Million dollar facelift for Sydney’s Central Station

BY MICK ROBERTS

Millions of dollars will be spent over the next three years to restore more than a century of weather and pollution damage to Sydney’s historic Central Railway Station.
Work began three months ago to clean and restore the crumbling and discoloured sandstone façade of the Hay Street ramp on Pitt Street, the Eddy Avenue overpass, Central’s Pitt Street frontage and the light wells on the western forecourt of the station.
A Railcorp spokeswoman said the amount of natural and artificial light reflecting off the sandstone arches that have already been cleaned has made a significant difference, helping to improve safety in the area.
The plans will also include returning Central’s iconic clock tower back to its former glory within two to three years.
Heritage Building Services have the contract to restore the sandstone at a cost of $4.1 million. Some $2 million has already been spent on maintaining the heritage structure over the past 10 years.
‘Central Station and its clock tower are part of Sydney’s iconic sandstone architecture,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘Built in 1900, Central Station is an important part of Sydney’s transport history. It also occupies a fond place in the hearts of country travellers being the place where relatives either parted company or were re-united meeting ‘under the clock’ on the Country Concourse.’
The two sandstone arches over Eddy Avenue have been cleaned in preparation for repairs to the sandstone, while white paste is applied to draw out salts from the stone. In turn, eroded stone is replaced and then the joints are grouted to exclude water and other contaminants.
The scaffolding and white plastic sheeting that has shrouded the front of the completed Hay Street ramp section should be removed this week and the restored stonework revealed.
The spokeswoman said while Central Station is essential to rail passengers – with almost a million people passing through its turnstiles each week – it was also an important tourist attraction.
‘Central now has a large number of back-packers’ accommodation around the station and is a terminal point for the light rail, so the clock tower is a tourist icon,’ she said.
The historic doors on the Country Concourse are also progressively being restored, complete with brass door hardware and frosted glass.
Depending on weather conditions, the project is expected to be completed in 2011.