towards it.
I’ve noticed that some windows are broken, and have been so for many years which is not a good thing.
If you can help me with any of these queries I’d be grateful.
Regards
Christopher Sanders
0411489680
Dear Christopher
Thank you for your comment. On our website we have an entry under Plaques for the Shot Tower, where we give its height as 80.1 metres in total, that is 76.5 metres plus a 3.6 metre chimney. This came from some work carried out by Nigel Lewis during discussions about the East West Link Tunnel as a threat to the tower. This is the height that we cite and it is what should have been used to describe to the photo you have commented on. I am aware that there are other sites with incorrect heights.
https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/collingwood-history-plaques-project/the-shot-tower/
The Shot Tower is in private ownership and I am unable to reply to any of your queries about its internal state. If an opportunity ever arose to go inside we would be thrilled to do so, but it seems rather unlikely.
As for future potential threats to its landmark status as surrounding buildings are sold off as a consequence of state government purchases arising from the signing of the East-West Link contract, we will be watching closely for any planning applications for these sites. There are various planning regulations and legislation that would apply.
Thank you for your concern and for contacting us. The Shot Tower is an outstanding building in Collingwood and is close to the hearts of CHS members, as well as to so many people from the surrounding district and beyond. You might also like to read the notes from our Alexandra Parade Walk (under Walks and Talks on our website).
Karen Cummings
President