Major conservation works completed on the Rum Hospital verandah

In the 2023–24 financial year the MHNSW Capital Works team completed detailed conservation works on the ‘Rum Hospital’ building at The Mint, the oldest surviving public building in Sydney’s central business district.

This important heritage work was based on the international conservation principle of retaining as much significant fabric as possible. It included the complex repair of rotted timber shafts and bases of 15 columns on the first-floor verandah using traditional joinery splicing methods, and the addition of innovative structural reinforcement details to the balustrade posts to allow for the use of the balcony. The original paint finish was reapplied to the columns, soffits and fascias using a custom-made traditional linseed oil ‘sand paint’.

The rest of the building’s exterior was repainted and the stonework carefully cleaned. The aged awnings on the first-floor verandah were replaced with a contemporary interpretation of the sky-blue and white ticking stripe fabric observed in 19th-century images of the building.

These works demonstrate MHNSW’s ongoing commitment to conserving our significant historic sites so they can be enjoyed by current and future generations. View more images of the works in progress in the gallery below.