Two years after protesters set fire to the doors of Old Parliament House, the team behind its restoration has won a heritage award.
The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House has picked up the Architecture and Building Conservation award at the National Trust (ACT) Heritage Awards.
The doors were set fire by anti-vaccination protesters in December 2021, causing considerable damage to both the interior and exterior of the nearly 100-year-old historic building.
Over most of 2022, there were also works to remediate widespread soot contamination, as well as fire and water damage.
About 65 per cent of the front doors, which are made out of Western Australian jarrah wood, were retained. This was due to their laminated construction of four layers.
The outer layer of timber was irreparable and had to be fully replaced, but conservators used close-matching jarrah wood to replace the sections that were extremely damaged.
The building's portico was reconstructed based on the original 1959 design and the original steel frame was able to be re-used.
And as a result of severe water damage, the front foyer was also reconstructed using salvaged jarrah wood from demolished houses in WA that were built in the 1920s and 1930s.
The result is that the replica floor looks very similar to the original.
Museum of Australian Democracy director Stephanie Bull said the award was important in acknowledging and recognising the efforts of the many people and organisations who worked with care and determination to restore the beloved building to its former glory.
"This chapter in the history of Old Parliament House demonstrates how much this enduring symbol of Australian democracy means to our nation," she said.
"We are grateful for the ongoing support we received from communities right across the country as well as the efforts and dedication shown by our partners in this remediation project."
