Centenary Tower

Perched on the summit of the dormant volcano at the city's heart, Centenary Tower was built in 1904 to mark a century since Lieutenant James Grant first sighted the mountain from the sea. The bluestone tower stands at the highest accessible point on the Mount Gambier crater complex, roughly 190 metres above sea level.

The walk up from the Blue Lake area is steep but short, climbing through native scrub alive with birdsong. On a clear day the summit gives an unmatched panorama: the Blue Lake and Valley Lake below, the patchwork of the surrounding plains, and the thin blue line of the Southern Ocean some 25 kilometres distant.

The tower opens to visitors when a flag flies from the top, weather and volunteers permitting. Even when closed, the summit lookout is one of the finest free vantage points on the whole Limestone Coast.