Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

Explore the intriguing story of country policing from the days of the first convicts. From the lofty grandeur of the court room to the stark confines of the prison cells, the York Courthouse Complex tells the intriguing story of country policing from the days of the first convicts to the late twentieth century.

York was Western Australia’s first inland town (founded 1831) and in 1852 the first part of the courthouse complex, the cell block and police station, was built. As the town prospered and expanded, so did the complex. A courtroom was added in 1859, the police station was expanded and a troopers’ cottage, stables and yard were built to the rear. With the influx of money from the goldfields, part of the complex was demolished and a new two story courthouse was built in 1895.

The cells continued to be used until 1981 when a new police station was built in the town. The court room was still in use after the National Trust acquired the property in 1983.