[2] In April 1971, the Postmaster General (PMG) at the time commissioned the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Construction to carry out a feasibility study in relation to a tower on Black Mountain accommodating both communication services and facilities for visitors.

The tower was to replace the microwave relay station on Red Hill and the television broadcast masts already on Black Mountain.

Some people felt that the tower would dominate other aesthetic Canberra structures due to its location above Black Mountain and within a nature reserve.

[4] A case was brought before the High Court of Australia arguing that the Federal Government did not have the constitutional power to construct the tower.

Former facilities included Canberra's only revolving restaurant which closed in 2013,[9] and completed a full rotation every 81 minutes, allowing diners to experience a changing view throughout their meal.

In the lower level of the Tower's entrance foyer, there was an exhibition, "Making Connections", which traced the history of Australian telecommunications from the earliest days into the 21st century.