MT. NOWA NOWA

	Lat / Long GDA	-37.692533, 148.091008
	Department	FCV...etc...DEECA
	Work Depot	Bairnsdale
	Region	Gippsland
	Grading	Primary
	Elevation (ASL)	350m
	Height	50m (tower) 21.5m (cabin)
	Construction	Steel
	Cabin size	3.5m x 3.5m
	Public access to site	Yes
	In use since	1930 - 1939 (original) 1939 - 1971 (photo) 1971 - current
	CFA Region	11 - Eastern

Second and current tower. The cabin on the current tower is approx. halfway up.
Photo (2007) by Andre Belterman.

All information below was found in information supplied by David Bannear.

In the Forest Commission's Annual Report 1926-1927 it states:
"During the year, the following additional fire lookout stations were established: Creswick, Mt. Disappointment, Mt. Donna Buang, Mt. Drummer, Mt. Nowa Nowa, Beech Forest and Mt. Macedon.
Four of these stations were operating last summer, and all seven will be operating during the summer of '27-'28".
These were 'stations' only; clearings on mountains.

In December 1926, the Commission approved of the erection of a telephone line from quarters to lookout station.
Materials forwarded were: 10 coils No. 10m galvanised wire and 8 doz. barrel insulators.
The cost of the hut was not to exceed 30 pound. but a quote of 52 pound 15/- was later accepted.

In November 1928 a request was made to have the hut lined with 3Ply to make the living conditions for the observant more bearable. Estimated cost: 6 pound.

In the budget for 1929 / 1930 106 pound is allocated for the erection of a tower.

1939, Recommends that Mt. Nowa Nowa lookout tower be connected to District Office by an extension bell.

In the budget for 1942 / 1943 25 pound is allocated for maintenance to lookout towers at Mt. Nowa Nowa and Mt. Tara.

The wooden tower was inspected in 1977 "with a view to include the tower in a forest tour to be conducted for members of the public." Some alterations were made to timber platforms and stairways and the legs of the tower were treated with a preservative to make them last longer.

In David Bannear's report on Historic Forest Activity sites of 01-12-1979 he states: "The Mt. Nowa Nowa Firetower is historically significant as a rare artefact associated with the evolution of the State's fire detection system."
"The Mt. Nowa Nowa Firetower is 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 1940's."

For a 1948 photo and description of the wooden tower please click here.
For the same photo 'cleaned-up', supplied by Malcolm McKinty and credited to Jim McKinty, please click here.

Mt. Nowa Nowa has featured in a few Newspaper, Fireweb and FaceBook post. Here are a few samples: 1988, 1990, 2005, 2018

Please click on thumbnails for enlargements

Wooden tower in May 2007 bottom ladder has been removed	Aircondioned cabin (2007)	Current cabin in Telecom tower (2007)	The old and the current supplied by Paul Jones (2007)

First 3 photos supplied by Andre Belterman

The old wooden tower was impacted by the devastating fires in January 2020 and sadly burnt to the ground.

1st photo: the approaching fire on Dec 31st 2019. 2nd & 3rd photo: the wooden tower burning on Jan 4th 2020 at 12.17hrs and 12.50hrs Photos supplied by DELWP

For a transcript of a Jan 2020 FaceBook post by Carrol Preston, with photos of the sad remains of what once was.... please click here.

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