Chinaman's Hat

Port Phillip Bay, UNINCORPORATED

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Vic. War Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • Physical Description 1

    Chinaman's Hat - Physical Description 1

    Circular concrete caisson base approx 7m diameter with a timber and concrete platform. One timber post remains standing with loose pieces of timber joining it near the top. It is octagonal in shape and lop sided. Relatively stable with foundations in sandy shoal of 6m of water.

    Historical Australian Themes

    Chinaman's Hat - Historical Australian Themes

    Providing administrative structures and authorities - defence

    Usage/Former Usage

    Chinaman's Hat - Usage/Former Usage

    Historic interest

    Veterans Description for Public

    Chinaman's Hat - Veterans Description for Public

    A defence structure locally known as Chinaman's Hat, or the electric eye, magic eye, caisson M and Station M resembles a light transmitter built for Port Phillip Bay in 1942. The structure would beam light to both Point Lonsdale and Portsea and could detect incoming enemy ships by a break in the beam. When the beam was broken an alarm was activated. Ultimately the structure proved unsuccessful as birds, fog and heavy rain broke the beam frequently.
    
    The structure features a circular concrete caisson base approximately 7 metres in diameter with a timber and concrete platform. One timber post remains standing with loose pieces of timber joining it near the top. It is octagonal in shape and lop sided. It has relatively stable with foundations in sandy shoal of 6m of water. A new facility was completed during 2002 and most of the old structure has now been removed.

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