Docklands’ Shipping Control Tower restored to its former glory

With its scaffolding now gone, Docklands’ heritage Shipping Control Tower at North Wharf now stands proudly revealed, showcasing a meticulous restoration that has brought this maritime landmark back to life.

On a clear, sunny afternoon on June 12, Docklands News was invited to climb its freshly repaired stairways and take in its renewed promise, guided by Development Victoria’s (DV) Emma Dean and Ronan Mellan, whose team has spent the past year returning the tower to its rightful place in the city’s heritage landscape.

The journey upwards began in the tower’s modest entry level, where new powder-coated, double-glazed windows have replaced the decaying originals, carefully colour-matched to honour its 1960s design.

Every detail spoke of respect for the building’s maritime character. An old kitchenette and bathroom still stand, echoing the days when staff on 24-hour shifts would grab a meal or a quick shower while keeping watch over Melbourne’s busy working port at the nexus of Victoria Harbour and river’s gateway towards the CBD.

DV’s team described the painstaking work that has gone into restoring the tower’s exterior. Its cracked concrete has been repaired, and the entire façade re-rendered with a finish sympathetic to its era.

Even the staircase’s lead-painted handrails were stripped using environmentally responsible techniques that prevented contaminants from reaching the waterways – a slow, laborious task that nonetheless underscored the project’s commitment to doing things the right way

Higher up, the climb became steeper, but the crowning feature awaited: the crow’s nest.

Once the nerve centre for coordinating ships, towage pilots and emergency services, it has been entirely removed, repaired offsite, and reinstalled back into position with exacting care.

Emerging into it, the reward is immediate: 360-degree views of Melbourne in all its complexity. Docklands gleams in the near distance; the Yarra curves gently past the Bolte Bridge and the Port of Melbourne. Southward, the sweep towards Port Phillip Bay opens to the horizon.

Sitting beneath it, the balcony that wraps around the tower’s upper level is now waterproofed and secure, and the space inside with its angled windows offers stunning views out onto the river.

As we stood there taking in the panorama, it wasn’t hard to imagine the space as something more: an intimate restaurant, a small gallery, an events space that honours its maritime past while offering new life to Docklands’ waterfront.

DV is frank about the technical, safety and heritage challenges such a transformation would involve – from accessibility to preserving authenticity – but they don’t rule anything out.

The restoration itself is a triumph of preservation over decay, with urban explorers having previously claimed it as their own. Years of neglect had left the tower covered in graffiti, its interiors vandalised, its iconic ball and cone day shape signals – once used to manage river traffic – lying loose on the roof.

Workers have removed the graffiti, replaced broken glass with custom-fitted panels, fixed the roof, repaired the signals, and upgraded electrical and security systems to ensure it would stand strong well into the future.

The tower was originally designed by architect C.J. Smith and opened in 1966, coordinating Melbourne’s bustling shipping trade until the port’s relocation in the early 1990s left it redundant. Today, it stands as one of the last tangible reminders of Docklands’ industrial era, a maritime beacon against the backdrop of urban renewal.

For now, Development Victoria says there are no formal plans to commercialise the tower. But by undertaking this careful, respectful restoration, they’ve ensured the door remains open for the future.

Standing in the crow’s nest, bathed in afternoon light with Docklands laid out below, it’s impossible not to see the potential – not just for commerce, but for the city’s evolving story.

One can’t help but feel this is heritage best preserved not just as a static museum piece, but as an invitation to imagine what might come next for Docklands. •