Save the Watchtower - Federal Hotel Port Pirie
Donation protected
The Federal Hotel Port Pirie is an iconic building located at the edge of the CBD in Port Pirie, South Australia. Constructed in 1898 it has a unique 6 Storey Watchtower with uninterrupted views of the Spencer Gulf, Southern Flinders Ranges and the Township of Port Pirie.
The building itself has had very minor structural alterations to its original hotel plan from 1898 with many of the buildings original features still in place. This is highly uncommon for a building over 120 years old. The building is structurally sound apart from the 4th, 5th & 6th storey of the unique Watchtower. With changes to work safe laws, absentee landlords, disinterest in maintaining a tower that was not used as part of the Hotels operations, the Watchtower has suffered from neglect.
The Watchtower has been leaking through the roof, causing dry rot in the flagpole and internal structure. This has been happening for YEARS – way before we (Mark & Kylie Phillips) bought the pub in 2015. The water runs through all 6 floors and we need to stop this – the damage is so detrimental. Unfortunately works on a 122 year old, 6 storey high watchtower are not easy or cheap.
Since purchasing the hotel, we have been working at restoring this hotel to it’s former glory. We were aware of the water leaking through the roof and discovered there was no “easy fix”. We started saving money for the “Watchtower Upgrade” for the next four years. Then COVID hit…. We made the decision to spend the money saved for the Watchtower Upgrade on hotel renovations to keep our staff employed during our forced COVID closure. We were able to keep 5 staff employed and made substantial progress on our hotel renovations.
However, it means that we now have no money to put toward the Watchtower Upgrade. The estimated cost to save the Watchtower is $250,000 - $300,000 but will result in the watchtower being accessible for daily guided tours, a viewing platform in the ceiling space and other upgrades to access spaces in the cellar and front balcony.
Simply put, when finished the public will be able to go through the entire building – a unique tourist attraction for Port Pirie, the Southern Flinders Ranges & South Australia.
The continued water ingress has caused some structural damage and we need to first, stop the water coming in as a matter of urgency. Our first target is $40,000, which is imperative to waterproof the roof and start repairs. If these emergency works are not carried out, there is potential for the watchtower to become a safety issue for guests of the hotel, neighbours and the general public.
Once we stop the water coming in, we can then work toward the next stages of the internal repairs knowing that there will be no more ongoing water damage. This will also give us time to raise necessary funds for the continued work that will be needed for the watchtower upgrade.
There are grants available for tourism and heritage projects that we may be eligible to apply for, however these grants are dollar for dollar, meaning the Government will match what we put in. As we currently have nothing to put into this project, any funds raised in excess of our initial target of $40,000 will go toward our portion of potential grant applications we apply for.
The Federal Hotel Port Pirie is a local heritage listed building with the unique watchtower and it’s wrought iron architecture are the integral foundations of this listing. Although we own the building, the importance of the Federal Hotel and its watchtower to the Port Pirie Community, we believe is of great significance. It is with this belief, we are asking the Port Pirie community and their networks to support this cause and donate so we can save the watchtower for future generations.
Local businessmen Stephen Richter from SJ Cheesmans, Peter Campbell from Midstate Hardware and Sam Gadaleta from Gadaleta Steel Fabricators share our belief in the watchtowers importance to the Port Pirie Community. All have donated many hours in consulting, tapped into their networks to assist with tradespeople, offered their own resources and we now have access to:
· A crane to assist with building repairs
· Materials for the project
· A builder with the appropriate licence to work on a 6 storey structure
What we require now is money - $40,000 to carry out these urgent repairs. Please help us do everything we can to ensure the watchtower is sustained for future generations.
The building itself has had very minor structural alterations to its original hotel plan from 1898 with many of the buildings original features still in place. This is highly uncommon for a building over 120 years old. The building is structurally sound apart from the 4th, 5th & 6th storey of the unique Watchtower. With changes to work safe laws, absentee landlords, disinterest in maintaining a tower that was not used as part of the Hotels operations, the Watchtower has suffered from neglect.
The Watchtower has been leaking through the roof, causing dry rot in the flagpole and internal structure. This has been happening for YEARS – way before we (Mark & Kylie Phillips) bought the pub in 2015. The water runs through all 6 floors and we need to stop this – the damage is so detrimental. Unfortunately works on a 122 year old, 6 storey high watchtower are not easy or cheap.
Since purchasing the hotel, we have been working at restoring this hotel to it’s former glory. We were aware of the water leaking through the roof and discovered there was no “easy fix”. We started saving money for the “Watchtower Upgrade” for the next four years. Then COVID hit…. We made the decision to spend the money saved for the Watchtower Upgrade on hotel renovations to keep our staff employed during our forced COVID closure. We were able to keep 5 staff employed and made substantial progress on our hotel renovations.
However, it means that we now have no money to put toward the Watchtower Upgrade. The estimated cost to save the Watchtower is $250,000 - $300,000 but will result in the watchtower being accessible for daily guided tours, a viewing platform in the ceiling space and other upgrades to access spaces in the cellar and front balcony.
Simply put, when finished the public will be able to go through the entire building – a unique tourist attraction for Port Pirie, the Southern Flinders Ranges & South Australia.
The continued water ingress has caused some structural damage and we need to first, stop the water coming in as a matter of urgency. Our first target is $40,000, which is imperative to waterproof the roof and start repairs. If these emergency works are not carried out, there is potential for the watchtower to become a safety issue for guests of the hotel, neighbours and the general public.
Once we stop the water coming in, we can then work toward the next stages of the internal repairs knowing that there will be no more ongoing water damage. This will also give us time to raise necessary funds for the continued work that will be needed for the watchtower upgrade.
There are grants available for tourism and heritage projects that we may be eligible to apply for, however these grants are dollar for dollar, meaning the Government will match what we put in. As we currently have nothing to put into this project, any funds raised in excess of our initial target of $40,000 will go toward our portion of potential grant applications we apply for.
The Federal Hotel Port Pirie is a local heritage listed building with the unique watchtower and it’s wrought iron architecture are the integral foundations of this listing. Although we own the building, the importance of the Federal Hotel and its watchtower to the Port Pirie Community, we believe is of great significance. It is with this belief, we are asking the Port Pirie community and their networks to support this cause and donate so we can save the watchtower for future generations.
Local businessmen Stephen Richter from SJ Cheesmans, Peter Campbell from Midstate Hardware and Sam Gadaleta from Gadaleta Steel Fabricators share our belief in the watchtowers importance to the Port Pirie Community. All have donated many hours in consulting, tapped into their networks to assist with tradespeople, offered their own resources and we now have access to:
· A crane to assist with building repairs
· Materials for the project
· A builder with the appropriate licence to work on a 6 storey structure
What we require now is money - $40,000 to carry out these urgent repairs. Please help us do everything we can to ensure the watchtower is sustained for future generations.
Co-organizers (6)
Kylie Phillips
Organizer
Port Davis, SA
Matthew Giles
Co-organizer
Andrew Leske
Co-organizer
Julie Stevens
Co-organizer
Michelle Colyer
Co-organizer