Coop's Shot Tower is a

shot tower A shot tower is a tower designed for the production of small-diameter shot balls by free fall of molten lead, which is then caught in a water basin. The shot is primarily used for projectiles in shotguns, and for ballast, radiation shielding, ...

located in the heart of the

Melbourne CBD The Melbourne central business district (colloquially known as "the City" or "the CBD", and gazetted simply as Melbourne) is the city centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As of the 2021 census, the CBD had a population of 54,941, and is ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It was completed in 1889 and is high. The historic building was saved from demolition in 1973 and was incorporated into Melbourne Central complex in 1991 underneath an conical glass roof. Coop's Shot Tower is 9 storeys high, and has 327 steps to the top. The tower produced of shot weekly up until 1961, when the demand for the lead shot dwindled, because of new firearm regulations. The tower was operated by the Coops family, who also managed

Clifton Hill Shot Tower The Clifton Hill Shot Tower is a cylindrical shot tower located in Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Clifton Hill Shot Tower held the title of Australia's tallest structure from its construction until 1930. Recognised by Gui ...

. 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, a tenant in the tower. The tower has been the site of fatalities in 1903 and 1922. , ''...Wm. Landsey, married, aged 61 years, of Andrew-street, Northcote, fell from the first floor at the shot tower in Lonsdale-street yesterday, and was admitted to Melbourne Hospital suffering from a fractured leg and shock. He died subsequently from the injuries he received...'' The site is listed on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. ...

References

External links

Coop's Shot Tower: 211 LaTrobe Street, MELBOURNE
on Walking Melbourne Shot towers Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre Museums in Melbourne Manufacturing plants in Melbourne Industrial buildings completed in 1888 Towers completed in 1888 1888 establishments in Australia Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne {{Melbourne-stub