CONSERVATION WITH NEW WORKS

2000 – 2002

Woodford Academy is the oldest group of buildings in the Blue Mountains with a history dating back to the 1840s. It is one of the most intact examples of a roadside inn complex in NSW. The inn buildings were converted first to domestic use (c.1870) and lastly for use by Woodford Academy (1907). Poverty rather than neglect wrought few changes to these essentially 1880s interiors which survive generally intact with the Academy’s collection to this day. The Academy is now owned by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).

The purpose of the 2001 phase of work was to complete carpentry and joinery repairs commenced earlier, reconstruct the kitchen wing verandah, and undertake major repair works to this wing and adapt some rooms on the ground floor and most rooms on the first floor to new uses. Earlier colour schemes were reconstructed following analysis of earlier schemes. This work completed the stablisation of the fabric to enable the place and its collection to be interpreted for the public. A caretaker’s residence has been inserted within the kitchen wing and the remaining spaces will have public and interpretation uses.

AWARDS

2002 RAIA (NSW) Award for Architecture, Conservation and Adaptive Re-use

2002 RAIA (National) Commendation, Conservation and Adaptive Re-use