The Police Residence, built as single mens quarters is right rear.
The New court shown here is not long after opening for business but the official opening took place 100 years later.
Labour shortages in Government departments caused by the Gold Rusheswas the probable reason and the error was
corrected in 1993. see pic below, attached to Courthouse.
The fact of never having been opened officiallymade no difference to itsoperation in this the "roughest and toughest" of the Gold Fields.
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A side view, largely blocked by a large Spruce tree today (2023).Coronation day for King George V in 1911,
note the young lady posed on the Court balcony wall.
The Court in 2006, still a working Court with 2 or 3 cases heard per year. The Omeo Historical Societies Caretaker,
Jeff Cooper would light the fire and Court staff from Bairndale would hold court. The blue and gold colour scheme came
from the 1972 Centenary of the Shire of Omeo for which the Shire had the Court painted.There was no Heritage Listing at
this time, that happened in 1999, and the Shire has made its own decision about the colour scheme. Its removal during the
current conservation work showed a few layers of paint that you can see in the following images.
The Conservation works by Period Building Conservation P/Lto restore both Courts began in 2020, just before covid lockdowns etc.
This fact has delayed the works and they are still underway in late 2023 These next few images are from the packing up period
just before work began and during the first assessments of the extent of sub floor damage by pulling up floorboards.
The subfloor works were considerably greater than that had been anticipated and this was true in both Courts.
One chair is obviously the Magistrates chair and it is a very imposing piece of furniture, the other chair is the Omeo
Shire Presidents chair. It and another 13 without the coat of arms were commissioned in Melbourne by the Shire of Omeo to celebrate
100 years of European settlement, in 1935. For the Society these two chairs are significant in representing
two tiers of Government, State and Local. More about the Presidents Chair.
Old white ant damage throughout.
Incompatable paints caused most of the peeling but a damp area caused by a
failed roof gutter had made the issue worse on the left and slightly out of view.
Work taking place in 2022, first view of the new colour scheme up the top.
2022, first look at the comlete colour scheme.
The blue and gold paint was done in 1972, by the Shire of Omeo for the 1972 Centenary of the Shire celebrationsand the
previous paint had been removed partly by using blowtorchs to burn the paint off. This caused problems for this team trying
to restore the timber because the blowtorch causes some old paintto be burnt into the wood, making for a very difficult and
time consuming process to remove when you need a clean timber surface to apply clear.
Up on the scaffolding at roof level, every detail has been renewed, remanufactured or painted as required.
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, 150th & 50th anniversary event, Omeo, Oct 2022 (BM)..jpg)
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