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FORMER HEATHCOTE COURT HOUSE AND SHIRE COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Location

125 HIGH STREET HEATHCOTE, GREATER BENDIGO CITY

File Number

HER/2001/000362

Level

Registered

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FORMER HEATHCOTE COURT HOUSE
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1 former heathcote court house
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former heathcote court house &

Statement of Significance

The Former Heathcote Court House and Shire Council Chambers was constructed in 1863 to the design of Melbourne architect, John Flannagan and was partially funded by both the local council and the colonial government. The building is quite unusual for incorporating the town hall with the court house, and only a small number of other Victorian local councils had such buildings and of these, very few survive particularly those dating from the 1860s. Flannagan designed a similar building for the Hotham Municipal Council in 1862 and this previous design was used as a model by the Heathcote Council when lobbying the government for funding. The building when constructed was a face brick symmetrically arranged building with courthouse and town hall in large wings on either side of a central entrance bay. The building is a good example of nineteenth century classicism employing the inventive and playful mood of mannerist buildings of the Baroque period. Since construction the building has been rendered with stucco and features an intact court house interior.

The Former Heathcote Court House and Shire Council Chambers is of historical and architectural importance to the State of Victoria.

The Heathcote Town Hall and Court House is of architectural merit as a well composed building influenced by a style known nominated Victorian Mannerism, which sought to be inventive and playful within the tradition of strict classicism. Early nineteenth century British architects rediscovered Mannerism of the late Renaissance as a style which released them from cold imitation of Classicism and allowed freedom and 'character' within their design. The well designed and prominent building is an unusual and rare surviving integration of an 1860s court house and shire chambers.

The building has historical importance as it demonstrates the growth of the central goldfields area as a consequence of the gold fields and in particular the period of permanent settlement in the 1860s and 1870s when temporary buildings were replaced with permanent structures of considerable architectural merit.

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