16 May 2024
The Old Court House Law Museum marks 50 years in 2024 as the home of some of the Western Australian legal profession’s most treasured possessions.
Now managed by the Law Society of Western Australia, the building opened as Western Australia’s first purpose-built courthouse in 1837 and was still being used as an arbitration court until 1964.
It was used as a school in 1838 – with classes held in the public gallery when court was in session – and as a concert venue in 1845.
The building was also where it was voted that Western Australia become a penal colony, in 1849.
The heritage-listed building contains more than 2000 carefully conserved items, which reflect all periods and systems of law that have been part of Western Australia’s legal history.
The collection also includes criminal trial notebooks written by Western Australia’s first Chief Justice and a hand-carved jarrah bar table, made in 1854.
A jury barrel, used to prepare jury lists, was used by the Supreme Court of Western Australia until the 1990s, when the process was computerised.
The Law Society also runs community law education programs from the museum and a popular annual mock trials competition for schools.
The Old Court House Law Museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10am and 4pm, and entry is free.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Deb Kennedy
Media Liaison
