Last June the Picton shopping centre along Argyle Street was devastated when wild storms resulted in major flooding.
Most of the attention was on the plight of the small business owners who were doing it tough after the storms.
Less well known was that the storms had also caused such serious damage to the historic Picton Courthouse it had to be closed down for major repairs for more than six months.
Water got as high as knee level in the courthouse, which resulted in extensive damage to the entire building.
Picton Courthouse is the only courthouse operating between Campbelltown and Moss Vale so its closure was a big blow to the administration of justice in the south west region of Sydney.
It was first built in 1864 with some of the sandstone coming from the old prison which was damaged by floodwaters in 1860.
And being one of the oldest courthouses in NSW, strict restoration principles were followed to ensure the historic elements of the building were preserved and maintained for future generations.
The restoration of Picton Courthouse cost the State Government $660,000. The project included the replacement of water damaged flooring, new wall sheeting, the waterproofing of external walls and ceilings, restoration of timber doors, six new air conditioning units, upgrade of the kitchen and new bathrooms.
The building has been completely repainted maintaining the historic colour scheme, while vintage metal light fittings have been repaired.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The Picton Courthouse is an important part of the local community and I am pleased to see it returned to its former glory,” said the Member for Wollondilly, Jai Rowell, after joining then NSW Attorney General Gabrielle Upton on an inspection of the courthouse.[/social_quote]
This was one of the last acts of Ms Upton as Attorney General: following Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s cabinet reshuffle she is now Minister for Environment, Local Government, and Heritage. Mark Speakman is the new NSW Attorney General.
“It is also great to see there has been a substantial upgrade of security features including new CCTV and duress alarms,’’ Mr Rowell said.
The Picton Courthouse registry will re-open next Monday, February 6, with sittings to resume a week later.
There will be no changes to sitting days, with the court to continue to sit 9-10 days per month.
