Elizabeth St clock tower’s time for change

Elizabeth St clock tower’s time for change

By Ree Maloney

The Elizabeth St clock tower has received a refurbishment after 110 years.

The clock was built in 1907 by clockmaker, F. Ziegler, as part of Flinders Street Station upgrades.  At 3.3 metres in diameter, it is the largest clock in Victoria.

“The Elizabeth St Tower Clock has kept Victorians on time for more than a century and is now back up and running after a thorough restoration,” said Minister for Major Projects, Jacinta Allan.

A clock tower has been on the site since 1883.  The original clock tower is now located at Scienceworks Museum.

The current clock – which was originally hand-wound but is now run electronically – was removed in 2017 and made its reappearance in late January. It has four faces, with the most prominent being the one that looks down the centre of Elizabeth St.

The other change to occur to the tower is its colour. The Victorian Government decided that it, and the rest of the station, should be restored to its original 1910 colours. This consists of a lighter cream-colour than the yellowish hue that Victorians are used to, and a more rustic red.

The clock tower and Flinders Street Station is a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike  – scoring an average rating of four stars on Tripadvisor and is listed as number 50 of the best things to do in Melbourne.

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