Cairns Court House refurbishment

Background

The regionally significant Court House building is situated on Abbott Street, a prime location of the Cairns CBD. Constructed between 1919 and 1921, it was the home of law and order in Cairns until 1992 when a new Court House and Police Station precinct was developed along Sheridan Street. The former Cairns Court House was then renovated as a restaurant and bar, known as the "Cairns Court House Hotel".

In 2016, Cairns Regional Council acquired the Cairns Court House Hotel with the intention of refurbishing the building to its original condition. The building is registered on the Queensland Heritage Register and is therefore protected under the provisions of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. The building is also registered on Cairns Regional Council’s local heritage list.

The Court House building is a key component of Council’s proposed Cairns Gallery Precinct, which would see two additional heritage-listed buildings, the Cairns Art Gallery and the former Mulgrave Shire Council building at 51 The Esplanade, transformed to create a dynamic and world class gallery precinct.

The Refurbishment Project

The primary aim of the $8.28 million Court House Refurbishment project has been to expand the potential of the building as an event and gallery space for the Cairns Gallery Precinct, while ensuring that heritage values of the building are maintained for future generations. Some highlights of the refurbishment include:

• A section of the original concrete baluster at the front of the building has been retained but turned to accommodate the installation of an all abilities access ramp.
• New roofing has been installed, which, along with other upgrades, have improved the building’s cyclone resistance to better safeguard artworks.
• As visitors enter through the front of the building, their attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the repainted and restored coat of arms above the front entrance, featuring a lion on the left and a chained unicorn on the right.
• The lion and the unicorn are symbols that traditionally appear on the Royal Coat of Arms for the United Kingdom, which symbolises the monarch as having judicial authority in the Commonwealth, and therefore are commonly displayed at judicial buildings.
• A similar coat of arms is located inside the building, in the main courtroom, which, along with the former bailiff and clerk's room, has been transformed into a gallery space that retains the ambience of the historical architecture, while subtly incorporating contemporary technology.
• Modern lighting and acoustics, including a new soundproofed ceiling, add to the newly installed wooden floors, complementing the restored arched windows and heritage fittings.
• New air-conditioning ventilation has been incorporated into the upper archways, maintaining the aesthetics of the building, while ensuring the space is appropriate for the display of art pieces and provides comfort for visitors.
• Sections of polished, exposed concrete columns, which display striking coloured river stones, were included in the century-old cement mix.
• Restorative work on the verandas has seen the refurbishment of the decking and stairs, while extensive drainage has been installed along with new landscaping and access points.

This project has been jointly funded by Cairns Regional Council and the Federal Government through the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages Grant.

Read more about the history and the restoration.