Flinders Street Station’s iconic dome has been cleaned and restored for the first time in more than 100 years.
Minister for Public Transport and Major Projects Jacinta Allan today inspected works on the historic dome, built in 1910 and rejuvenated as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s $100 million upgrade of Flinders Street Station.
The space, which is normally off-limits, features a high domed ceiling with an intricate steel frame and beautiful wood panelling.
More than 10 tonnes of pigeon poo was removed from the dome during cleaning. The work revealed links back to the dome’s original builders, with an ornate copperplate signature found carved into the dome’s exterior and a pair of spare flag poles left inside the structure.
Elsewhere in the Administration Building, the ballroom roof is being fully restored and has been stripped back to its bare structure to make it water proof and remove hazardous materials.
Work is also in full swing to improve the public areas of the station, with the new Platform 10 entrance nearly finished and works to restore and upgrade the Elizabeth Street and Degraves Street subways to begin in late April.
Work to improve passenger flow and create more space on the platforms by reconfiguring or removing vending machines, windbreaks and kiosks is also beginning next month.
The Labor Government’s Flinders Street Station Upgrade project is protecting the station’s beloved heritage and making the station more user friendly for the 200,000 Victorians who use it each day.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport and Major Projects Jacinta Allan
“The Main Dome at Flinders Street Station is more than a hundred years old, yet only a handful of people have ever seen inside it.”
“Our investment and this painstaking work is saving Flinders Street Station and restoring the glory of this iconic Building.”
“We’re also making the busy station more comfortable and user-friendly for passengers, with the new Platform ten entrance nearly complete, and upgrades of the subways and platforms to begin next month.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020