Details

Old Sandstone Police Court House


Old sandstone Police Court House in foreground with the Butter Factory's 1893 brick
extension and the original Police Station at rear

Three buildings once stood on this early administrative site in Cornish Street Buninyong: a Police Station, a Warden's Office, and a Police Court House. It is most probable that the sandstone building was the early Police Court House.

Timeline

 

1850's Early Police Camp set up on this site to administer the Goldfields (previously administered at Chepstowe)
1853 County Court of Buninyong & Ballarat listed.
1858 Police Court and Warden's Office built of sandstone.
1859 Red brick Police Station built.
1888 The old sandstone Court House was abandoned when the new Town Hall and Court House in Learmonth Street were completed (foundation stone laid in 1886).
1889 The Borough Council assumed control of the site and the Police Paddock was relocated to between Scott and Yuille Streets (which in turn was sold at public auction in 1991)
1892 The Borough Council leased the property to the Buninyong Butter Factory
1893 It was found necessary to enlarge the factory in the Old Court House and Mr Richard Rennie was engaged to build a brick extension at the Butter Factory's expense
1908 The company decided to erect a new factory nearer to the railway line
1915 The Buninyong Borough Council recorded its intention to demolish the Eastern end of the Court House and use the materials to lessen the cost of building a lean-to supper room at the rear end of the Town Hall building
1920 The Court House site was used as a Council Depot
1980's Negotiations take place to have part of the Court House site combined into the Botanic Gardens and the open ground to the south annexed into the School Oval
1990 Council relocates the Depot and the buildings are vacated
1992 Restoration of the derelict historic Court House begins under the direction of the Buninyong & District historical Society
1995 Official opening of the restored buildings

 

Information on the history of Old Stone Court House was supplied by by Beth Ritchie and Derick Leather, Buninyong & District Historical Society.