An iconic Canberra landmark, the Telstra tower tops out 195 metres above the summit of Black Mountain and can be seen from most locations in the city.

The tower has been closed to the public since 2021 and on my recent inspection, the whole place seemed a little sad. The word kenopsia comes to mind. The haunting emptiness of a place once filled with life but now eerily quiet.

I remember coming up here as a kid just after it opened – wow! its a rocket!– and anytime we hosted a new visitor to Canberra a trip up the tower to view the city was a no brainer.

Today it looks a whole lot smaller than I remember. If not in height, definitely in girth.
In fact, with the dizzying dimensions of the Tokyo sky tree fresh in my memory (see my pics here) the Telstra tower seems….well, a little stumpy.

I was disappointed, but never mind. I understand there is planning underway to re-envision and re-facelift the tower in the near future.
I hope the planners don’t screw it up.