Meeting to discuss fate of Robe obelisk after ‘varied responses’ to council’s decision not to fund

A community meeting has been called to discuss the future of one of SA’s best-known coastal landmarks after a council decided to leave it fall into the sea.

Robe’s heritage-listed obelisk, which was erected on Cape Dombey in 1855, will one day fall into the ocean after the council decided it was a waste of money trying to save it.

A regional council will host a public meeting to discuss the future of its town’s iconic landmark after it decided against spending money to investigate how to save it from falling into the sea.

On Friday, Robe Council announced it would take a “pragmatic approach” regarding the future of the town’s iconic obelisk.

The council did not include the historic monument it its recently adopted Strategic Plan 2024-2028, confirming no preservation efforts will be pursued to save the town landmark’s from falling into the ocean when the cliffs it stands upon eventually succumb to coastal erosion.

The council also said it will make no decision regarding memorialising or replicating the iconic structure, letting future councils do so instead.

However, in response to the “wide and varied responses” the council received following this announcement, Robe Mayor, Lisa Ruffell, has called a public meeting to discuss the matter at 7pm on July 11, at the Robe Institute.

“Whist there is no inclusion of the obelisk in council’s strategic plan 2024-2028, indicating that preservation efforts will not be pursued, council remains committed to open community dialogue and consultation on the matter”, Ms Ruffell said.

“If people feel so strongly about this matter, either for or against a certain pathway, I encourage them to attend and participate in the public meeting”.

Last week, Ms Ruffell said the council had decided preserving the obelisk in its current location was not a responsible use of ratepayer funds.

“While we recognise its profound historical significance, various factors such as cost, environmental impact, practicality, and community opinion present significant challenges,” she said.

The 12m obelisk was first installed on the cliffs of Robe in 1855 as a guide for ships entering Guichen Bay and to store rocket-fired lifesaving equipment for stricken vessels – 169 years later, it is now a popular tourist attraction and notable landmark synonymous with the town.

Due to coastal erosion, the obelisk will one day fall into the sea.

The obelisk stands on a clifftop on the Robe coastline but is not approachable because of holes in the cliffs from erosion.

An online survey conducted by Robe Council in April found 58 per cent of respondents wanted all options to save the obelisk explored.

A separate survey a few months earlier found 70 per cent of respondents would like a replica monument to be built in the event of the original’s demise.

Ms Ruffell acknowledged the community’s input and strong desires to preserve the obelisk and said “significant efforts have been made over the years, and we appreciate the commitment to preserving the obelisk at its current location”.

The council said “given the unknown timeline of (the obelisk’s demise), (it) has formed an opinion that it should be the council and community of the day to determine how it will be memorialised, rather than locking in any solution now that might differ overtime”.