Gas Stripping Tower: A Relic of Brisbane's Industrial Past

Standing tall in the West End, the Gas Stripping Tower is a unique reminder of Brisbane's industrial heritage. Erected in 1912 for the South Brisbane Gas & Light Company, the cast iron tower played a vital role in purifying coal gas by stripping out ammonia and coal tar. These byproducts were then sold as ammonia liquor.The tower itself was manufactured by Robert Dempster & Sons Ltd in Yorkshire, England, before being shipped to Brisbane in segments. Gas was piped into the tower's base and rose through internal baffles while water sprayed from the top, effectively removing impurities. By 1949, more advanced techniques rendered the tower obsolete, and it was decommissioned.When natural gas became widely available in the 1970s, the gasworks closed, and most structures were demolished. However, the Gas Stripping Tower was saved and, in 1979, relocated approximately 150 meters from its original location to its current site near Davies Park. Today, it stands as a preserved monument to early 20th-century industrial engineering and a distinctive feature of the West End. While access to the tower's base is restricted due to concerns about the surrounding fig trees, it can be viewed from Riverside Drive.