On 27 June 2016, a fire swept through the 125-year-old heritage listed former Moonee Ponds Courthouse, now home to the Essendon Historical Society, causing significant damage. The fire, attributed to a faulty light transformer, particularly damaged the main courtroom, including its slate roof, timber ceiling, and original fittings. Fortunately, most of the Essendon Historical Society's collection and equipment were spared.

FPPV were engaged by the historical society and the relevant government departments to inspect the site soon after the fire, and provide recommendations and directions to contractors to make the building safe, whilst preserving the remaining heritage features. This work laid the groundwork for the restoration of the building.

Our office were subsequently engaged to document the condition of the building and the works to reinstate the roof, windows and make the building structurally sound and watertight. Whilst the roof structure was severely charred from the fire, it was determined that most of the roof structure was sufficiently sound to remain. New structural beams were installed to tie the external walls together and provide additional support, whilst individual timber members were reinforced or replaced with new timber. The slate roof was reinstated with recycled slate from a local building scheduled for demolition. Original vents were salvaged from the fire, enabling new Copper vents to be produced and installed. The damaged windows were replaced with new frames and glass, recreating the original based on the surviving sections. Lastly, the exterior and interior of the building was cleaned of soot, ash and debris, leaving the interior for a subsequent stage of restoration.

While we were not engaged for the interior restoration of the building, we were pleased to see the that the interior has been completely restored and is once again housing the historical societies collections, and ensuring the building remains a key landmark within the Moonee Ponds community.