Name and Location

Timeball Tower
Address: 15 Hanmer Street, Williamstown VIC 3016, Australia
Coordinates: –37.8668509, 144.9127096
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/8Ud52RFmj6P2

Construction and History

The Timeball Tower was built in 1852 at Point Gellibrand to provide accurate time signals to shipping in Port Phillip Bay. It is operated today by the Williamstown Historical Society and forms a centerpiece of the Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park.

Architecture and Materials

The tower is constructed with locally quarried bluestone (basalt) with brick-lined internal chambers. Its height is approximately 8 m above natural ground level (tower only).

Light and Navigation

Originally equipped with a large painted wooden "time ball" mechanism on its roof, the tower's ball dropped precisely at 1 pm each day, allowing shipmasters to check and correct their chronometers.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Timeball Tower is open to visitors on the first Sunday of each month from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (time-ball drop at 1 pm). A small admission fee applies; bookings recommended via the Williamstown Historical Society website. Guided tours explain the mechanics of the time-ball, the role of chronometers in navigation, and local maritime history.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features a coastal reserve, remnant indigenous vegetation, bay frontage with views to Melbourne CBD and Williamstown port facilities.

Anecdotes and Folklore

• During the gold rush of the 1850s, accurate time-keeping was critical for safe navigation. Timeball Tower was one of the earliest public time-signal installations in Australia.
• Anecdotal reports say that during storms keepers would climb the narrow stairs to reset the mechanism under heavy wind.

Technical and Operational Details

The tower's ball was manually operated by tower keepers until its decommissioning in the late 19th century. The time-ball has been restored, and a daily drop demonstration is offered to the public. There is no navigational light or modern automated beacon in regular use.

Further Information

Victorian Heritage Database: entry H1087 "Timeball Tower, Williamstown"
Williamstown Historical Society: www.williamstownhistoricalsociety.org.au
"Chronometers and Time-Signals," Journal of Maritime History, Vol. 12 No. 3 (1998)
National Trust (Victoria) Register