A grand dame of Dubbo’s Macquarie Street has revealed another century-old gem.
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Renovation works have uncovered 132-year-old tessellated tiles hidden under timber floor boards, owner Jillian Kilby reports.
The intriguing find was made as the restoration of The Exchange Clock Tower turned to balcony floors.
Ms Kilby is leading the project after buying the property from Telstra in November.
An engineer, she shared some history about the 1886 building that is often referred to as the old post office.
A photo from about 1897 showed both the northern and western balconies open, but at a later date they were enclosed, Ms Kilby said in a post to social media.
“By the 1980s, the front balcony had been reopened and when you stand up there today, you will notice the beautiful tessellated tiles are in very good condition,” Ms Kilby said.
The northern veranda had never been reopened.
“It remains enclosed but the balustrade and pillars are still intact,” Ms Kilby said.
“This week, Grattan Constructions apprentice, Ben Smith, removed the timber floorboards to expose the original 132-year-old tiles...
“While the northern balcony will remain enclosed, we will bring the tiles back to life.”
Scaffolding is set to be pulled down on Monday.