That is not the Australian way. You find some way of condemning it, irrespective of its condition and then you chop it up for Beer money.

There is a municipal water tank in Wangaratta that dates into the early 1900's. There have been several attempts to condemn it. It is absolutely unique and of historical significant, as the engineering was done by a woman at a time when that was virtually unheard of.

Painted inside & out and perhaps any dodgy bolts replaced, it will be like the frame of the Statue of Liberty which has a fatigue life of 500 years.

There are major power lines on pylons of European design here, that are part of the original "Snowy Mountains" project.

These towers are like Meccano sets. They just bolt or rivet together. Aside from a few brackets here and there, there's no welds. They can be re-erected somewhere else providing the new site has the right footings. As Marc said though, this is unlikely and the tower's parts will probably be melted down and turned into screws and nuts.

I gave some thought to asking for a piece of the mast to turn into a gazebo here in my back yard. It'd be the right width and would just need cutting down to the correct height. Despite my proximity to the carnage that is unfolding, I've got no way of getting it here though.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

That's a pretty cool idea Brad.

Maybe they could crane it in???

If the crane could reach over here (I think I'm about 150-200m away from the site) I'd be bold enough to ask.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Now do remember that the value of the bit you want is calculated in slabs.

I think a piece you could sling over your shoulder and carry 100 metres would be worth a slab.

Over the last week or so the tower crane has been lowered to its lowest point and the 'addons' that facilitated the ability of the crane to self-climb have been removed. Today, the four guy ropes have been taken down.

I am not sure why they bothered with this before removing the rest of the transmission tower, as a crane is still needed for the rest of the job. At this stage I can only assume that either the tower crane will be removed from the site and a mobile crane substituted or the bits removed from the tower crane so far will be 'off hired' in order to save some money.

Over the next day or two we will know either way. I will upload some pictures at a later hour.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

They set up a mobile crane today and pulled down the boom from the tower crane so it looks like the tower crane is going and they'll do the rest of the job with the mobile crane. Apart from cost, I can't see why they'd do this. There's been no action on the tower crane all week.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

About a week ago, work resumed on the TV tower demolition. The tower crane was shortened and then the crane itself was reinstalled. They are being quite adventurous withe the dismantling now, removing whole segments rather than splitting them into halves or quarters.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Not long left now. They are down to the last segment which was the biggest one and if the weather holds, it will be gone by the end of this week. Chances are, there won't be a 'bottoming out' ceremony either but champagne corks will be popping at Willoughby Council with all that lovely rates money coming in once the development the TV station is making way for is complete. Artarmon Road is a rat run at the best of times but just wait for a couple of hundred new flats to be occupied - traffic in the area will be a nightmare and rate payers will then want their own entry and exit ramps from the neighbouring Gore Hill Freeway.

Photos below are from about a week ago, before the last lot of rain came.

1. Close up of preparation work.
2. The whole of the top of segment 3 being lifted away from the tower.
3. A wider view of photo 3.
4. Preparation for the removal of part of the lower half of segment 2. The ABN-2 tower is in the background.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

ALL GORNNNNNN!

Australia's tallest ever TV transmission tower once stood on this ground. Sadly, it is now gone but it won't be forgotten, partly thanks to the pictures placed here.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

More TV news coverage of this today. Seems a small part of the structure will be used in a children's playground. The site itself will become blocks of units for 460 families.

Yuck.

The site itself will become blocks of units for 460 families.

... and in another 10 or 15 years the entire street will be blocks of units.

Council arithmetic: A block with one home on it: one set of rates per annum. Same block with 100 units on it ...

You've got to admire the skill and nerve of the workers (riggers?) at each of the four severing points, with the separated structure suspended just above them. Shows the value of the crane driver too, and his direction from the ground to get it there safely.

Seems a small part of the structure will be used in a children's playground.

I did notice on my walk last weekend that the piece that connects the tower to the mast has been kept on site and will probably form part of a standing memorial to both of the towers that once stood on the site. I did take a photo and will upload when I get a chance.

The tower crane was removed over the weekend so the only cranes that remain are to do with the construction of Mirvac's latest concrete jungle.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...