Restoration

When the project to transform the Customs House into the Immigration Museum began in 1998, the building had been empty for six years. It was in a state of disrepair, and decades of alterations obscured many of its original features.

Since its construction in 1876, considerable changes had been made to the building's interior to accommodate a growing Customs Service. After Customs officers moved out in 1965, the building was used as Melbourne offices for the Commonwealth Parliament and its local members. Linoleum tiles had replaced original floors, a rabbit warren of office partitions disguised the original layout, plasterwork was cracked and paintwork peeling.

The challenge was to restore the Customs House to its original design, while adapting it to operate as a modern museum. Many of the twentieth century additions were erased, and architectural features such as tiled floors, moulded ceilings and timber details were restored.