History

• Construction commenced in late 2006.
• Opened to the public in December 2008.
• Closed 30 January 2009.

Where was the wheel made?

• The wheel's spoke and rim was fabricated in Melbourne.
• The supporting columns was fabricated in Tasmania.
• The cabins and hub was fabricated in Japan.
• The floor to ceiling glass in the cabins was made in Melbourne.

The Cabins

• 21 air conditioned fully enclosed cabins that hold up to 20 people each.
• Each cabin measures 5.7 metres in length and 3.7 metres in width.
• Cabins will be fully powered ensuring a flat and stable platform for unobstructed views.
• Cabins will be available to hire for private functions, including birthdays, anniversaries, launches or weddings.

Lighting

• A spectacular LED light show will be installed on the new wheel with over 1,000,000 colour combinations.

The Wheel

• 1650 tonnes of steel.
• 10 kilometres of steel piping.
• 12,500 square metres of paint.
• The two asymmetric support columns weigh 73 tonnes each.
• The longest column is over 70 metres in length and over 2.5 metres wide.
• The inner hub and bearing weigh 150 tonnes.
• The biggest crane used was a 600 tonne crane.

Why is the wheel temporarily closed?

During the January 2009 heat wave, an inspection detected damage to some of the secondary bracing members on the wheel. The wheel was immediately closed until further investigations and anaylsis of the damage was undertaken by a team of experts.

It was recognised early, rectification would be a complex process involving working on a 120 metre high, 1650 tonne steel structure over an existing 3 level building. One option would have required building a 40 metre high scaffolding on site and repairing the wheel in place. The second option was to dismantle the wheel with the majority of the works taking place off-site.

In May 2009, after extensive consultation with international and local experts, Southern Star confirmed an agreement was reached with the manufacturer to commence rectification with the majority of the works taking place off-site. Independent engineers will continue to sign off on all procedures throughout the program.

How will it be fixed?

The wheel is being partially dismantled with the temporary removal of the 21 cabins. Following this, the outer rim and spoke sections will be removed. The columns, hub and ground floor building will remain. The manufacturers, Sanoyas Hishino Meisho, will carry out these works under warranty. Melbourne's local labour force will complete the rectification works. Recification works are expected to take at least 12 months to complete. This method will deliver the best result and will provide Melbourne and its visitors with a world-class tourism attraction once more.

We thank you for your support and look forward to providing Melbourne with the new Southern Star observation wheel.