Doncaster Tower and Hotel (Ashley Smith)

From the late 1870’s until 1914, the skyline along Doncaster Hill was dominated by a lone tower which was used as a tourist site. Standing at over 200 feet, this lookout tower dominated Doncaster Hill for over 30 years. By comparison, it was taller than the reported tallest structures in Melbourne at the time, such as the Yorkshire Brewery Tower near Collingwood (112 feet or 34 metres), the Coop Shot Tower at Melbourne Central (at 164 feet or roughly 50 metres), and the Australasian Building (174 feet or 53 metres). Whilst there have been a few small articles and books on this landmark, such as the research done by Irvine Green and Ken Smith1, there has been little in-depth histories on the Tower and for something so unique of its time is hardly given much mention in recent history books. Therefore, this article will chronicle the story of the Doncaster Tower, the hotel built with it, and their relevance to local life during that period.


Origins

The Tower’s origins come from a wealthy local of the Doncaster region, Mr. Alfred Hummel. When he arrived in the 1860’s, Doncaster was a fledging town surrounded by picturesque countryside, which was starting to see growth after the arrival of German settlers, who grew fruit orchids in the region. Alfred himself would build his own homestead on Doncaster Hill known as Bay View2. He also owned a 16 acre garden, and because it was against a slope he inserted a 7 foot drain to prevent the area from becoming a bog in wet weather3. He would plant and grow fruit trees, oranges, raspberries, gooseberries, potatoes, maize and strawberries4.

What information is available on his life prior to, or outside the Tower is sparse, but indicates he was a respected man in the region. The Australasian reports an Alfred Octavian Hummel being awarded the title of Justice Of the Peace in 18765. This is likely the same Hummel who would build the Tower, as an 1883 Herald article notes the then-owner of the Doncaster Hotel (which he also built) as being removed from the list of Justices6. Graham Keogh identifies an Alfred Hummell (spelt with two L’s) who was a councillor for Doncaster for the Shire of Bulleen7, and when the local branch of a temperance organisation known as The Band of Hope were looking for a meeting place, Alfred (as Chairman of their Building Committee) donated 1 acre of land for what was to be the local athenaeum building8.

One notable aspect of Doncaster that stood out at the time was its high vantage point. Writing about the Tower for The Herald in 1880, a writer known only as ‘Louise’ claims that Hummel was inspired to build the structure from looking at the picturesque views from the top of his barn9. Another account by The Argus speculated that the tall structure was to do with a previous connection Hummel may have had with the sea, with the tower replacing “that mainmast in the front garden by which we all know the residences of retired sea captains”10.

Whether or not the Tower had any connection with seafaring life, Hummel’s project did face multiple setbacks. His first tower attempt, built around 1877, was around 100 feet (or 30 metres) tall and lasted three months before the wind knocked it over11. The second tower ended in near-tragic circumstances, as it fell and landed within inches of the house of the neighbouring Mrs Pickering, blocking her door as she tried to open it that morning12.

Learning from his mistakes, Hummel’s third Tower was not only his most cautious in approach, but also ambitious. Choosing a spot near Council and Tower Streets13 (and near the site of the current Shopping Centre), the Tower was built in two parts with pullies used to attach the top section to the bottom14. To avoid being knocked over by strong winds, the structure was held together with steel cables and ropes that were tied around logs and buried underground as anchors15. It reportedly cost around £1600 and was used around 50,000 feet of timber16, that was primarily Oregon Pine with a foundation of redgum17.

The exact date of the third Tower’s (also known as the Beaconsfield Tower) opening is unknown with varying sources alternating between 1878 or 1879. It may have been open by late 1878, as indicated by an advertisement in The Argus, dated 31st December 1878, promoting the tower’s “Panoramic views”18. However, it’s unclear if the third tower had yet opened, or if it was a tease before the eventual opening. Otherwise, we know it was open before 15th April 1879, when The Argus reported the tower was already in business19.

Regardless, when it did open, it was arguably the tallest view in the colony. 


The Tower: Early impressions.

Prior to Hummel’s construction, lookout towers were not new. Many towns required one in the event of a bushfire, and there is evidence to suggest that they were required for picturesque sites so visitors could take in the surrounding beauty that nature provided. Most notably, during the late 1870’s there was a fernery near Scotch College known as Jeffrey’s that featured a 40 foot tower20. However, with Hummel wanting to show the expansive view surrounding Doncaster (and likely the business opportunities that came with it), such a tower was not going to be enough.

Perhaps its biggest selling point was it massive height, which has curiously been inconsistent between reports over the years. The Argus article from 15th April 1879 reported the structure was around 180 feet (or 54 metres) tall21. By November that year the Leader newspaper reported the site was 231 feet (just over 70 metres) at the flagstaff22, which is close to the height reported by the Bendigo Advertiser in November 1880 as 230 feet, “or 100 feet higher than the famous leaning tower of Pisa”23 (an inaccurate claim as at best the height difference would be around 50 feet). However, an August 1880 article of The Australasian Sketcher contradicts the Bendigo’s claim, reporting that the tower was 200 feet (or 60.96 metres)24. Curiously, by the Tower’s last days, its peak height had ballooned to 285 feet (or roughly 86 metres) as claimed by The Weekly Times25 despite no apparent adjustment or extension reported. The reason for these fluctuations in height are unknown, though it could be because of poor estimates by the journalist, different approaches of measurement, or hyperbole for the sake of attracting curious readers to visit the site.

What is more accepted, especially with photographic evidence, is what the Tower featured. As a writer for The Herald known as ‘Louise’ reported, when one would lay eyes on the Tower, they would see “a very ugly erection” painted red and supported by ropes26. As soon as the visitor would pay the 1 shilling fee, they would start the staggering climb27. The ascent to the first gallery platform 100 feet up was boarded28, protecting an interior right angled staircase that would stop at a landing every ten steps29. If one had more courage, then they would then climb a 60 foot staircase that was “open to all the winds of Heaven” to a second platform, followed by a ladder climb to the top30.

However, regardless of how far one climbed, the view would be worth the journey and the biting of flying ants31. As soon as one reached the gallery, they were exposed to “a thousand hills and a thousand vales”32, including Mt. Disappointment, Buninyong, Juliet, and Macedon. To the East were the Dandenong Ranges, and with a telescope, one could supposedly read the tombstones at Borondoora cemetery33. It was also a good site for one to get a good view of the thriving city of Melbourne, including the dome of the recently constructed Exhibition Building34. Reportedly, visitors would be given field glasses to have a better look of the sights below, and on Sundays, a telescope35.

Articles about trips to the Tower appear to speak at length on the view, painting a picture of the scenery for those who couldn’t make the pilgrimage to see the sights themselves. The Argus in 1879 commented that “a landscape painter would have been fascinated by the incessantly changing aspects of the expansive scene”36, going on to say that “while one quarter of the heavens glowed with the brightness of summer, another was black with the gloom of storm and these striking contrasts were reflected from the face of nature.”37

Not all reports on the tower however were exactly taking a romantic or artistic perspective of the view. A poem published in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal took a tongue-in-cheek approach:

‘I went to the top with a friend who swore He was never so near to heaven before;

I said, that if wise, he had better remain, For he never would be so near again.38’

Needless to say, the Tower became a popular holiday spot for city slickers in need of fresh air, or craving to see some picturesque scenery. The appreciation by the public quickly became known, both with supportive reviews being posted on a fence near the Tower, and many visitors scrawling their names on the tower itself as a lasting memento to their short stay39. On the Prince’s birthday in 1879, 1000 people reportedly visited the site40.


The Tower Hotel.

Understandably, after such a dizzying climb, many tourists would want a stiff drink to settle their nerves. Whilst Hummel’s tower initially provided some tea and refreshments41, many would forgo this and instead find something harder at other known watering holes, such as the local Doncaster Hotel. In response, Hummel built his own Hotel (known as the Tower Hotel), at the cost of at least £140042. However, he would face opposition whilst applying for his licence. In particular, Sir Bryan O’Loghlan (representing the Bulleen Shire Council), opposed the Hotel on the grounds that he would be committing Sunday Trading (at a time when such businesses on the Sabbath was frowned upon), and had a small petition of 41 people opposing it43. Fortunately, Hummel would get his way and the Hotel was licenced from 1st January 188144. Ironically, Hummel himself had ties with the temperance movement, between his association with the Band of Hope, and his wife’s family (the Lawford’s) being teetotallers45. Regardless of his reasons, it’s likely he received scorn from his peers for his hypocrisy.

The way the Hotel was built suggests that Hummel may have been hoping to appeal to as many needs as possible. It featured 30 rooms for lodgers and weary travellers, as well as an expansive dining hall that could fit 300 people46 which made it an ideal place for large groups and organisations to book important meetings and banquets. At the time it was sold a couple of years later, the annual income one could afford at the Hotel was £40047. Alas, this would not be enough for Hummel to maintain both the Tower and hotel, for it sapped his finances. His heavy investments on his land cost him dearly, and he was forced to sell his Hotel before leaving for Tasmania in 188548, where he spent the remainder of his life. His Bay View home would later be converted into the town’s first bank49.

The Hotel’s replacement manager was William Meader, a prominent hotel owner who had previously opened the Railway Hotel at Box Hill50. Incidentally, Meader’s biggest claim to fame would be to another local attraction, as he would become the first chairman of the Box Hill-Doncaster Tramway when it opened in 14th October 188951. Credited as the first electric tram service in Australia, the tram journeyed from Box Hill, and navigated around 2 miles of hilly terrain before terminating at the main intersection where the Hotel and Tower lay nearby52. On the day of the tramway’s opening, a party was held at the Hotel to celebrate its success53. One can make the assumption that Meader used the tram to lure more curious travellers to visit his Hotel and Tower, though regardless of his intentions the tram would prove to be a bust. Despite a positive start, the tramway was dogged by various in-fighting with shareholders who owned the land the tramway crossed, leading to the tramway being deconstructed and closed54 multiple times. The looming financial depression didn’t help the struggling company, and it eventually was forced to close in early 189655.

As for the Hotel, it continued to be run by numerous owners after Meader relinquished his duties. However, disaster would hit the site on 2nd January 1895 when it caught fire56. Reportedly the blaze started around 6:30pm, being first noticed in the store room next to the bar57. The then-proprietor Mr. Nissen suffered burns whilst he was desperately saving the till, and had to be pulled out by former Essendon footballer and bank manager A. Meader (relation to William unknown)58. Most of the building was destroyed, with only the dining hall, outhouses and the Tower itself saved from further destruction by the fire brigade59. Whilst the hotel suffered much losses as its valuables inside were not insured, the Hotel itself (owned by the Commercial Bank of Australia) was,60 and after renovations, business would resume later that year. The new building featured a brick structure built in front of the recreation hall61.


Uses and other notable incidents.

Throughout its history, the Tower was generally used as a tourist attraction, and was also a notable landmark that provided the backdrop of many local events. For example, it is mentioned in a 1908 Leader article as a key marker surrounding a local 10 mile cycling race from Kew to Doncaster62. Around the mid 1900’s, the Tower was used as part of a promotional stunt by the company J. Halliday and co. To advertise their Zealandia tea brand, they launched a special balloon featuring “two small children” (assumedly a doll or some sort of toy), including a boy wearing a Zealandia hat63. Anyone who would find the balloon would be awarded £100064. The Tower also helped in the selling of real estate, even if for the novelty factor, with one advertisement for a land auction promoting the land as being seen from the top of the tower65.

However, its high vantage point also proved to be a useful attribute as technology advanced. The Mercury and Weekly Courier from 17th May 1901 reports of a lecture by Government electrician F. W. Chambers66. In the lecture, he discusses the Maconi system of telegraphy, which was designed to substitute vertical wires to transmit horizontal soundwaves and prevent interference with phone calls67. Allegedly, some of these experiments were done from Doncaster Tower to his residence at Mount Eagle in Heidelberg68. However, the article never explicitly specifies if the experiments were done from the Hotel, the Tower, or somewhere near the property.

Surprisingly, despite its decades long existence, the Tower reported few casualties or news-worthy injuries, but that didn’t mean it was not immune to such incidents. Most infamously, in 1908, a South Melbourne resident fell whilst climbing down the Tower by essaying down the support wires, injuring his hands and back69. However, even if the incident didn’t happen, the hazardous reputation the Tower gained should have given many visitors a reason not to climb in the first place.


The End of the Tower.

By the last decade of its existence, the Tower was a hazard waiting to happen. Being mostly made of wood, the tower would’ve gradually become worn and decayed through the decades of wind, rain and the thousands of feet that climbed the structure. Even attempts to repair it would be met with uncertainty by the Council70. During 1905, the Tower was described in an article from the Cumberland Argus and Fruitgoers Advocate as “structurally weak”, and it was closed and condemned71. However, the same article goes on to say that it didn’t stop some brave travellers from climbing it “free of charge at their own risk and for 6d at the risk of the proprietors” 72, and it’s likely the closure was temporary considering the 1908 accident. Fears of the tower being blown over were also real, as there were discussions to reduce the tower to its first deck when a cooling station was suggested for construction nearby73.

By September 1913, locals were reporting a “buckle” a third of the way up, and there were hopes that the owner (by then a Mr. Wenke) would fix up the “public nuisance”74. However, by December that year the local Council condemned it as unsafe and demanded its destruction75. By February 1914, the Tower had been dismantled, with its wood, steel and other parts sold at auction76. Ironically, for a Tower with few casualties, it was during its dismantling that the Tower hurt one last civilian, as a construction worker was felled by a 12lb beam, walking away with some bruises77. The wood itself was supposedly bought to be used for fruit cases78. Optimistically there were plans to build a new steel Tower that was “40 feet nearer the sky” than its predecessor79, but nothing ever came of it.

The Hotel meanwhile stayed open as a remnant of the Tower’s former glory, before it was delicensed and closed down in 1917, with the brick portion of the building becoming a shop front80. The Hotel’s remains were finally demolished in 1969 to allow the widening of the main road81.

But whilst there are no longer any signs of the once mighty Tower, the state’s obsession for high vantage points has never gone away. These days much taller (and safer) steel and concrete constructions such as the Railto Tower and the Eureka Tower (and soon the Australia 108 building) provide more choice and a much more expansive view for the eager tourist.

References

  • ‘100 years ago- Doncaster School-Doncaster Bank’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter, No. 6, 1986.
  • Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser, ‘A Narrow Squeak’, 14th February 1914, p.5.
  • Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser, ‘Doncaster news’, 8th March 1918, p. 3.
  • Collyer, Eric, ‘Doncaster- A Short History’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society, 2013, https://dt-hs.blogspot.com/2020/05/doncaster-short-history-eric-collyer.html
  • E.F.G, ‘A Trip To Doncaster’, The Record and Emerald Hill and Sandridge Advertiser, 17th October 1879, P. 3.
  • Green, Irvine, and Smith, Ken, The Tower and Tram At Doncaster, Doncaster-Templestowe-Historical Society, 1980.
  • Green, Robert, The First Electric Road: A History of the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway, John Mason Press, East Brighton, Victoria, 1989.
  • J.H., The Argus, ‘City and Suburbs Seen By Two Towers’, 8th May 1880, P.4.
  • Keogh, Graham, The History of Doncaster and Templestowe, City of Doncaster and Templestowe, 1975.
  • Kilmore Free Press, ‘Local intelligence’, 16th December 1880, p. 2.
  • Leader, ‘Advertising’, 28th April 1877, P.15.
  • Leader, ‘Cycling and Motoring Notes’, 29th August 1908, P.19.
  • Leader, ‘Doncaster Gardens’, 29th November 1879, P. 8-9.
  • Louise, The Herald, ‘Ladies Column: A visit to Beaconsfield and Doncaster Tower’, 22nd April 1880, P. 3.
  • Mercury and Weekly Courier, “Lecture on wireless technology”, 17th May 1901, P.2.
  • South Bourke and Mornington Journal, ‘Beaconsfield Tower’, 26th May 1880, p.3.
  • Sportsman, ‘Mr William Meader’, 5th May 1896, P. 8.
  • Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, ‘A Trip to Doncaster’, 27th November 1880, P. 1.

  • The Age, ‘A Well Known Land Mark: Doncaster Tower said to be insecure”, 27th September 1913, p.19.
  • The Age, ‘Advertising’, 18th July 1883, p. 2.
  • The Age, ‘Destructive Fire At Doncaster’, 3rd January 1895, P.5.
  • The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 31st December 1878, p. 8.
  • The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 31st December 1880, p. 8.
  • The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 15th November 1902, P. 2.
  • The Argus, ‘Doncaster Tower condemned as unsafe’, 10th December 1913, p.14.
  • The Argus, ‘Fire at Doncaster’, 4th January 1895, p.6.
  • The Argus, “Opening of the Doncaster Electrical Tramway”, 15th October 1889, P. 7.
  • The Argus, ‘The view from Doncaster Hill’, 15th April 1879, P. 7.
  • The Australasian, ‘Town News’, 22nd January 1876, P. 19-21.
  • The Australasian Sketcher with pen and Pencil, ‘Sketches with Pencil’, 14th August 1880, p. 195.
  • The Ballarat Star, “Melbourne News”, 8th January 1914, p.4.
  • The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgoers Advocate, ‘Our Delegates in Melbourne’, 23rd September 1905, p. 7.
  • The Geelong Advertiser, ‘An Australian Fernery’, 26th February 1880, P. 2.
  • The Geelong Advertiser, ‘Fall From A Tower’, 20th April 1908, p.3.
  • The Geelong Advertiser, ‘Melbourne (from our own correspondent)’, 29th December 1883, P. 3.
  • The Reporter (Box Hill), ‘Advertising’, 28th April 1905, p.6.
  • The Reporter (Box Hill), ‘Doncaster doings’, 14th October 1904, p.5.
  • The Reporter (Box Hill), “Doncaster Tower”, 16th January 1914, p.7.
  • The Reporter (Box Hill), “Doncaster Shire Council”, September 29th 1899, P.2.
  • The Weekly Times, ‘Old Tower Dispersed’, 7th February 1914, p.2.


End Notes

  • 1. Green, Irvine, and Smith, Ken, The Tower and Tram At Doncaster, Doncaster-Templestowe-Historical Society, 1980.
  • 2. Collyer, Eric, ‘Doncaster- A Short History’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society, 2013, https://dt-hs.blogspot.com/2020/05/doncaster-short-history-eric-collyer.html 
  • 3. Leader, ‘Doncaster Gardens’, 29th November 1879, P. 8.
  • 4. Ibid.
  • 5. The Australasian, ‘Town News’, 22nd January 1876, P. 20.
  • 6. Geelong Advertiser, ‘Melbourne (from our own correspondent)’, 29th September 1883, P.3.
  • 7. Keogh, Graham, The History of Doncaster and Templestowe, City of Doncaster and Templestowe, 1975, P. 40
  • 8. Ibid. P.49.
  • 9. Louise, The Herald, ‘Ladies Column: A visit to Beaconsfield and Doncaster Tower’, 22nd April 1880, P. 3.
  • 10. J. H., The Argus, ‘City and Suburbs Seen By Two Towers’, 8th May 1880, P.4.
  • 11. Collyer, Eric, Doncaster- A Short History, 2013, found in, Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society, ‘Doncaster tower’, https://dt-hs.blogspot.com/2017/05/doncaster-tower.html 
  • 12. Green, Irvine, and Smith, Ken, The Tower and Tram At Doncaster, Doncaster-Templestowe-Historical Society, 1980, P. 2.
  • 13. Ibid.
  • 14. Collyer, 2013.
  • 15. Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, ‘A Trip to Doncaster’, 27th November 1880, P. 1.
  • 16. E.F.G, ‘A Trip To Doncaster’, The Record and Emerald Hill and Sandridge Advertiser, 17th October 1879, P. 3.
  • 17. Leader, 29th November 1879, P. 9.
  • 18. The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 31st December 1878, p. 8.
  • 19. The Argus, ‘The view from Doncaster Hill’, 15th April 1879, P. 7.
  • 20. The Geelong Advertiser, ‘An Australian Fernery’, 26th February 1880, P. 2.
  • 21. The Argus, ‘The view from Doncaster Hill’, 15th April 1879, P. 7.
  • 22. ‘Doncaster Gardens’, Leader, 29th November 1879, p. 9.
  • 23. Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, 27th November 1880, P. 1.
  • 24. The Australasian Sketcher with pen and Pencil, ‘Sketches with Pencil’, 14th August 1880, p. 195.
  • 25. The Weekly Times, ‘Old Tower Dispersed’, 7th February 1914, p.2.
  • 26. Louise, p.3.
  • 27. Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, 27th November 1880, P. 1.
  • 28. ‘Doncaster Gardens’, Leader, 29th November 1879, p.9.
  • 29. J. H., ‘City and Suburbs seen from two towers’, The Argus, 8th May 1880, p.4.
  • 30. The Australasian sketcher with pen and Pencil, p.195.
  • 31. Louise, P. 3.
  • 32. Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, 27th November 1880 p. 1.
  • 33. Louise, P. 3.
  • 34. Supplement for the Bendigo Advertiser, 27th November 1880, p. 1.
  • 35. Louise, P. 3.
  • 36. The Argus, ‘The view from Doncaster Hill’, 15th April 1879, P. 7.
  • 37. Ibid.
  • 38. South Bourke and Mornington Journal, ‘Beaconsfield Tower’, 26th May 1880, p.3.
  • 39. Louise.
  • 40. Leader, 29th November 1879, p.9.
  • 41. Collyer.
  • 42. Kilmore Free Press, ‘Local intelligence’, 16th December 1880, p. 2.
  • 43. Ibid.
  • 44. The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 31st December 1880, p.8.
  • 45. Green, Irvine, ‘The Tower Hotel’, Doncaster and Templestowe Histoical Society Newsletter, No. 2, 1981.
  • 46. The Age, ‘Advertising’, 18th July 1883, p. 2.
  • 47. Ibid.
  • 48. Green, Irvine, ‘The Tower Hotel’.
  • 49. ‘100 years ago- Doncaster School-Doncaster bank’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter, No. 6, 1986.
  • 50. Sportsman, ‘Mr William Meader’, 5th May 1896, P. 8.
  • 51. The Argus, “Opening of the Doncaster Electrical Tramway”, 15th October 1889, P. 7.
  • 52. Ibid.
  • 53. Ibid.
  • 54. Green, Robert, The First Electric Road: A History of the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway, John Mason Press, East Brighton, Victoria, 1989, P.50.
  • 55. Green and Smith, 1980, p.8.
  • 56. The Argus, ‘Fire at Doncaster’, 4th January 1895, p.6.
  • 57. The Age, ‘Destructive Fire At Doncaster’, 3rd January 1895, P.5.
  • 58. ‘General news’, Weekly Times, 12th January 1895, P.27.
  • 59. ‘Fire at Doncaster’, The Argus, 4th January 1895, p.6
  • 60. Ibid.
  • 61. Green, Irvine, ‘The Tower Hotel’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter, No. 2, 1981.
  • 62. Leader, ‘Cycling and Motoring Notes’, 29th August 1908, P.19.
  • 63. The Reporter (Box Hill), ‘Advertising’, 28th April 1905, p.6.
  • 64. Ibid.
  • 65. The Argus, ‘Advertising’, 15th November 1902, P. 2.
  • 66. Mercury and Weekly Courier, “Lecture on wireless technology”, 17th May 1901, P.2.
  • 67. Ibid.
  • 68. Ibid.
  • 69. The Geelong Advertiser, ‘Fall From A Tower’, 20th April 1908, p.3.
  • 70. The Reporter (Box Hill), “Doncaster Shire Council”, September 29th 1899.
  • 71. The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgoers Advocate, ‘Our Delegates in Melbourne’, 23rd September 1905, p. 7.
  • 72. Ibid.
  • 73. The Reporter, ‘Doncaster doings’, 14th October 1904, p.5.
  • 74. The Age, ‘A Well Known Land Mark: Doncaster Tower said to be insecure”, 27th September 1913, p.19.
  • 75. The Argus, ‘Doncaster Tower condemned as unsafe’, 10th December 1913, p.14.
  • 76. Weekly Times, 7th February 1914, p.2.
  • 77. Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser, ‘A Narrow Squeak’, 14th February 1914, p.5.
  • 78. The Ballarat Star, “Melbourne News”, 8th January 1914, p.4.
  • 79. The Reporter (Box Hill), “Doncaster Tower”, 16th January 1914, p.7.
  • 80. Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser, ‘Doncaster news’, 8th March 1918, p. 3.
  • 81. Green, Irvine, ‘The Tower Hotel’, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter, No. 2, 1981.
Source: Ashley Smith gave permission for publication online in June2023. Ashley Smith is a researcher and volunteer at the Royal Historical Society Of Victoria

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