Moonee Ponds Courthouse finishes refurbishment, opens to public
It’s been four years since the Moonee Ponds Courthouse was razed by a vicious blaze. Now, the heritage-listed building has made a complete comeback. And they’ve added a few extra elements into the mix.
North West
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When a devastating fire burnt through Moonee Ponds Courthouse in 2016, it wasn’t known whether the heritage-listed building would ever bounce back.
But now, four years and a $2 million dollar refurbishment later, the courthouse is back and better than ever.
An electrical fire tore through the building on June 22, 2016 resulting in the loss of the slate roof, most of the timber ceiling, original Magistrate’s bench and table of the clerk of court, as well as most of the main courtroom’s elaborate timber carvings, plasterwork and ornate mouldings.
Moonee Ponds Courthouse restoration manager Mary Cahill said she remembered the day she got the call about the fire.
“At first I thought it was just a joke, I thought it was just one of our members ringing me,” she said.
“I was in shock, then I came down here straight away and the building was still on fire when I got there.”
Although many historical fixtures and pieces of furniture perished in the fire, the majority of the courtroom’s archives – including ancient photos and maps – were saved, as well as the original witness stand and barrister’s table with preserved old graffiti.
After momentous refurbishment works spanning from 2017 to the end of 2019, the courthouse reopened back up to the public on November 21 last year.
“We restored it faithfully – we even had a heritage architect come in. Even the colours of the paints were matched with paint scraping to make sure the colour was the same,” Ms Cahill said.
The courthouse was first built in 1890 and used by settlers to keep law and order in the new colony.
It operated as a fully functioning courthouse up until the mid 1970s.
During the works, the building has also been rewired to prevent another electrical fire.
But along with original refurbishments, some new technological advancements have been added to the space including a big television screen.
The courthouse reopened in November.
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The Essendon Historical Society member said the grand reopening was a very happy day.
“It was great, speeches were made about the fire and how grateful we were to the community – it was fantastic,” Ms Cahill said.
The fire has now become an integral part of the history of the building, with displays telling the story of how the courtroom bounced back from the horrible disaster.
The building is open to the public every Sunday between 2pm and 5pm.