Historic Courthouse
The need for law and order on the freewheeling goldfields settlements of the 1850s led to the development of several government buildings, including the Historic Courthouse, that now make up the heritage-listed Beechworth Historic Precinct.
The courthouse operated for 131 years until 1989, when it became a museum. Now managed by Indigo Shire on behalf of the Victorian Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action, it is incredibly well preserved with its original dock, furniture and fittings intact and a nationally significant Law Library with many rare books.
Kelly Trials Exhibition
In 2020, Indigo Shire Council secured a $500,000 grant from the Victorian State Government’s Department of Jobs, Precincts and Region’s Regional Infrastructure Fund to finance the Beechworth Courthouse Kelly Trials project. Indigo Shire Council then committed a further $500,000 to the project to bring this $1M project to life.
Council worked closely with Heritage Victoria, Council's Heritage Advisor Deb Kemp and Greg Owen from Period Building Conservation Pty Ltd to safeguard the structural and historical integrity of the Courthouse - a nationally significant landmark. The conservation work encompassed a wide range of elements within the Courthouse, including repairs to walls, floors, and multiple other components.
Located at the centre of the Beechworth Historic Precinct, the Courthouse is a significant site in Australia’s legal history. The Courthouse played a key role during the Kelly outbreak of 1878-1880, as the location of more than 40 trials and hearings for the Kelly Gang and its sympathisers.
Most significantly, the Courthouse was the site of Ned Kelly’s committal hearing after his arrest at Glenrowan, and the project explores this key event in Australian history. It interprets the stories of this period, focussing on the events that took place in the Courthouse and the people who worked there. It also tells the subsequent history of the Courthouse, including its transformation into a heritage site in the late 20th Century. It utilises a combination of traditional museum displays, original artefacts, museum signage and modern projection technologies to allow visitors to step back in time and experience these significant events.
The Kelly Trials Exhibition is now open, with hosted sessions running daily on the hour from 10:00am, with the last session beginning at 3:00pm. The exhibition is ramp access and service animal friendly, and tickets are available to purchase online or from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre.