Fort Queenscliff’s Signal Tower set for heritage refurbishment

A $1.4 million refurbishment of Fort Queenscliff’s historic Signal Tower has been given the green light and is expected to begin before the middle of the year.

The planned works will include repairs to the tower’s roof, timber cladding and façade, as well as the repair and replacement of fixtures such as doors, windows and the first-floor balustrade.

The tower’s external walls and façade will also get a repaint.

The Signal Tower dates back to 1888 and was once the only means of communicating with passing ships. It was used up until 1951, when a radio was installed at the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said the works on the Signal Tower were being undertaken to maintain the structure’s “physical and visual qualities” and “conserve its historical and cultural value”.

“Defence takes its heritage management responsibilities seriously, and is fortunate to have a number of high value heritage sites in Victoria.

“Defence has a skilled and experienced heritage management team which maintain its heritage assets under the guidance of the Defence Estate Heritage Strategy.

“The remediation works will be sensitive to the Signal Tower’s heritage value and are expected to start in mid-2025 and take 12 months to complete.”

Once the primary defence site for Port Phillip Bay, playing a command role for the other fortifications around the bay, Fort Queenscliff now serves as a piece of living history.

A museum offering tours of the Fort was established in 1982, and the site now welcomes about 35,000 visitors each year.