Coop's Shot Tower
Shot tower in Victoria, Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coop's Shot Tower is a shot tower located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, Australia.[7] It was completed in 1889[1][2] and is 50 metres (160 ft) high. The historic building was saved from demolition in 1973 and was incorporated into Melbourne Central complex in 1991 underneath an 84 m-high (276 ft) conical glass roof.
Coop's Shot Tower | |
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General information | |
Coordinates | 37°48′37″S 144°57′47″E |
Completed | 21 June 1889 (1889-06-21)[1][2] |
Height | 50 metres (160 ft)[3] |
Dimensions | |
Other dimensions | furnace firebricks foundations 40ft. deep walls 3 ft. thick[4][5] |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 12 landing places[6] |
Design and construction | |
Main contractor | Messrs. Fenson and Hetherington |
Coop's Shot Tower is 9 storeys high, and has 327 steps to the top. The tower produced 6 tonnes (6.6 short tons) of shot weekly up until 1961, when the demand for the lead shot dwindled, because of new firearm regulations.[citation needed] The tower was operated by the Coops family, who also managed Clifton Hill Shot Tower.[8][9]
A museum called the Shot Tower Museum has been set up inside of the tower at the back of RM Williams and DJI (D1) stores,[10] a tenant in the tower.[11] The tower has been the site of fatalities in 1903 and 1922.[12][13]
The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.[7]