Pigeon Tower, near Cressy, Tasmania

IMG_9792.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Pigeon Tower, near Cressy, Tasmania

Subject

Joseph Archer, arrow slits, blind windows, Burlington Farming Pty Ltd, crenellation, Cressy, dovecote, folly, Panshanger Estate, parapet, pigeon tower, William Charles Piguenit, Tas, Tasmania, tower.

Description

This pigeon tower, or dovecote, is located on the banks of Macquarie River on a property owned by Burlington Farming Pty Ltd near the northern Tasmanian town of Cressy. The tower was originally part of the adjoining Panshanger Estate and was built in the 1830s under the directions of the original owner Joseph Archer (1795-1853). The building is approximately fifteen metres high and provided pigeons and chickens for the Estate. A cottage for the tower keeper originally stood nearby. Despite its intended function, the circular tower has the appearance of a fortified medieval tower featuring a crenelated parapet, blind semi-circular arched windows, and the openings for the pigeons have the external appearance of arrow slits. The attractive tower was in part made to be viewed from the Archer home, and it features in paintings by William Charles Piguenit (1836-1914). It is still intact, including brick fowl nesting boxes on the ground floor, and the timber floors and ceiling have recently been restored.

For a 1949 article discussing the tower see http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26636364

Creator

McLeod, Shane

Date

August 4, 2012

Rights

By permission of Burlington Farming Pty Ltd

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Digital Photograph; JPEG