Jennifer Pittorino
Seaworks Maritime Precinct has received a $150,000 grant to restore its old morgue some which executive officer Glenn Jones hopes will encourage more visitors to the museum and enjoy some Williamstown history.
Mr Jones said the 150-year-old morgue is in need of some attention and repairs.
“We are going to get it as close as we can back to its original state to what it was when it was moved here,” he said.
“There are original marks in the bluestone which were created by the men and prisoners who built it , we want to accentuate those things.
“We are also going to do some repairs and maintenance on the mortar, the door hangings and the roof to ensure there are no structural issues in the future.”
Mr Jones said he hopes the restoration will attract more attention to the site.
Currently it is opened once a year as part of Open House Melbourne, which Mr Jones always attracts a lot of attention
“Ghost tours are already run in there on Saturday nights but we want to open it up a lot more to our visitors to the Maritime museum,” he said.
“We are still looking at several options and potential ideas that we are playing around with.
“It is full of stories, it is a perfect little bluestone building and a lot of people are fascinated by it.”
Mr Jones and his team have been working on getting a grant application for many years, leaving them eager to get started.
“We have attempted several grant applications with several bodies, we’ve been working on this for quite some time because it’s quite a significant building for Victoria.
“We just want to make sure it’s preserved properly, and as close as we can get it to its original state.”
Mr Jones said they hope the works will begin early next year to be complete by June.
