Nanango Court House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nanango Court House |
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Nanango Court House, 2010
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| Location | 30 Henry Street, Nanango, South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Department of Public Works (Queensland) |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Nanango Court House | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 13 January 1995 |
| Reference no. | 601571 |
| Significant period | 1930s (historical) 1930s (fabric) |
| Significant components | roof/ridge ventilator/s / fleche/s, office/s |
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The Nanango Court House is a special old building in Nanango, Queensland, Australia. It's a place where important legal decisions were made. Built in 1937, this building was designed by the Queensland Department of Public Works. Today, it's recognized as a heritage-listed site. This means it's an important part of Queensland's history and worth protecting.
Contents
History of the Court House
A New Building for Justice
The Nanango Court House was finished in late 1937. It's a single-story building made of timber. This new building replaced an older court house from 1912. The plans for the court house were drawn up by the Queensland Department of Public Works. Andrew Baxter Leven was the main architect at that time.
Nanango's Early Days
The Nanango area was first settled by people setting up large farms called pastoral stations. This happened in the 1840s. In 1847, a person named Jacob Goode set up a camp near a waterhole. He later built an inn, stockyards, and a general store. A post office opened around 1850.
Gold was found in the Nanango area in the 1860s. Even though not much gold was found, it brought more people to the area. A school was started in 1866. The first town lots were sold in October 1870. More people moved to the area from the mid-1870s. By the mid-1880s, Nanango had homes and businesses. By the late 1880s, the area was known for sheep and cattle farming, mining, and great timber.
Early Court Houses in Nanango
Records show that additions were made to the court house and lock-up in Nanango in 1862. This suggests a court house might have been built as early as the late 1850s. In 1889, more additions were made to include a Lands Office.
By the early 1900s, Nanango and Kingaroy were competing to be the main town in the district. Nanango was the home for government offices like Justice and Lands. In 1912, Nanango became even more important when the District Court was set up there. This court served Nanango and nearby areas. Because more official work was expected, a new court house was built in Nanango in 1912.
Building the Current Court House
By 1936, another new court house was needed. Plans were made, and in December 1936, approval was given to build the new court house. It cost about £1070. The new building was finished in August 1937. It had offices for the Dairy Inspector, Stock Inspector, Clerk of Petty Sessions, and Land Ranger. The new building was placed east of the old one, facing Henry Street. The old court house was sold and moved away.
In the mid-1960s, more additions were made to the court house. These included a tea room, a storage area, and toilets.
What the Court House Looks Like
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The Nanango Court House is a timber building with a balanced design. It has a roof made of corrugated iron. A wide verandah goes around three sides of the building. The roof is not very steep and has clear gables (the triangular parts at the end of a roof) and wide overhanging eaves (the parts of the roof that hang over the walls).
The verandah roofs are held up by groups of timber posts. The main entrance sticks out and has a small gable supported by two timber posts. Behind this is a roof that is half-gabled. The highest part of the main roof has a large ventilator, which is a device for air circulation. A flagpole is also on top, making it a key decoration of the building.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Nanango Court House was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on January 13, 1995. This means it's considered an important historical place for a few reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history unfolded.
Built in 1937, the Nanango Court House helps us understand how Nanango grew to become an important government center for the South Burnett area of Queensland.
- It's a great example of its type of building.
The Nanango Court House is a good example of a timber court house found in a country town. It shows the high quality of government buildings designed by the Department of Public Works in Queensland during the early to mid-1900s.
