The Iconic Penitentiary Building at Port Arthur stood untouched from 1897 when fire
destroyed the roof and saw collapse of some walls. The penitentiary was originally
constructed by convict labour and was, at the time Australia’s largest building. The
Penitentiary was World Heritage listed in 2010. In 2011 the structural sufficiency of
the ruin was analyzed and found to be in critical danger of collapse due to eroded
masonry, poor foundation ,wind loads and tidal exposure.
Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA) engaged HPA Projects
with Hyder Engineers to undertake major works on the Penitentiary Ruin with 4
objectives:
1. Resolve the structural incapacity of the Ruin with reference to Australian
Standards , Masonry codes and World Heritage best practice.
2. Design a structural solution to address the deficiencies of the Ruin and the
threats faced by it.
3. Document and Tender the works internationally
4. Superintend the Construction Contract as Lead Consultant
International Award :
The project was awarded the 2015 UNESCO International Award for
Design Innovation in Heritage
ProjectPort Arthur Historic Site / Port Arthur Historic Site Management AuthorityClientPort Arthur Historic Site / Port Arthur Historic Site Management AuthorityLocationTasman Peninsula, Port Arthur Historic Site, TasmaniaDateNov 2012 - Jan 2015Value$7.5 Million
