Birdsville Courthouse, Heritage-listed courthouse in Birdsville, Australia
Birdsville Courthouse is a single-story stone building with corrugated iron roofing that houses a courtroom and residential quarters on Adelaide Street. The structure shows typical features of court buildings from this era with clearly separated functional areas.
Built between 1888 and 1890 by contractors J Wookey and Henry Walton, the building served as a border customs post during pre-Federation Queensland. This role made it an important administrative hub for the remote region.
The courthouse includes an Aboriginal Tracker's Hut from the 1940s, showing how Indigenous people worked in Queensland's law enforcement. Visitors can explore this connection today and learn about this often overlooked contribution to the region's history.
The building has been restored and offers visitors hologram presentations about its history. Access is straightforward and its location on Adelaide Street makes it easy to find.
The building was constructed from local sandstone because timber was scarce and transportation too expensive in this remote region. This construction method shapes the courthouse's appearance to this day.
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