History and Culture

The architecture of Beaufort Courthouse

Beaufort Courthouse was opened in 1865. The building was designed by the Public Works Department of Victoria. Designed in a Classical style, it is one of a series of courthouses built in Victoria from the middle of the nineteenth century that have a temple-like form. Distinguishing it from most other courthouses is its beautiful semi-circular recessed porch, which has a high-level of detailing in its use of stone and brick.

The arched wall openings of the Courthouse, some grouped in a double and triple arrangement, emanate a degree of cheerfulness and provide some relief from the building’s otherwise formal and imposing character. In contrast to the Courthouse’s rounded arched wall openings, the pointed arched windows of the adjacent church look a little like raised eyebrows and would have back in the day seemed as if they were casting a pious stare across to people attending the court.

Photographs by Andrew Curtis

The golden tone in the brick of the walls of the Courthouse is a nod to Beaufort’s rich gold rush history. The bricks are set in quartz mortar and on sunny days the walls glisten, just as gold nuggets do in the sunlight. The bricks were made locally, and it is said that one brick has the imprint of a sheep’s hoof on its surface!

The interior of the Courthouse still retains its timber judge’s bench, prisoner’s dock, witness stand and other courtroom furnishings, beneath the splendid timber truss roof. Mains electricity was not connected to the building until the 1930s and prior to this, candles and oil lamps were used to light the cavernous interior of the courtroom. By the 1960s, a portion of the building was used as a district office of the Forests Commission of Victoria, which entailed alterations to the north side of the building. A small freestanding timber holding cell, for those awaiting trial, was formerly on the south side of the Courthouse.

Photographs by Andrew Curtis

Administration of justice in Beaufort

The enforcement of law and order and the administration of justice was often harsh and unfair, particularly for Indigenous Australians, and for women, the poor and the marginalised in the community.

The Beaufort Courthouse served many judicial functions for Beaufort and surrounding settlements. As a Court of Petty Sessions, minor criminal cases and civil disputes were heard. Beaufort, with its rich gold mining history, saw the Court of Mines hear cases concerning mine licenses and mining disputes. Inquests were performed at this Courthouse, and the County Court, Children’s Court, and Liquor Licensing Court also sat at the Beaufort Courthouse.

Photographs by Andrew Curtis

Although the Courthouse is centrally located within Beaufort, for some living outside the township it was remote and difficult to access. In 1908, a Mrs Grant, carrying her baby, walked 16 kilometres to attend the Courthouse, only to be told on arrival that the case against her had been withdrawn. Justice Williams tackled this tyranny of distance by travelling between Beaufort and other courts in his jurisdiction on a bicycle that was described as a ‘safe and fast machine’.

Given the different courts that sat at Beaufort, the hearings varied in type and gravity. Minor criminal matters heard included assault, theft, public drunkenness and indecent language. Alexander Garland, in 1915, appeared before the court for passing worthless cheques at shops while travelling through Beaufort. He was found guilty of being a ‘rogue and vagabond’ and was sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Ballarat Gaol.

Other hearings document a sadder side of life in this remote and rural community. Three inquests were performed at the court during the 1880s into suicides of Chinese miners living near Beaufort. Poverty, cultural isolation, and separation from their families in China, triggered what was described at these inquests as their ‘despondent state of mind’. The miners were members of a large Chinese community that had arrived during the gold rush and lived in Beaufort into the twentieth century.

Beaufort Courthouse in 1963. At this time, a portion of the building was used as a district office of the Forests Commission of Victoria. The small timber holding cell for people awaiting trial is visible at right.

Photographer: John T Collins, State Library of Victoria Picture Collection.

A new beginning

This building ceased serving as a court in 1982. It remains a golden piece of Beaufort’s history, and from its walls echo the theatre of life played out in hearings at this court over decades. Through the efforts of Working Heritage, the former Beaufort Courthouse has undergone significant conservation works to maintain its nineteenth century architectural charm. In its new use as the home of the Beaufort Historical Society, the former Courthouse continues to be a place that is known and used by the local community and is a valuable reminder of Beaufort’s rich and interesting history.