Police are investigating the theft of historic copper gutters, downpipes and original fittings from the convict-built Queen Victoria Powder Magazine on Hobart’s Domain.
The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (TPWS) said the theft had caused “significant damage” to one of the city’s most important heritage sites, affecting roof drainage and stripping away “irreplaceable heritage features”.
The magazine was built by convicts in the 1850s to safely store the colony’s gunpowder and explosives.
The TPWS said the copper fittings were an important part of that design and had been part of the site’s character for more than 150 years.
The stolen items include copper door sheathing, downpipes and brackets, gutters, a lightning rod and a conical rainhead with an overflow spout.
The door sheathing, lightning rod and rainhead have a greenish patina, while the gutters, downpipes and brackets are darker.
A spokesperson said the TPWS is working with local scrap metal dealers in the hope the items can be recovered and returned to the site.
Across the state, reports of copper theft have increased, according to a police spokesperson, with offenders targeting vacant premises, construction sites, utilities infrastructure and heritage-listed buildings.
“These offences are not victimless crimes,” a police spokesperson said.
Offenders were causing “significant and costly damage”, particularly to heritage-listed properties where repairs can be “complex, time-consuming and expensive”.
Officers are carrying out checks of second-hand dealers, scrap metal recyclers and other businesses that buy and sell metal.
“Anyone involved in stealing, receiving or unlawfully dealing in stolen copper can expect to face police action,” the spokesperson said.
Anyone with information about the stolen copper is asked to contact police and quote OR819186.
