DNA Tower (King's Park)

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DNA Tower in 2015 Kings park gnangarra 250815-102.jpg
DNA Tower in 2015

The King's Park DNA Tower is a structure in Perth, Western Australia. [1]

Contents

History

It was built in 1966 by the Gradisen family, a Dutch migrant family who had migrated to Australia in 1951. [2] The person responsible for it being built was the park's director at the time, John Beard, [3] [4] who was also responsible for setting up the park's botanic gardens. [1] The double-helix design was decided upon for pragmatic reasons, for the convenience it provided for people to climb and descend the staircase. [1]

It is built on the highest point of Kings Park on Mount Eliza,[ contradictory ] [1] and is a white 15-metre-high (49 ft) double helix staircase with 101 steps. It was inspired by a double staircase in the Château de Blois in France. [5] Its design resembles the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule. The paving below the DNA Tower is made with stones sent from 11 towns and 80 shires in Western Australia. [1]

The tower was briefly closed in 2021 due to corrosion but was refurbished and repainted in 2021. [1] [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wynne (2021).
  2. Budihardjo (2021).
  3. Johansen (2021).
  4. Tourism Western Australia (2025).
  5. Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (2025).
  6. Dulux (2021).

Sources

31°57′51.3″S115°50′10.4″E / 31.964250°S 115.836222°E / -31.964250; 115.836222