Critical Heritage Repairs at the Murtoa Stick Shed
Client:
- Murtoa Stick Shed Committee
Location:
- Victoria
Project:
- Critical Heritage Repairs at the Murtoa Stick Shed
Completion Date:
November 2025
Completion Time:
- 3 Months
Value:
- $0.3m
Barpa successfully completed critical structural repair works to the Murtoa Stick Shed, a nationally significant heritage structure located in Victoria’s Wimmera region.
Constructed in 1941 during World War II as an emergency grain storage facility, the Murtoa Stick Shed is one of Australia’s largest timber-framed structures and the only remaining example of its kind. Supported by 530 unmilled timber poles, its vast “cathedral-like” interior reflects a unique example of large-scale, resource-efficient wartime construction.
Listed on both the Victorian Heritage Register and Australian National Heritage List, the structure required urgent repairs to address deterioration including timber damage, degraded connections, localised structural failures, settlement, roof deflection and water ingress.
Barpa was engaged to deliver priority structural and fabric repairs to restore stability, arrest further deterioration and extend the service life of the building while preserving its original heritage fabric. Works included localised timber repairs, strengthening of connections and joints, replacement of a failed structural post, and repairs to damaged rafters and conveyor support elements.
The project was delivered within a live public environment, with the Stick Shed continuing to operate as a museum and tourism destination. Barpa implemented a zoned staging strategy in consultation with the Committee of Management, isolating only active work areas while maintaining public access to the broader facility.
High-risk works, including lifting, structural adjustments and works at height, were carefully planned and controlled through exclusion zones, barricading, spotters and daily coordination with the client.
Delivered in a remote regional setting, the project required careful planning, temporary works design and precise execution to maintain structural stability and heritage integrity.
The works were completed without interruption to public access, demonstrating Barpa’s capability to deliver complex structural remediation within sensitive, heritage-listed assets operating in live environments.
Constructed in 1941 during World War II as an emergency grain storage facility, the Murtoa Stick Shed is one of Australia’s largest timber-framed structures and the only remaining example of its kind. Supported by 530 unmilled timber poles, its vast “cathedral-like” interior reflects a unique example of large-scale, resource-efficient wartime construction.
Listed on both the Victorian Heritage Register and Australian National Heritage List, the structure required urgent repairs to address deterioration including timber damage, degraded connections, localised structural failures, settlement, roof deflection and water ingress.
Barpa was engaged to deliver priority structural and fabric repairs to restore stability, arrest further deterioration and extend the service life of the building while preserving its original heritage fabric. Works included localised timber repairs, strengthening of connections and joints, replacement of a failed structural post, and repairs to damaged rafters and conveyor support elements.
The project was delivered within a live public environment, with the Stick Shed continuing to operate as a museum and tourism destination. Barpa implemented a zoned staging strategy in consultation with the Committee of Management, isolating only active work areas while maintaining public access to the broader facility.
High-risk works, including lifting, structural adjustments and works at height, were carefully planned and controlled through exclusion zones, barricading, spotters and daily coordination with the client.
Delivered in a remote regional setting, the project required careful planning, temporary works design and precise execution to maintain structural stability and heritage integrity.
The works were completed without interruption to public access, demonstrating Barpa’s capability to deliver complex structural remediation within sensitive, heritage-listed assets operating in live environments.
