Seeing the magnificent Victorian Italianate Goulburn Courthouse for the first time brought back to my mind some of the grand colonial buildings I have seen in India. I certainly hadn’t anticipated coming across such a structure here in what I might unfairly call sleepy old Goulburn. Continue reading “Goulburn Courthouse – “More for ornament than use””
Argyle Emporium (Bookshop) – Former Court and Police Station
For those who love secondhand books (including rare and hard to find editions), vinyl records/ music and audio cassettes, comics, or other entertainment memorabilia including limited edition items, but above all books, and who are in need of a bit of retail therapy, it is impossible to go past the Argyle Emporium – housed in the Goulburn’s former courthouse and police station. Continue reading “Argyle Emporium (Bookshop) – Former Court and Police Station”
Fine Public Buildings and a Gaol Museum in Cooma
With the discovery of gold at nearby Kiandra in 1859 and a resultant gold rush starting in 1860 – short-lived though it was – Cooma rapidly expanded from a minor settlement. Between 1851 and 1911 the population grew from 47 to 2,330. Continue reading “Fine Public Buildings and a Gaol Museum in Cooma”
Gundagai Court House
The majestic fine classical Gundagai Court House, built in 1859 (clock added in 1877), is without doubt the most imposing building in Gundagai, due both to the quality of the building itself and to its elevated site giving it a dominating presence above the town’s main street. Continue reading “Gundagai Court House”
Dame Roma Mitchell – Was She Or Wasn’t She?
This 1999 life-sized bronze statue, sculpted by John Woffinden and Sally Francis, is of Dame Roma Mitchell (1913 –2000), a great South Australian woman who achieved three major State firsts: Continue reading “Dame Roma Mitchell – Was She Or Wasn’t She?”
Former District Court House
Without knowing a little of the history of country New South Wales towns such as Young, Cooma and Goulburn (and there are others) your initial encounter with court houses in these places will undoubtedly cause raised eyebrows. Like me, you will wonder why such grand court houses were built in what are today are rather modest towns in most other respects. Continue reading “Former District Court House”
High Court of Australia – Admire the Spaciousness
Two buildings in Canberra rank high in the stakes as being the most hideous looking buildings in Australia – both these buildings are beside each other. One is the High Court of Australia and the other is the National Gallery. Continue reading “High Court of Australia – Admire the Spaciousness”
The Courthouse
Despite numerous bombings through the “Troubles” this Greek Revival style building is as beautiful and sturdy looking as the day it was built, some 200 years ago in 1813 – though to be fair there have been a number of refurbishments in the intervening years. Continue reading “The Courthouse”
The Rambling Wombat 