Urgent repairs and priority conservation works to the heritage buildings at the former HM Prison Pentridge have reached completion. The extraordinary bluestone structures are a challenge to maintain, and we continue to work with Owners First and Salvo Property Group in helping meet ongoing obligations for the now-private site under the Heritage Act 2019

The prison was established in 1850 and closed in 1997, followed by subdivision of the land and development for mainly residential use. Residents, via the Owners Corporation, and private owners Salvo Property, Pentridge Wine Cellars share responsibility for the upkeep of the remaining State heritage-registered prison infrastructure, the earliest bluestone building of which dates from 1858 (F Division).

[ F Division : pictured before the works (bottom left) and after ]

Working with contractor Ivy Constructions and Victorian Stonemasons Co-operative (VSC), we restored weathertightness and documented conservation works for F Division (buildings 80 and 81), D Division (building 66), South Gate (building 58) and the perimeter wall.

[ F Division interior : pictured before the works (bottom left) and after ]

F Division is well-known for the interior mural painted by Ronald Bull in the 1960s. The present works safeguard the mural from further deterioration. New roofing has made the buildings watertight and enabled the replacement of rotten floorboards (with salvaged boards). Significant stonework repairs included the cleaning and resetting of 400kg pediment blocks.

[ D Division after conservation works, with example of a cracked sill at bottom left ]

The corrosion of embedded security grilles in D Division had caused serious damage to the building’s bluestone windows sills, breaking them into large detached fragments. Lovell Chen and VSC developed two repair methodologies, the use of each depended on the severity of the damage. In all, 76 sills have been repaired. In addition, the original bluestone gutters have been re-lined and rainwater goods repaired.

Other works include conservation and improvement works to the complex’s observation tower, and render repairs and repointing to the exercise yard and perimeter walls. General repainting, repointing and removal of redundant material has made appreciable visible improvements to the precinct.

Lovell Chen documented and provided contract administration services for priority works. The scope of works was derived from heritage infrastructure audit reports prepared by us in 2017 and 2020.

photos : Lovell Chen