Richmond Court House

Architect/s: David Lambe (1825)

Constructed in 1825 in the Regency architectural style, the Richmond Court House boasts an elliptical courtroom with a concave ceiling. Likely designed by Colonial Architect David Lambe, the original layout featured three north-facing external doors, ensuring prisoners didn’t enter through the front porch. The central court room was flanked by four rooms. The courthouse served as temporary housing for soldiers and a venue for church services before local churches were built. Over the years, alterations included swapping the front porch door with the eastern side window.

At the time, the Court House served Tasmania’s third-largest Police District, and functioned as the administrative and judicial hub for the community; this left a lasting impact on Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the ancestors of numerous current residents.

The courthouse also became Richmond Council Chambers when the municipality was established in 1861. This dual court and council functions persisted until 1993 when Richmond Council amalgamated with Clarence City Council. The building, now housing the Richmond Online Access Centre, remains a community hub, hosting local group meetings and projects. Original furniture from the court and council periods echoes the building’s multifaceted past, the judge’s bench and old council table stand testament to Richmond’s evolution from a convict-era police district to rural hub and heritage tourism destination.

Open: Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 February, 11 am – 4 pm

Open House Richmond Experience

The exhibition, Mumirimina: People and Country, will be on display in the Court House, Friday 23 – Monday 26 February, 11 am – 4 pm.