The Australian Government’s $100 million restoration of the facade of Melbourne’s iconic Flinders Street Station is set to be revealed to the public for the first time.
More than 5,000 litres of paint and 3.5 tons of mortar have been used in the restoration of the building, and 700 windows have been restored and painted.
The roof has also been waterproofed and the whole building has been stabilised to protect it for the future.
When the repainting is complete at the end of 2017, Victorians and those visiting Melbourne will see the station restored in its 1910 original colours.
Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, said it is the first time the clock tower has been restored and repaired in a century.
“Flinders Street is the heart of our train system and the heart of our city – we’re restoring it and making it more accessible, safe and user friendly for passengers,” Ms Allan said.
The glass clock faces and hand have been taken away for restoration, and an internal steel frame has been built to strengthen the tower to protect it for the next century.
The iconic view of the station’s clock on the Flinders Street intersection will be back by Christmas 2017, as scaffolding on the north side will be gradually removed until May 2018.
The project will also make the station more user-friendly for the 26 million passengers that travel through it each year.
The main concourse and Elizabeth Street subway toilets have already been refurbished, brighter lighting has been installed on all platforms and works around the western end of the station are well underway.
The project will create more than 80 jobs and is set to be complete in the second half of 2018.
