The former Lancefield Courthouse

Home of the Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society

The Courthouse provided a fundamental representation of law and order in townships across Victoria as the state developed. Colonial architect William Wardell and the Public Works Department developed a Courthouse type based on the Renaissance Revival style, and this building is a fine example of the style.

In 1886 the government purchased this land and the Courthouse was constructed in 1887-8. Located next to the first Police Station in Lancefield, the former 1872 Lock-up was relocated to the rear of the Courthouse in the 1990s. This Courthouse compares closely with the Courthouses at Romsey (1888) and Woodend (1870) and with the Post Offices at Lancefield (1888) and Romsey (1890). Architecturally, it is immediately identifiable as a government building of the late nineteenth century. Internally, the basic fittings remain virtually unaltered since its construction.

In 1983 the Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society secured a lease of the building from the then Department of Conservation Forests & Lands, now the Department of Environment, Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). The former Courthouse now accommodates the Society’s activities and its archive.

The Courthouse is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm or by appointment: phone Shirely Kishere: 0402 248 540