Hartley Courthouse was designed by colonial architect Mortimer Lewis in the Grecian Revival style. Still largely intact and constructed solidly of locally quarried sandstone, it is an imposing…
Hartley Courthouse was designed by colonial architect Mortimer Lewis in the Grecian Revival style. Still largely intact and constructed solidly of locally quarried sandstone, it is an imposing building, as it was designed to be.
The three doorways provided entrances for prisoners, the public and magistrates and visitors can examine the cellblock that housed prisoners and convicts. Many notorious bushrangers and cattle thieves were kept here and inside the cells, with their bars and bolts still in position, you can imagine the thoughts of men used to roaming the country locked up tight in this remote prison.
As the convict system faded into history, and Hartley was bypassed by the new railway, the need for a courthouse here diminished. Benefits were held in this grand old building during World War II, and nowadays visitors can wander through, reading the interpretive signs and imagining the building’s vivid colonial past.
Pure joy as you wake to the sunrise. Awe as you make it to the snowy peak. A sense of adventure as you motor across red plains. The relief of rejuvenation as you wade into an alpine stream. Connection as you taste native, fragrant leaves. A sense of belonging as you return to your favourite holiday house. Freedom as you dash into the waves. Discover the endless feelings a visit to NSW can inspire.
