WOODEND COURT HOUSE

43 FOREST STREET WOODEND, MACEDON RANGES SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register

2023. Woodend Court House

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    WOODEND COURT HOUSE - History

    The Woodend Court House is located on Dja Dja Wurrung Country 82km south of Bendigo. From the 1830s European settlers took up land in the region and dispossessed the Dja Dja Wurrung people of their land, destroyed food and water sources and cultural sites, and introduced foreign flora, fauna and diseases. 
    The Woodend Court House was erected in 1870 and was the second court building in Woodend. It was designed by Henry A. Williams who was a Clerk of Works and Draftsman in the Public Works Department under William Wardell. It was built by Grant and Johnson to a cost of £668. The earlier court building in Woodend was built in 1862 and was located south of Keating’s Hotel. The new court house was a response to requests from the town for the replacement of the original court house. The 1870 court house originally comprised two rooms – the court room and the clerk’s office on the eastern elevation. 
    The design of the Woodend Court House is typical of the Public Works Department during the period that William Wardell was Chief Architect. It is one of approximately twenty court houses built in a similar style. This standard Public Works Department design is exemplified by the central court room, with lower height wings to one or both sides which are set back from the central court room on the facade. The Woodend Court House is set apart by its asymmetrical massing of a single wing to the eastern elevation. 
    The original two-roomed court house is constructed of brick, which is currently overpainted, on bluestone footings with a gabled roof over the main courtroom volume. There is a protruding office on the eastern elevation with a hipped roof which was extended in 1885 with the addition of a second office to the rear of the clerk’s office. The facade of the building is characterised by simple decorative brickwork around the gable and distinctive timber lattice friezes and timber brackets to the verandah. Other court houses in this style include Lilydale, Bright, and Avenel.  
    The interior finish of the courtroom is plastered brickwork with lines etched into the plaster to simulate the appearance of stone. The ceiling is constructed of varnished pine boards on exposed trusses. The magistrate’s bench, dock, clerk’s desk, witness box, and bench seat remain in the court room and there is a cast iron fender in front of the fireplace.
    The clerk’s office is plastered brickwork with a ceiling of varnished lining boards. The slate fireplace surround has been painted black. In the Magistrate’s office the walls are again plastered brickwork while the ceiling is fibrous plaster. 
    The last court of petty sessions was held there in 1964 and the last coroner’s court hearing in the 1970s. The building has since been occupied by the Woodend and District Heritage Society. In 2006, an extension was added to the rear of the building.
    
    

    Selected bibliography

    Bruce Trethowan, The Public Works Department of Victoria – 1851-1900, 1975.
    Diahnn McIntosh & Frances O’Neill, Court Houses in Victoria: a survey, 1991.
    Macedon Ranges Cultural Heritage and Landscape Study, 1994.
    
    
    
    

    Permit Exemptions

    WOODEND COURT HOUSE - Permit Exemptions

    General Exemptions:

    General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

    Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

    Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

    Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

    Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

    Specific Exemptions:

    Specific Permit Exemptions
    The works and activities listed below under the heading ‘Exempt works and activities’ are not considered to cause harm to the cultural heritage significance of the Woodend Court House. These are subject to the following guidelines and conditions:
    
    Guidelines for specific permit exemptions

    1. Where there is an inconsistency between permit exemptions specific to the registered place or object (‘specific exemptions’) established in accordance with either section 49(3) or section 92(3) of the Act and general exemptions established in accordance with section 92(1) of the Act specific exemptions will prevail to the extent of any inconsistency. 
    2. In specific exemptions, words have the same meaning as in the Act, unless otherwise indicated. Where there is an inconsistency between specific exemptions and the Act, the Act will prevail to the extent of any inconsistency. 
    3. Nothing in specific exemptions obviates the responsibility of a proponent to obtain the consent of the owner of the registered place or object, or if the registered place or object is situated on Crown Land the land manager as defined in the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, prior to undertaking works or activities in accordance with specific exemptions. 
    4. If a Cultural Heritage Management Plan in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 is required for works covered by specific exemptions, specific exemptions will apply only if the Cultural Heritage Management Plan has been approved prior to works or activities commencing. Where there is an inconsistency between specific exemptions and a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the relevant works and activities, Heritage Victoria must be contacted for advice on the appropriate approval pathway. 
    5. Specific exemptions do not constitute approvals, authorisations or exemptions under any other legislation, Local Government, State Government or Commonwealth Government requirements, including but not limited to the Planning and Environment Act 1987, the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to obtain relevant planning, building or environmental approvals from the responsible authority where applicable. 
    6. Care should be taken when working with heritage buildings and objects, as historic fabric may contain dangerous and poisonous materials (for example lead paint and asbestos). Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn at all times. If you are unsure, seek advice from a qualified heritage architect, heritage consultant or local Council heritage advisor. 
    7. The presence of unsafe materials (for example asbestos, lead paint etc) at a registered place or object does not automatically exempt remedial works or activities in accordance with this category. Approvals under Part 5 of the Act must be obtained to undertake works or activities that are not expressly exempted by the below specific exemptions. 
    8. All works should be informed by a Conservation Management Plan prepared for the place or object. The Executive Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan and permits still must be obtained for works suggested in any Conservation Management Plan. 

    General conditions for specific permit exemptions

    1. All works or activities permitted under specific exemptions must be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents harm to the registered place or object.?Harm includes moving, removing or damaging any part of the registered place or object that contributes to its cultural heritage significance. 
    2. If during the carrying out of works or activities in accordance with specific exemptions original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the registered place are revealed relating to its cultural heritage significance, including but not limited to historical archaeological remains, such as features, deposits or artefacts, then works must cease and Heritage Victoria notified as soon as possible.
    3. If during the carrying out of works or activities in accordance with specific exemptions any Aboriginal cultural heritage is discovered or exposed at any time, all works must cease and the Secretary (as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006) must be contacted immediately to ascertain requirements under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
    4. If during the carrying out of works or activities in accordance with specific exemptions any munitions or other potentially explosive artefacts are discovered, Victoria Police is to be immediately alerted and the site is to be immediately cleared of all personnel.
    5. If during the carrying out of works or activities in accordance with specific exemptions any suspected human remains are found the works or activities must cease. The remains must be left in place and protected from harm or damage. Victoria Police and the State Coroner’s Office must be notified immediately. If there are reasonable grounds to believe that the remains are Aboriginal, the State Emergency Control Centre must be immediately notified on 1300 888 544, and, as required under s.17(3)(b) of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, all details about the location and nature of the human remains must be provided to the Aboriginal Heritage Council (as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006).

    Exempt works and activities

    • All internal works to the 2006 extension at the rear of the court house.

    
    
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