Talk:Williamstown Timeball Tower

Move

Actually this is not even a lighthouse. As the name implies, a lighthouse shall have a light. While very interesting on the historical and nautical level, I suggest we move this to "Williamstown Time Signal". Even more since there is another, "real" lighthouse at Point Gellibrand, the Point Gellibrand Pile. See Victoria Lighthouses. De728631 (talk) 13:18, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Requested move 4 May 2021

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: No Consensus _signed, Iflaq ^(talk) 03:20, 9 June 2021 (UTC)

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Williamstown Lighthouse → Williamstown Timeball Tower – The website listed under the reference section uses 'Williamstown Timeball Tower' as its name. Locals (including the Local Council) know it as the 'Timeball Tower' (which is what it has been preserved as), and would remove any confusion with the 'Point Gellibrand Pile Light'. Also a google search of 'Williamstown Lighthouse' returns more results as 'Timeball Tower' than 'Lighthouse' Trainsofvictoria (talk) 10:45, 4 May 2021 (UTC) —Relisting. Bada Kaji (talk) 11:21, 11 May 2021 (UTC) —Relisting. ~ Aseleste (t, e | c, l) 14:54, 18 May 2021 (UTC)

• Relisting comment: Unknown whether the proposed name is the common name. The only way I can get Google results to work in favor of this move is by comparing ""Williamstown Lighthouse" -wikipedia" and "Williamstown "Timeball Tower" -wikipedia". Even then, search engine counts are less-than-reliable. ~ Aseleste (t, e | c, l) 14:23, 18 May 2021 (UTC)

The following is taken from pages listed in the Reference section of the article. In particular lighthouses.org.au - Williamstown Time Ball Tower and the local council page hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au - The Timeball Tower

• Built as lighthouse 1849
• After the discontinuing of the bluestone tower as a lighthouse the time ball mechanism was moved to the top of the tower around 1860. It is definitely known to have been operating there in 1861
• The time ball operated from then until 1926 when the keeper fell ill and died
• By 1934 the time ball had been removed. In this year the bluestone tower was extended by 30 feet with a circular brick tower on top. This was the third lighthouse and operated from 1934 to 1987 (Note: 3rd lighthouse was a seperate light nearby)
• Between 1987 and 1989, the brick extension was demolished and a functional new replica time ball mechanism was reinstalled restored by the Point Gellibrand Rotary Club to commemorate the history of the site. This was officially opened in 1990
• Today it is preserved as an operating timeball tower

Years as lighthouse = 1849-1861 (11y), 1934-1987 (53y). Total of 64
Years as timeball tower = 1861-1934 (73y), 1990-current (31+y). Total of 104 years (and counting)--Trainsofvictoria (talk) 08:22, 19 May 2021 (UTC)

• The first sentence of the history section says "It was erected in 1852" but that does not match any of the dates in the infobox — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 20:16, 19 May 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Built date

There seems to be some confusion on the date it was built. Here are a summary of possible dates from the trusted websites; Victorian Heritage, Lighthouses of Australia and Hobson's Bay Council.

• An unlit beacon had been on the site since 1835
• A "skeleton timber framed" lighthouse on a stone foundation was erected in a prominent position on Point Gellibrand in 1839
• The original lighthouse was constructed in 1840, right on the point of Gellibrand’s Point. It was timber skeletal structure on a bluestone base
• In 1848, tenders were called for a new lighthouse on Gellibrand’s Point – this is the bluestone section of the tower that remains today. The successful tenderer was James Linacre who built the bluestone lighthouse in 1849
• The Williamstown tower was built in 1849 of local bluestone
• The building of a new square bluestone lighthouse tower, with accompanying timber keepers quarters, ushered in a period of intense government activities around the lighthouse in the 1850s
• The second light operated until 1859 when it was replaced by a floating lightship anchored off the point in 4.5 fathoms of water

--Trainsofvictoria (talk) 06:33, 20 May 2021 (UTC)

References

Missleading article name

The name "Williamstown Lighthouse" could be misleading to people familiar with the building in question known by all relevant authorities; local government (Hobson's Bay), operator/owner (Parks Victoria), heritage register it is located on (Victorian Heritage Register), and the local historical society (Williamstown Historical Society) as the "Williamstown Timeball Tower". Those who visit the site and learn of it as a timeball tower, may find it confusing listed as a lighthouse. --Trainsofvictoria (talk) 07:02, 12 June 2021 (UTC)

Requested move 12 June 2021

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) Lennart97 (talk) 12:17, 19 June 2021 (UTC)

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Williamstown Lighthouse → Williamstown Timeball Tower – Missleading article name. In accordance with Wikipedia:Article titles #Use commonly recognizable names. All relevant authorities; local government (Hobson's Bay), operator/owner (Parks Victoria), heritage register it is located on (Victorian Heritage Register), and the local historical society (Williamstown Historical Society) all refer to it as the Timeball Tower and not as Lighthouse Trainsofvictoria (talk) 11:58, 12 June 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.