Five years ago the people of Manly watched in horror as the historic hospital at the Quarantine Station went up in flames.
Sparked by an electrical fault and fed by the building's old timbers, flames tore through the 1883 building, reducing it to ashes and leaving a hole in the heart of the area's proud heritage. Once the smoke cleared, only the brick fireplaces remained.
The fire was the second to hit the North Head site, following the destruction of an 1883 accommodation building in October 2001 due to arson by children.
For the past year, workers from Gledhill Constructions have laboured to restore the two buildings using materials that closely match the originals.
and has been responsible for work on some of Sydney's best known buildings, including the Governor's Farm dairy buildings in Parramatta Park.
Yesterday the rebuilt hospital and accommodation buildings were officially opened by National Parks and Wildlife Service head Tony Fleming who described it as the largest project of its kind undertaken in Australia.
"Almost every detail of the buildings has been reconstructed as faithfully as possible, right down to making sure the timber was milled to the same width, and the chimney was rebuilt block by block with salvaged sandstone", he said.
Mawland Q-Station chief Max Player said it was only through the foresite of the state government and the NSW Heritage Office that the two buildings were rebuilt. The change of use for both buildings would preserve them, with the hospital building used for tours and as the venue for Defiance, a historic theatrical performance.
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