Another 100 years of life in recycled Docklands wharf timbers

Timber, concrete, steel and bricks from Docklands’ historic North Wharf and Central Pier are finding a new lease on life as recycled building materials for local projects.

The building material, some of it more than a century old, is being repurposed amid the ongoing redevelopments of Docklands’ former maritime precincts.

Development Victoria (DV) said 10,000 tonnes of steel concrete and bricks from Central Pier had already been recycled for use by local companies.

“Where practicable, we will also be aiming to repurpose maritime heritage materials salvaged during the removal works, such as signage, bollards and shed numbers,” DV Group Head Precincts Niall Cunnigham said.

The newly revitalised eastern section of Docklands Park near the public basketball courts has used timber from North Wharf for all its new seating fixtures.

Designers MALA studios worked with Timber Revival and DV to move timber saved from the old wharf pylons 400 metres to the park.

Timber Revival said the aesthetic of the park was deliberately focused on steel, concrete and native wood as a tip of the hat to Docklands history as a working port.

“Much of the material used in the construction of North Wharf Docklands would have come from further north (NSW and QLD),” Timber Revival managing director Aaron McKirdy said.

“The trees themselves may have stood for hundreds of years before they were cut down to be used in construction.”

Even with their long history, Mr McKirdy said the salvaged timber, Blackbutt, Grey Ironbark, Red Ironbark and Brushbox was all tough enough to see out another century of solid use.

Jaks Timber in South Melbourne has taken wood from Central Wharf for the manufacture of furniture, flooring and beams.

Timber unable to be recycled is converted into woodchips, mulch or biofuel.

Mr McKirdy said Timber Revival had similar recycled timber projects ongoing across Melbourne.

“Utilising the original material in these projects allows us to continue the conversation about sustainability and recycling, highlighted by real-world examples,” he said.

Development Victoria said works to remove the pier were progressing well with removal of Shed 9 on track for completion this year.