Heritage architect Michael Fox is on a mission to understand what is causing movement in one of Saint Saviour's Cathedral's stunning stained glass windows.
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The Pacific Palms based specialist is overseeing the Cathedral's wider $10 million restoration program and is embarking on the next chapter - the Great Eastern Window.
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The work is being funded by a recently announced state government grant, matched by the Cathedral's National Trust Heritage Fund.
Some 35 people, including Goulburn Mulwaree Mayor Peter Walker, attended a launch and information session on Saturday.
Dean Phillip Saunders said the project involved excavation and stabilisation of the 1884 Cathedral's eastern facade's foundations. This would enable conservation of the window's stone tracery and glass.
The window, designed in 1885 by London-based Heaton, Butler and Bayne, depicts the story of Jesus' life. It was erected in memory of Goulburn pioneers, William and Elizabeth Bradley, by their four daughters.
The firm became one of the leading manufacturers of Gothic revival stained-glass. The Very Reverend Saunders said the Great Eastern Window, was one of the earliest Australian examples of their work.
But he said for several years there had been concern about the window's structural movement and settlement. This included cracks in the tracery, lancet windows and sandstone facade.
Local company, Jewell Constructions will undertake underpinning, while Moss Vale-based Heritage Decorative Glass will restore the glass. Sydney outfit, Stonemason and Artist have been enlisted to complete the stonework repairs.
Structural engineers and archaeologists are also advising on the project.
Mr Fox said the window was stunning and a crucial part of architect Edmund Blacket's design. Blacket himself was an ecclesiastical architect.
But it was important to understand what was causing the window's movement.
"It's a bit like being a heritage detective," he told The Post.
"We are trying to find out the the extent of underpinning in the 1950s and 1980s (when the spire was built) so we know what is happening to the window.
"From our point of view it's a great project because it's about unravelling the layers of history..."
Core samples are being taken of the foundations to test their strength. Excavations six metres below ground level have turned up a few surprises, including brickwork below stone and concrete layers, which Cathedral historians have speculated could be part of the original 1839 church.
Another theory is that the building is shifting laterally, with the force pushing out buttresses and causing outward cracking.
The investigations, expected to take about one month, will inform the way ahead.
At the same time, stormwater drains are being installed below the eastern aspect to address rising damp. This is a continuation of earlier work.
Mr Fox expected the window and underpinning project to be completed within budget and by next May.
The broader $15m to $20m restoration encompasses drainage, window and roofing repairs and, in time, a spire.
"It's a lifetime project," The Very Reverend Saunders said.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
