The project to rebuild the collapsing dry stone wall by Hawthorn Railway Bridge posed an interesting challenge — how to achieve a result that has the feel of the 1936 original, which was constructed using unskilled labour. Wall angles now needed to meet modern engineering standards, site conditions had changed and the planting was overgrown.

In 2013, following the preparation of an assessment by Lovell Chen of proposed repair works (by others), the wall suffered further extensive damage resulting from a burst water main. Some rockwork fell and areas of living rock previously covered were exposed. Emergency works were undertaken by the City of Yarra.

We carried out a detailed survey of the section of the Boulevard wall between Bridge Road and Swan Street, and provided a condition report that was used for the development of a maintenance plan.

With our input, rebuilding of the main sections began in March 2014 and was completed later that year. Specialist dry wall stonemason David Long undertook the works. The original materials and method of construction were used to reinterpret the scheme to suit contemporary design requirments. The planting scheme is new, as the original was unrecorded and more-recent schemes disturbed.