Robyn Rogers & Trevor Shard
It’s obvious when interviewing “the Jens” (as they are affectionately known locally) about The Old Macaroni Factory, that the restoration they are in the process of completing is most definitely a labour of love. “The Jens,” being Jennie Wilmoth and Jenni Draper, purchased The Old Macaroni Factory just on three years ago and it’s fair to say that it has been quite the process to get to the point they are today with the restoration just a few months away from being completed.
Jennie Wilmoth (left) and Jenni Draper (right) discuss the ins and outs of crazy paving with Robyn Rogers (Centre). (Photo: Trevor Shard)
The restoration process was always going to take a long time given the age and heritage requirements of the building. Any changes were going to involve bodies such as Heritage Victoria and other government bodies with their modern day building rules and regulations. It required a big commitment, a huge lesson in patience and a love, not only for the building itself, but for the history that goes along with it.
Some of you may remember that when The Wombat Post first interviewed The Jens three years ago they were very keen to ensure people understood they were not planning a renovation but a restoration, with a desire to return the building to as much of its former glory as possible. This did not mean returning it to looking like the factory it was originally, but at some point, the building had been turned into a place to gather, meet and celebrate – that’s the outcome they were aiming for. While the building has seen many changes over the years, there were many original features that needed to be restored and maintained, such as the ceiling in the lounge area. All this required hours of research delving into the past in order to get it right.
The Jens took us on a tour to show us how the restoration was progressing. It was so interesting to see how, in some cases, they had had to be very innovative in their thinking in order to include things, such as a bathroom, while maintaining the integrity of the building. There have also been some finds of hidden original features along the way which have been incorporated back into the building – the mantra has definitely been restore and re-use and this has continued to guide their thinking throughout the project.
As the project now only has a few months left to completion, it was timely to return to the Factory and catch up on what has been happening over the last three years. The Jens were happy to be recorded so we’ve turned the interview into a podcast. Have a listen to how they went about the project and what’s in store for the future of The Old Macaroni Factory.
Robyn Rogers and Trevor Shard are announcers on Hepburn Radio, HEPFM. Robyn is also a member of The Wombat Post Editorial Committee.
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