Willunga Courthouse Museum
Step into an 1855 courtroom and police lock-up
The 1855 Willunga Courthouse and adjoining police cells have been preserved as a pocket museum by the National Trust, complete with magistrate's bench, dock, cells and stables.
A country courthouse frozen in time
Built of Willunga slate and local sandstone in 1855, the Courthouse served Willunga until 1941 and is now the centrepiece of the National Trust's Willunga precinct. Visitors can sit in the public gallery, stand in the prisoner's dock, peer into the tiny cells and imagine the stern magistrates who once presided over the district's squabbles, drunken assaults and dog disputes.
What to see
The complex includes the courthouse, police station, stables and yard, all set behind a slate-paved forecourt. Display cabinets show magistrate's regalia, restraints, photographs and case records. On open days the Trust often stages mock trials for visiting groups, which are a hit with families and school parties. The site adjoins the Willunga Slate Museum, so you can cover both in an hour.
Practical notes
Shared with the Slate Museum, the Courthouse opens on the first Saturday and third Sunday of the month, 1pm to 4pm, and closes in June, July and August. Entry is free with donations welcome. There is step access into the courthouse building itself.
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Sources
- Willunga Courthouse Museum - official source - willungantsa.au (accessed April 2026)