Former Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Romanesque court building in Melbourne, Australia
The Former Melbourne Magistrates' Court is a Romanesque-style courthouse on the corner of Russell Street and La Trobe Street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has dressed limestone walls, copper-clad turrets, and rows of semi-circular windows grouped along its facade.
The building opened in 1914 and served as Melbourne's main lower court for around 80 years before a new courthouse replaced it. After closing, it was absorbed into a nearby university campus and given a new purpose.
The wooden canopy above the magistrate's seat in the main courtroom came from the old Supreme Court that once stood on this site. The building now houses RMIT administration offices, while the former City Watch-house next door serves as a museum.
The building is part of a university campus today, so access to the interior is limited to guided tours or open event days. The exterior along Russell Street is visible at any time and gives a good sense of the overall structure.
The pockmarks in the brickwork at the former main entrance on the La Trobe and Russell Street corner are shrapnel damage from the Russell Street Bombing, not bullet holes. They remain unrepaired and can be seen from the street.
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