Port Douglas Court House Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Port Douglas Court House Museum |
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Port Douglas Court House Museum, 2015
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| Location | 25 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1879–1911 |
| Architect | Colonial Architect's Office |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Port Douglas Court House Museum, Port Douglas Court House | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600465 |
| Significant period | 1870s–1880s (historical) 1870s–1910s (fabric) 1879–ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | court house |
| Builders | Thomas Watson |
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The Port Douglas Court House Museum is a special old building in Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a courthouse where legal cases were heard. Now, it's a museum where you can learn about the town's history. This building was designed by the Queensland Colonial Architect's Office and built in 1879 by Thomas Watson. It's a very important historical site and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. The Port Douglas Historical Society now runs the museum.
Contents
Discovering the History of Port Douglas Court House
The Port Douglas Court House was built in 1879. It was the very first courthouse in the town. It's a simple wooden building with verandahs, which are like covered porches, on all four sides. This courthouse is one of the oldest wooden courthouses still standing in Queensland.
Why Was Port Douglas So Important?
Port Douglas became a town after gold was found on the Hodgkinson River in 1876. Before Port Douglas, the closest port was Cairns. But getting to Cairns from the goldfields was very hard because of mountains.
In 1877, a famous bushman named Christy Palmerston found a new, easier path from the goldfields to the coast. Soon after, the area was surveyed and officially named Port Douglas. It quickly became a busy port.
Building Public Places in Early Port Douglas
Many businesses and trade from the goldfields moved from Cairns to Port Douglas. The government showed it believed in the new town by spending money on a road to the Hodgkinson River. They also built many important public buildings in Port Douglas early on.
How the Courthouse Came to Be
The courthouse was built in 1879. Before it was ready, court sessions were held in a police cell, which wasn't ideal. Then, they used a tent for most of 1878! Later, the court moved into the new Customs House. As more people moved to Port Douglas, it became clear they needed a proper building just for court.
When Port Douglas was planned, land on Wharf Street was set aside for a courthouse and post office. But a building was already there. So, the courthouse was built across the street instead.
Designing the Court House
The Colonial Architect's office designed the building. They made sure it suited the local climate and its purpose as a courthouse. It had a main rectangular part with the courtroom at the front and two offices at the back. It also had verandahs on all four sides.
You could enter the verandah from the front using a central staircase. There were also stairs at each end of the side verandahs.
Who Built the Court House?
Builders were asked to submit bids in May 1879. Even though local builders tried, a builder from Brisbane named Thomas Watson won the contract. He was chosen because he had experience building courthouses, like one in St Lawrence the year before, which was similar.
Watson started building in September and finished in November. It cost £475. The finished building was a bit different from the original plan. It had one large office at the back instead of two smaller ones.
Changes and Challenges Over Time
In 1880, part of the back verandah was enclosed to create a jury room. Judges had complained about not having a proper place for juries. Thomas Watson, who was still in Port Douglas building other government buildings, completed this addition. Later, the jury room was made even bigger.
Over the years, parts of the verandah floor and many of the wooden stumps holding up the building had to be replaced. This was because of weather damage and white ants.
A big cyclone in March 1911 almost destroyed the building. It lost part of its roof and was blown off its stumps. Some stumps even poked through the floor! An inspector suggested moving the building slightly to face Wharf Street better and avoid soft ground. They also added a separate room at the back for police use. These changes were so big that the project was called "New Court House, Port Douglas." A local builder, H A Nielson, completed this work.
After these major changes, only general repairs were done until 1958. An inspection then found that the wooden walls had shrunk, letting light through the gaps. So, the court and judge's rooms were lined with hardboard.
The building's simple design was very successful. It was used for many Queensland courthouses until the 1930s.
Other Uses of the Building
While mainly a courthouse, the building was also used for other things. It served as police offices and even briefly as a home for the town's only police officer. It was also considered as a site for the local school. Most court cases were minor. However, in 1886, one of the most significant legal cases in Queensland's history took place here.
Moving and Returning Home
The building stopped being used as a courthouse in 1961. People from the National Trust of Queensland and local groups worked hard to keep the building on its original site. In 1968, it was sold and moved to the grounds of the Court House Hotel, along with the nearby police cells.
Sadly, the cells were destroyed when a tree fell on them. A fire also damaged the former police offices. But in 1993, the Court House was moved back to its original spot, exactly where it was first built!
Since April 1997, the building has been a museum. The Douglas Shire Historical Society set it up. It has displays about the courthouse's history and the local area.
What Does the Port Douglas Court House Look Like?
The Port Douglas Court House is a simple wooden building. It's shaped like a rectangle and has verandahs on all four sides. It stands on low wooden stumps and has a gabled roof made of corrugated iron.
It is now back in its original place, facing Wharf Street. It sits in a lovely park-like setting near the water.
The verandah roof is separate from the main roof. It's held up by evenly spaced posts with simple diagonal braces instead of fancy brackets at the top. You enter through a central staircase at the front. This leads to two wooden doors with diagonally laid boards. On either side of the doors are double-hung windows with four panes of glass.
At the back, there are two pairs of French doors with glass panels at the top. There are also two similar single doors at the back of the southern side. Evenly spaced double-hung windows are along the rest of this side and the opposite side. There are vents in the center of each gable end. The front one has three arched, louvred forms.
Inside, the building has three rooms. The main courtroom is at the front. There's a smaller room at the back. The front room also has a tiny corner room that you can only get to from outside.
Much of the original building materials are still there in the main part of the building. However, some sections have been rebuilt over time.
Why is This Place Special?
The Port Douglas Court House Museum was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 because it meets several important criteria.
Showing Queensland's History
This courthouse was built in 1879. It was the first courthouse in Port Douglas. It shows how quickly the town grew after gold was found nearby in 1876. As an early government building in far North Queensland, it helps us understand how Queensland developed.
A Rare Piece of History
It's rare because it's one of the few wooden buildings from before the 1880s still standing in North Queensland. It's the oldest building in Port Douglas and the second oldest wooden courthouse in Queensland.
A Great Example of a Courthouse
The Port Douglas Court House shows what courthouses built in regional towns looked like during the early development of Queensland.
Beautiful and Important to See
The building is very beautiful to look at. It has a simple, balanced design and is set in a park near the ocean.
Important to the Local Community
This place is very important to the local community. They worked hard to keep the building on its original site and helped move it back. Now, a local community group maintains it as a museum.
