Remembrance Parks Central Victoria is in the midst of work on the 145-year-old chapel in Quarry Hill.

The chapel has long been an important venue for funerals, as well as weddings, receptions and music recitals.

Remembrance Parks Victoria CEO Graham Fountain said the importance of the works was not to be underestimated.

The building is one of only a few multi-denominational mortuary chapels in the world, with others in the United Kingdom destroyed by falling bombs in World War Two.

The works are ahead of schedule.

A $200,000 Heritage Victoria – Living History Grant helped kick-start work on the Gothic revival tower as well as helping to fix the floor and storm water drainage issues.

Yet those funds have only gone so far, with Remembrance Parks general manager Joanne Trickey saying the group would apply to future funding rounds.

That would help complete the interiors, doors, ceilings and some structural conservation work.

More money would also assist with some of the unexpected costs thrown up as workers discovered more of the historic building’s secrets.

“The fleche, which is the pointy bit at the top of the building, has taken a little more restoration work than we realised,” she said.

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What was more, workers had discovered the finial – a decorative piece that crowned the chapel – had lost its lustre over the years.

“We have sent it away to be looked at, and in the process have discovered it was once covered in gold, “ Ms Trickey said.

She hoped to see a golden finial again take pride of place atop the chapel. It had been taken down last week for the first time in 145 years.

Ms Trickey said it had been wonderful to see scaffolds rise and the chapel’s fish scale slate reattached.

“It’s been great to be part of works on a building of such significance. That’s heartening in and of itself,” she said.

Among other, smaller discoveries to get history lovers’ minds racing, was a spoon discovered beneath the building’s flooring.

Local business Valentine’s Antiques dated the spoon to around-about the 1930s, based on its hallmark.

The spoon had no financial value, but Ms Trickey said she would be fascinated to discover who it had once belonged to and how it had come to rest at the chapel.