Magistrates' Court

The Magistrates' Court, formerly the Central Police Station, was built in 1905 by W and TR Milburn, and Wills and Anderson, with JW White serving as contractor. It opened in 1907. The building is constructed of ashlar with a roof of graduated slates, now coated. It is designed in a Free Baroque style.

The exterior consists of two storeys and a tower, with a window arrangement of 1:3:5:1:1 bays. The central three-bay section projects and is topped with a pediment, while the right end bay features an open arch to a rear wing. The tower, located in the second bay from the right, contains double doors with an overlight, ornamented with a low relief panel displaying the word "PUBLIC" above. The tower has rusticated Ionic pilasters and a balcony window set within the door pediment, along with two small slits below swags and a broken pediment containing a clock. A lantern sits above the tower. The ground floor features doors and overlights in rusticated surrounds, with aprons extending from the moulded sills. First-floor windows are mullioned, with recessed surrounds. The three-bay pedimented projection includes narrow windows and a semicircular light within the pediment. The building has a balustraded roof parapet, with stepped blocking courses and ridge chimneys. The right return elevation has 12 windows arranged in a 2:3:3:4 pattern, incorporating a projecting entrance and a tall attic storey with two keyed oeil-de-boeuf windows. A Mansard roof includes dormer casements and panelled ridge chimneys. The rear of the building is characterized by high Diocletian windows.

The interior showcases original details, including an iron stair balustrade with floral and leaf decoration, a wide grip handrail, and a brass plaque signed R Youll SC, indicating the building’s construction dates.