General News
13 April, 2023
Celebrating Bristol Hill Tower's 90th anniversary
When the Bristol Hill Pioneers Memorial was built by local hands decades ago, it was described as a morale boost for the town which was emerging from the Great Depression, and 90 years on it remains a landmark in the Maryborough skyline. The tower...
When the Bristol Hill Pioneers Memorial was built by local hands decades ago, it was described as a morale boost for the town which was emerging from the Great Depression, and 90 years on it remains a landmark in the Maryborough skyline.
The tower is a memorial to the pioneers of the goldfields and the miners, and sits on what would have been a hive of mining activity during the gold rush, including Bristol Reef which ran through the area.
At the foot of the hill lies Maryborough’s first cemetery, where the pioneers were buried — a cross laid out in quartz marks the grave sites.
This Sunday marks the 90th anniversary of the day the tower was officially opened by former mayor George Frost on April 16, 1933 — Easter Sunday that year.
Research from the Maryborough Midlands Historical Society shows the idea for the tower — constructed largely from materials from the old Maryborough gaol — first came about in early 1930 from a Traders’ Association meeting.
“...in May Mr Liston of the association thought it would be a good idea to ask the government if the towers from the old gaol could be re-erected on the hill. Two years later the Traders named it the Pioneer Tower project which was approved by the council,” an excerpt from Maryborough historian Betty Osborn’s book Against The Odds read.
Local teacher and architect Eddie Peck submitted two designs and on June 30, 1932 at a joint public meeting the Unemployed Relief Committee guaranteed labour and funds.
The community raised £469 of the total cost — approximately £800.
The foundation stone was laid by H.E Williams on October 15, 1932.
According to Betty Osborn, the project provided not only work for the unemployed but was a morale boost for the town and a “beacon of hope”, commemorating the pioneers but also became a memorial to the unemployed of the Depression.
The anniversary has special meaning for Maryborough resident and Maryborough Midlands Historical Society committee member Janice Digby-Beste — her father John ‘Jack’ Hummel was one of the builders.
“It was just after the Depression so it was hard to get work, and dad was a builder. He lived in one of the mud huts that used to be near the velodrome, which actually burnt down in the 60s or 70s,” she said.
“When we were kids, every time we came up here dad would point and say ‘I did this’.
“It’s nice to have the connection. We used to go off with a sandwich and the neighbour’s kids and play around it.
“I have fond memories of it.”
Central Goldfields Shire councillor Geoff Lovett said the opening was a major event in 1933.
“This structure has stood sentinel over Maryborough for 90 years — anybody who enters Maryborough can see it. It’s very important and it holds a special place in the community’s heart,” he said.
“On the day of the opening, the Bristol Hill Tower committee called for the community to meet, and led by a brass band marched up to the tower for the opening so it was quite an event in Maryborough. It was reported widely including in the newspapers in Melbourne.
“Being built during the Depression it achieved two things — it gave Maryborough this iconic structure and memorial, and it gave many unemployed men a wage.
“Socially it was quite an important event.”
Wheels are turning on restoration
In present day, the Bristol Hill Tower is still awaiting much-needed restoration works.
The tower was closed to the public some 18 months ago, with its structural integrity coming into question. A report revealed the tower is structurally sound, but restoration works were needed. The tower remains closed due to safety concerns following some vandalism in 2021.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has been the interim manager of the tower since 2007, and in mid-February told The Advertiser restoration works could be underway in eight to 12 weeks.
Now at the eight-week mark, DEECA has told The Addy it has been working with various contractors within central Victoria to obtain quotes on the required works, extended due to the specialised nature of the works and increased demand for local contractors, with an official timeline for the works not yet announced.
Councillor Geoff Lovett says restoring the tower is front of mind and for him, the push to restore it came after he was contacted by a resident who recalled attending the official opening.
“We’ve been working closely with DEECA to try and rectify this situation,” he said.
“It’s very sad it’s been allowed to fall into the state of disrepair it has. That’s why we’re desperately trying to do something about it.
“What brought this to a head for me was that some time ago I received a letter from Dorothy Whitmore, who is well known in Maryborough. As a young girl, she remembered going up to the tower with her school friends on the day of the opening, so it has always held a special place in her heart.
“A couple of years ago she took her daughter up there and was absolutely shocked at the condition of it. She asked if council could stop the deterioration of the tower before it was too late.”
Cr Lovett said once works are completed, he hopes council will take back ownership of the tower and get organisations like Maryborough Rotary Club — which has expressed interest in creating a peace park at the tower to create a space for community and visitors — involved.
