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Corowa Courthouse
| Source: |
Go to the Register of the National Estate for more information. |
| Identifier: |
644 |
| Location: |
8-12 Church St, Corowa |
Local
Government: |
Corowa |
| State: |
NSW |
| Country: |
Australia |
Statement of
Significance: |
The Court House (1888) is significant as one of a group of Corowa places associated with the Corowa Federation Conference held on 31 July and 1 August 1893.
The conference was one of several held in the colonies as part of a process leading to the formation of a federated Australia.
The Corowa Federation Conference produced a plan that played a key part in this process, resulting in a decision by colonial premiers in 1895 that each of the Australasian colonial parliaments would enact legislation providing for the election of representatives to a federal convention, where they would adopt a bill for a federal Constitution to be put to a referendum in each colony.
The conference was widely hailed as the first expression of community support for federation outside the major cities, and was instrumental in the success of the federation movement (Criterion A.4).
The Court House, built in 1887/88, is significant as a fine example of a country court house design from the office of NSW Government Architect, James Barnet.
It is a distinctive local landmark in the Corowa streetscape (Criteria D2, E1).
(Australian Historic Themes: 7.3 Federating Australia; 7.5 Administering Australia) |
| Description: |
HISTORY
In December 1885, the NSW government called tenders for the erection of a new court house to replace the earlier court house at the corner site on Church and Queen Streets.
The new building was designed in the office of James Barnet, NSW Government Architect, and supposedly copied the court house at nearby Howlong except it was designed on a larger scale.
The contract was let in January 1886 to W Squires, a local builder.
The local Progress Committee successfully protested to the government about the orientation of the building on the corner site, and it was eventually constructed to face Church Street rather than Queen Street.
The foundations were laid in September 1887, and the building completed by February 1888.
Two wings were added in 1890, the eastern wing serving as the local office of the Lands Department, and the western wing occupied by the local inspector of stock.
A detached brick coach house was erected at the rear of the building.
During the early 1890s, the political movement toward federation gathered momentum and a series of conventions gave focus to discussion and debate across Australia.
As a border community obliged to pay customs duties imposed on goods crossing the NSW-Victorian border, Corowa was strongly supportive of federation.
The conference, held at Corowa on 31 July-1 August 1893, revived interest at a time when the issue had begun to fade in prominence.
Local enthusiasm for federation also appears to have been spurred by the prospect of securing the federal capital in the border district.
Indeed, Corowa was one of the towns to lodge a claim for federal city status.
Sir Edmund Barton, a champion of the federation cause, visited Corowa in 1892 to urge consideration of the Convention Bill before the NSW parliament.
His suggestion of forming local federation leagues was taken up first in Albury and Corowa, then in other river towns.
The Berrigan branch of the Australasian Federation League proposed a conference in Corowa to organise the league branches, and to establish clear public opinion on the federation issue.
The Corowa Court House hosted the official sessions of the Corowa Federation Conference. The Court House was selected as the venue because the conference coincided with the agricultural show, and no other suitable venue was available.
The conference was attended by 74 delegates, including 43 from Federation League branches from both sides of the border.
Women were permitted to attend because of the interest shown in the federation issue, but were not allowed to speak.
Delegates included the Premier of Victoria, Leader of the Opposition, several members of the Victorian parliament, and Minister for Works in the NSW parliament.
Dr John Quick, a Bendigo branch delegate of the Australian Natives Association, successfully moved that each of the Australasian colonial parliaments should enact legislation providing for the election of representatives to a federal convention where they should consider and adopt a bill for a federal Constitution.
The proposed bill should then be put to a referendum in each colony.
The Corowa plan was subsequently adopted (with slight modification) by the Central Federation League in Sydney, and later by the colonial premiers at a conference in Hobart in 1897.
The Corowa motion marked a significant stage in the formation of a federated Australia, the referenda resulting in a vote in favour of Federation.
The conference drew attention to Corowa, attracting the metropolitan press as well as Sir Henry Parkes who visited Corowa within a few weeks to deliver a stirring speech on the wisdom of federation.
The local press depicted the conference as 'the first demonstration for federal unity which has taken place outside the large centres of population, as well as the first important expression of the wish of the people in this respect, as distinguished from previous movements, which have all more or less been at the instigation of leading politicians' (Wahgunyah and Rutherglen News, 28 July 1893, cited in Pennay, p18). The Court House was also used on 4 March 1887 as the local polling booth for electing delegates to the Constitutional Convention, the first session being held in Adelaide.
The building continues to be used for fortnightly court hearings.
DESCRIPTION
The Court House is a symmetrical structure built in red brick in the Victorian Regency style.
The exterior features exposed red bricks laid in English bond, and both the central part and two wings have hipped roofs of corrugated iron. A verandah at the front is supported by timber columns with cast iron brackets featuring the letters 'VR' (Victoria Regina).
The interior walls are plastered and painted, and the court room ceiling is constructed of wooden rafters.
Elsewhere the ceiling is of pressed metal. |
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