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Black Mountain Tower was officially opened on May 15, 1980 by the then Prime Minister,
Malcolm Fraser. Built on
the summit of Black Mountain
Canberra, it soon became known to the locals as Black Mountain Tower.
Black Mountain is a sensitive and stunning part of the
Canberra environment. The Tower was clearly going to be a land mark which some people felt would dominate other
Canberra structures.
The Tower saga started in April 1970 when Telecom asked the Department of Housing and Construction to carry out a feasibility study in relation to a tower on Black Mountain, accommodating both communication
services and facilities for visitors. The planning of the Tower was carried out by the Department of Housing and Construction while the actual building itself, was the responsibility of Concrete Constructions. The impressive stainless steel work, was by William H.
Wilson of
Sydney.
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The National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) held a unique responsibility for the development of
Canberra. Every new structure required their specific approval. The planning skill of the NCDC was reflected in the beauty of the City. Their longstanding authority over the City development had never been seriously challenged. Thus the public clash which ultimately developed between Telecom and the NCDC over the Tower design, was an unfortunate affair for both parties.
Apart from being important as the transmitting station for
Canberra television
services and FM broadcasting
services, and as a base station for other radio communication facilities,
Telstra Tower is a key station in trunk communications for
Canberra, and an important node in the intercapital broadband network. It is also important in respect of television relaying, catering for up to 5 simultaneous interstate relays as
well as national regional relays from
Sydney and
Melbourne and relays originating in
Canberra.
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The viewing platforms provide 360 degree
views of
Canberra and the surrounding city and countryside. Visitors to Black Mountain Tower can see the city unfold from the enclosed viewing gallery or from the two open viewing platforms. Besides the telecommunications facilities the tower includes also a souvenir
shop, a relaxing coffee lounge, and
Canberra's only revolving restaurant which rotates 360 degrees in 81 minutes to provide diners to experience a different view throughout their meal. In the lower level of the Tower's entrance foyer, there was formerly an exhibition "Making Connections" which traced the history of Australian telecommunications from the earliest days into the 21st century but this has since been removed. There is a theatre which provides a video, produced shortly after the tower opened, on the tower's design and construction.
Black Mountain Tower has become one of the most symbolic landmarks in
Canberra and a major tourist attraction with a total of over six million visitors. In 1989 the World Federation of Great Towers invited the tower to join such distinguished monuments as the Blackpool Tower in England and the Empire State Building in New
York.