The Old Courthouse of Araluen (1886 circa) is situated in the picturesque Araluen Valley in southeastern New South Wales.  The valley is unique as it is surrounded 360deg by mountains giving its residents both peace and beauty.

The area is rich in history being the richest alluvial goldfield in Australia. Located 25klms south of Braidwood (the first NSW town to be heritage listed) it is approximately 100klms from Canberra, Goulburn & Bateman’s Bay and 250klms from Sydney

The Courthouse is currently run as a successful resort style Bed & Breakfast. www.oldcourthouse.com.au   It has an in ground swimming pool, outdoor heated spa, and full size tennis court.

The building has been completely refurbished starting with the large front veranda with views to the gardens, orchard and mountains. The VR insignia is clearly visible on the decorative wrought iron. Both the courtroom and police room lead onto the veranda.  

The courtroom now used as a guest lounge room, is spacious and could make an excellent function room.  The hall leads out to the prisoner exercise yard and gaol cells. The magistrate’s room is now the main bedroom.

The police station is now the guest games room with built in cupboards lining one wall.  The dining room is large enough to seat 20 people; open fireplaces grace the courtroom, police room, dinning room and main bedroom.

The prisoner exercise yard acts as a restful courtyard with the two lockup gaol cells now guest bedrooms with ensuites, a sitting room has been added onto each gaol cell.

The property has in total 6 bedrooms, 1 Victorian style full bathroom and 5 ensuite bathrooms, a study or 7th bedroom, an owner’s living room, 2 kitchens (1 being a commercial kitchen) utility room, laundry and large garage and workshop.  

It is heated in winter by 5 open fireplaces and 1 slow combustion fire and cooled in summer by quadruple brick walls and split system air conditioning.

The Courthouse is situated on 10 acres with 3 separate titles, 4 of these acres contain delightful gardens and numerous fruit trees.   Water is plentiful with a 30foot well and a 100foot bore producing natural spring water (as passed by Dept of Health)

The property is sold with all forward bookings and necessary furnishings and equipment to carry on business (list of inclusions available).

 

The Courthouse was designed by the Colonial Architect James Barnett in late Victorian style and was built in 1886 from locally fired bricks, possibly on the site of a previous courthouse built in 1861. The Courthouse contained a courtroom, magistrates chamber, police station, exercise yard, 2 cells and accommodation for a policeman and family. Gold was stored in the Courthouse and subsequently escorted to Majors Creek and Braidwood. The last court case was heard in 1941 although it continued as a police station until 1951.

      In March 1865 , Ben Hall, with the help of, amongst others, Thomas Clark of the notorious Clarke brothers (Australia’s most bloody outlaws), attempted to hold-up the gold escort from the Courthouse about 500 yards from Majors Creek, near the Clarke Brothers lookout. The hold-up was not successful and was in fact Ben Hall’s last major robbery attempt.

   The Courthouse was also the focal point of serious riots during the elections in September 1870.

   The peppercorn tree, to which prisoners were chained when there were too many for the cells, is still standing in the grounds.

 

Click here for floorplans!

 

Please contact:

Pam Loader or Stephen Coles
(02) 48464053
Email: pamloader@msn.com

 

 

 

.

 

 

No Warranty Given. You should seek your own independent advice as to the accuracy of the information supplied.