Justice and Police Museum facts for kids
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Phillip Street frontage of the museum
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| Former name |
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|---|---|
| Location | 4-8 Phillip Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Living history museum |
| Public transit access |
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| Built | 1854–1886 |
| Architect |
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| Architectural style(s) | Australian classic revival |
| Owner | Department of Justice |
| Official name: Justice and Police Museum; Police Station & Law Courts (former); Traffic Court | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Criteria | a., c., d., e. |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 673 |
| Type | Police station |
| Category | Law Enforcement |
The Justice and Police Museum is a cool place in Sydney, Australia. It used to be a police station and courthouse! Now, it's a museum where you can learn all about how police and justice worked in the past. It's located at 4-8 Phillip Street in the heart of the Sydney central business district. This historic site was designed by famous architects like Edmund Blacket and James Barnet. It was built between 1854 and 1886. The museum is owned by the Department of Justice and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999.
Contents
A Look Back at the Museum's History
The Justice and Police Museum buildings have a long and interesting past. They started as important places for law and order in Sydney.
Early Days of the Water Police
In 1851, plans were made for a new Water Police Office. This office was for the police who patrolled Sydney's waters. Work on the building started in 1853. However, it was delayed because many people went looking for gold, causing a shortage of workers.
The first Water Police Office, designed by Edmund Blacket, was finished in 1856. It had a main court and four offices. Here, cases about harbour rules and water police activities were heard.
The First Police Station
The Water Police Station, designed by Alexander Dawson, was built nearby in 1857. It had a ground floor with a charge room, offices, and cells. Upstairs, there were living quarters for four water policemen and their families. This building was meant to have more cells, but money problems and the gold rush meant it was built smaller.
Growing Courts and Police Work
Later, a second court was added in 1886, designed by James Barnet. This court heard smaller cases, while the first court handled more serious charges. Over time, the buildings changed as police and court work grew.
In 1913, the Water Police moved to a new location, but the Phillip Street site remained a police station. It became known as the Phillip Street Police Station. The courts here started hearing traffic offenses from 1924. By 1926, they were called Traffic Courts 1 and 2, dealing with all traffic and parking tickets in Sydney.
The courts stopped being used by court staff in 1979. This gave more space to the police station next door.
What the Courts Handled
Over the years, these courts handled many different types of cases:
- From the 1890s, it was a Licensing Court.
- Between 1917 and 1924, it housed the Traffic Office.
- In 1918, it was a Fair Rents Court.
- From 1919 to 1933, it was the Small Debts Court.
- From 1924 to 1980, it was mainly the Traffic Court.
Today, the site is managed by Sydney Living Museums. They run it as a museum where you can explore the history of police and justice.
Exploring the Museum Buildings
The Justice and Police Museum is made up of two old courthouses and a police station from the 1800s. They are located at the corner of Phillip and Albert Streets, near Circular Quay.
- 1856 Court House: This is the building at 4 Phillip Street.
- 1858 Police Station: This is the building at 8 Phillip Street.
- 1886 Court House: This is the building at 6 Phillip Street.
The 1856 Blacket Court Building
This building is a single-story sandstone structure. It has a grand entrance with arches and a triangular roof section called a pediment. The main entrance has curved timber and glass walls.
The roof is made of slate tiles, with some parts covered in copper. There are also four chimneys on the main courtroom roof.
The 1886 Barnet Court Building
This building was added later, behind the Blacket Court. It also has an arched entrance with a pediment, matching the older building. Its roof is also made of slate.
The 1858 Police Station Building
This is a two-story building made of Pyrmont sandstone. It has a simple, classic style with a pediment over the middle part of its front. The roof is T-shaped and covered with slate tiles. A metal fence and gate on a low sandstone wall run along the front of the building on Phillip Street.
What You Can See: The Museum Collection
The museum's collection is mostly about police history. It started with a teaching collection of tools used by criminals from 1910. While it doesn't have many items specifically about the Water Police, it shows a wide range of policing activities and law-related themes.
The collection includes:
- Old objects and tools.
- Historical photographs.
- Important documents.
It's especially known for its collection of old firearms and evidence from famous historical cases.
Changes Over Time
The museum buildings have been changed and updated many times throughout their history:
- In 1862, offices were changed.
- Gas lighting was added to the police station in 1865.
- Two stone cells were added to the police station in 1875-76.
- A cottage for the court keeper was built in 1879.
- The second courthouse was completed in 1885-86.
- Waiting rooms with timber and glass were added to both courthouses around 1899-1900.
- The police station's officers' quarters were changed in 1903.
- The prisoner's dock in Court Number 1 was altered in 1912.
- More office changes happened between 1924 and 1928.
- Toilets were built at the back of the police station in the 1930s.
- The front of the Water Police Court was changed in 1933.
- A concrete air raid shelter was built around 1941.
- In 1947-48, the street levels were lowered, and new stairs and walls were built.
- Major changes and reconstruction happened between 1986 and 1990.
Why This Place is Important
The Justice and Police Museum is a very important historical site.
It shows how power and justice were organized in the past. Its design and location near Sydney Cove tell a story about social control and the growth of Sydney as a port city. It stands out among the modern buildings around Circular Quay.
The museum is important because:
- It was the main office for the Water Police, one of the first police groups in New South Wales.
- The buildings show how different government architects worked over many years.
- It has always been connected to law and policing in Sydney.
- It helps us understand how policing changed in the 1800s.
The buildings are also beautiful and part of a historic area in Sydney Cove, known for its sandstone buildings.
The Justice and Police Museum has the only public collection in New South Wales that focuses on the history of crime, law, and policing. It offers a special chance to see how courts and police stations worked together in the past. The museum helps people understand how law and police work today.
See also
