XN000022-1987-06-15 — Page 2

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1987

RESTORATION OF FRENCH MISSION BUILDING

A NEW CHAPTER WILL BE ADDED TO THE COLOURFUL FRENCH

HISTORY OF THE MISSION BUILDING NEXT MONTH WHEN IT 1S TAKEN OVER INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

THE

BY

A

CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1916 AND 1919 BY THE ETRANGERES, THE FRENCH COLONIAL-STYLE STRUCTURE WAS LAST OCCUPIED

FRENCH MISSIONS VICTORIA DISTRICT COURT UNTIL DECEMBER LAST YEAR. IT THEN UNDERWENT FIVE-MONTH FITTING-OUT PROGRAMME DESIGNED BY THE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

ARCHITECTURAL

SAID IN BOARD'S HAVE EFFORT

MR BILL GREAVES OF THE DEPARTMENT'S ANTIQUITIES SECTION THE ELEGANT THREE-STOREY BUILDING BEHIND THE ISD HEADQUARTERS BEACONSFIELD HOUSE WAS GRADED I ON THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY LIST OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, MEANING THAT IT WAS CONSIDERED TO CONSIDERABLE HISTORIC OR ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AND SHOULD BE MADE TO PRESERVE IT.

EVERY

FOR THIS REASON, OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN TAKEN TO INCLUDE IN THE $5.9 MILLION PROGRAMME, WHICH BEGAN ON MARCH 1, A VALUABLE AMOUNT RESTORATION, IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL FITTING-OUT WORK FOR ISD.

OF

THE

HAS

"FORTUNATELY, THE ORIGINAL LAYOUT OF THE INTERIOR OF BUILDING SUITS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW OCCUPANTS AND THIS ENABLED US TO CARRY OUT MUCH OF THE RESTORATION WORK TO THE SATISFACTION OF BOTH CONSERVATIONISTS AND ITS END USERS.

"FOR EXAMPLE, THE IMPRESSJVE DOMED CHAPEL ON THE FIRST FLOOR, WHICH FORMED SUCH AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE ORIGINAL MISSION, IS TO BE OPENED UP, RESTORED AND USED AS CONFERENCE ROOM, MR GREAVES SAID.

**

THE

OTHER WORK INCLUDES REMOVAL OF THE UNSIGHTLY AIR-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT, EXPOSURE OF THE ORIGINAL MAHOGANY AND TILED FLOORING, REMOVAL OF LATER PARTITIONING WHERE POSSIBLE AND A REDECORATION IN MORE SYMPATHETIC COLOURS.

THE NEW OCCUPANTS WILL BE DEPARTMENT'S PHOTOGRAPHIC LIBRARY AND THE SUB-DIVISIONS, WHICH ARE NOW SCATTERED LOCATIONS. THE MOVE WOULD BRING ALL MAJOR EXCEPTION OF ITS DEPARTMENTAL UNITS, IN ADJACENT TO HEADQUARTERS,

COMPLETE

THE INFORMATION SERVICES PUBLISHING AND PROMOTIONS IN THREE SEPARATE LEASED ISD ACTIVITIES, WITH THE ONE CENTRALISED LOCATION

THE ONLY OTHER NEW OCCUPANT WILL BE THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN A ONE-YEAR TENANCY OF THE SPACIOUS BASEMENT FOR OFFICES.

THE BUILDING, AT NO. 1, BATTERY PATH, OCCUPIES ONE OF THE FIRST DEVELOPED SITES IN CENTRAL, HAVING BEEN BOUGHT IN 1842 BY THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF TRADE, MR A.R. JOHNSTON.

/FROM 1843