Scotch College

$9,000 needed to restore these letters

Mackie Hall’s name – made of tin – sat above its doorway for 70 years. Facing south with little sunlight, the letters rested on a ledge that caught the rain in puddles and encouraged rust.

The hall was demolished for the James Forbes Academy. The letters will be displayed indoors, but first they need rust removal and repair.

These letters warrant conservation because no other building has had such distinctive labelling – indeed most of our buildings have no outside name at all.

The letters are, moreover, evocative of their 1930s origins: stylishly sans-serif and painted a handsome green that is unusual in this reddish School.

What is to be done? The Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at Melbourne University has quoted us $7,840 to:

• reduce the corrosion
• consolidate the paint (which is lifting off the metal surface) and
• adhere detached elements
• Of this cost, $7,800 is skilled labour and only $40 is for materials. GST of $784 takes the cost to $8,624.00.

And there will be an additional cost of a few hundred dollars for a welder to construct a missing section from one letter and to reconstruct a section of a letter that is completely corroded. Thus the total cost is around $9,000.

Such a figure is beyond the reach of the archives budget.

We are seeking a generous donor who can help preserve this unique aspect of our history. Such a donor would be appropriately acknowledged and earn a special place in the heart of the School.

For further information, please contact Dr Jim Mitchell, Archivist, 9810 4293, email: jim.mitchell@scotch.vic.edu.au.