Historical information

This photo of the Telecom Tower was one of a series of photos taken of landmarks and houses of the area by Ken Hall in c1980.
The PMG / Telecom / Telstra tower was built in 1961-1963 as a relay station to support television and radio links between city and regional broadcasting stations. The tower itself was 45 m in height with a 2 storey building for equipment and staff surrounded by garden. From the beginning it was opposed by local residents.
In response to a Telstra application to replace it with a 40m slimline monopole, the City of Whitehorse controversially sought to have the structure heritage-listed, a move which caused much debate. In May 2015 Council ultimately rescinded its decision and gave permission for demolition, however Telstra deemed the permit conditions to be too restrictive and decided to continue to use the tower.
The permit (to replace the tower) expired in September 2017.

Physical description

A black and white photo of local landmark visible from many vantage points in Surrey Hills and surrounding area, as it was built on the high point of the area.