Flemington Court House

Flemington Court House
The former court house in 2010
Flemington Court House is located in Melbourne
Flemington Court House
Location within Melbourne
Interactive map of the Flemington Court House area
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCourt house (1889–1982)
Architectural style
Location28 Wellington Street, Flemington, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°47′08″S 144°55′55″E / 37.78556°S 144.93194°E / -37.78556; 144.93194
Completed
1889 (1889)
Inaugurated27 September 1892
Technical details
Material
Floor count2
Design and construction
ArchitectAlexander J. MacDonald
Architecture firm
Public Works Department
Official name
Former Flemington Court House
TypeRegistered place
Designated21 December 1988
Reference no.H1470
HO111
Category
Law Enforcement

The Flemington Court House is a former court house located at 28 Wellington Street, Flemington, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia.

Completed in 1889,[a] the former court house was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 21 December 1988 in recognition of its historical and architectural significance.[2]

History

Officially opened on 27 September 1892,[1][3] the former court house is associated with the recording of births and deaths in the area, from the 1890s, as well as the hearing of criminal and civil law cases. Notable matters heard at the court house include the first day of the Board of Inquiry into Scientology (1963).[4]

The building ceased functioning as a court house on 30 June 1982.[5]

Description

The former Flemington Court House, forms part of a set of buildings on a triangular site, which includes the adjacent police station and lock-up. The heritage-listed post office building on Wellington Street is within close proximity of the court house and police buildings, completed in complementary styles.[6]

The former Flemington Court House was designed by Alexander J. MacDonald, of the Public Works Department, under the supervision of J. T. Kelleher. The building was designed in an eclectic mix of Victorian Italianate, Victorian Byzantine, and Lombardic Romanesque styles,[2] sometimes described as an Australian interpretation of American Romanesque architecture.[7]

Built on a bluestone base, the red-brick court house appears as a two-storey building with a round domed tower, slate roof, a recessed, arched and triple-moulded main doorway with limestone arch-corbelling up the stepped gable wall over the front entrance, and other limestone openings. The front entrance has a church-like rose or wheel window, approached via a triangular walled terrace filling the extreme corner of the site.[7] The design is based on strong cylindrical, stepped and arched shapes, rather than relying on detailing and ornament for effect. The internal detailing of the ceiling is evident and although most of the interior fabric has been concealed or replaced, the original layout and finish of the court room space and adjoining rooms can be restored at a later date. The round domed tower has not been altered internally and the original staircase balustrade, rendered wall, and joinery are still evident.[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Most documented history dates the completion of the building in 1889. However, some media articles issued following the official opening and the first sitting date, being 27 September 1892, state that the building was completed "… a few days ago."[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Opening of the New Court House at Flemington". Essendon and Flemington Chronicle. 30 September 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 1 July 2026 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 3 "Former Flemington Court House, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1470, Heritage Overlay HO111". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Opening of the New Court House at Flemington". The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter. 29 September 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 1 July 2026 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ Anderson QC, Kevin (1965). Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology (PDF) (Report). State of Victoria. p. 4. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Special Report No. 4 - Court Closures in Victoria (PDF) (Report). Auditor-General of Victoria. November 1986. p. 79. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Storey, Rohan (31 December 2018). "A. J. MacDonald - PWD Star!" (blog). Storey of Melbourne. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 East, John W. (2016). "Australian Romanesque: A History of Romanesque-Inspired Architecture in Australia" (PDF). State of Victoria. p. 102. Retrieved 1 July 2026 – via University of Queensland.

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