Built in 1864, the Whittlesea Courthouse is one of the oldest functional buildings in the City of Whittlesea. It is a brick building with a slate roof and was constructed on bluestone footings. The Courthouse played an important role in the daily life and development of the district. Apart from court proceedings, meetings of the Whittlesea Roads Board were held here, and in 1875 hosted a meeting of the newly established Whittlesea Shire Council. The site features a single-cell lockup, which was built in 1859 to serve the Yan Yean area. It is registered on the Victorian heritage database and is significant as one of the the finer remaining small provincial courthouses built in Victoria. It is located on the corner of Church and Beech Streets, Whittlesea. Operating as a Court of Petty sessions until 1989, it was later restored and reopened to the public as a visitor information centre in 1996. The Visitor Information Centre provides local arts and crafts for sale. The courthouse is surrounded by picnic facilities within its scenic surroundings.
Photo: Whittlesea Courthouse ca 2000. Yarra Plenty Regional Library collection
