The Old Sandstone Building in Cornish Street
Old Police Court House & Buninyong Butter Factory
Old sandstone Police Court House in foreground with the Butter Factory's brick extension
and the original Police Station at rear.
Three buildings once stood on this early administrative site in Buninyong: a Police Station, a Warden's Office, and a Police Court House. It is most probable that the sandstone building was the early Police Court House.
Timeline
| 1850's | Early Police Camp set up on this site to administer the Goldfields (previously administered at Chepstowe) |
| 1853 | County Court of Buninyong & Ballarat listed. |
| 1858 | Police Court and Warden's Office built of sandstone. |
| 1859 | Red brick Police Station built. |
| 1888 | The old sandstone Court House was abandoned when the new Town Hall and Court House in Learmonth Street were completed (foundation stone laid in 1886). |
| 1889 | The Borough Council assumed control of the site and the Police Paddock was relocated to between Scott and Yuille Streets (which in turn was sold at public auction in 1991) |
| 1892 | The Borough Council leased the property to the Buninyong Butter Factory |
| 1893 | It was found necessary to enlarge the factory in the Old Court House and Mr Richard Rennie was engaged to build a brick extension at the Butter Factory's expense |
| 1908 | The company decided to erect a new factory nearer to the railway line |
| 1915 | The Buninyong Borough Council recorded its intention to demolish the Eastern end of the Court House and use the materials to lessen the cost of building a lean-to supper room at the rear end of the Town Hall building |
| 1920 | The Court House site was used as a Council Depot |
| 1980's | Negotiations take place to have part of the Court House sites combined into the Botanic Gardens and the open ground to the south annexed into the School Oval |
| ca 1990 | Council relocates the Depot and the buildings are vacated |
| 1992 | Restoration of the derelict historic Court House begins under the direction of the Buninyong & District historical Society |
| 1995 | Official opening of the restored buildings |
Information on the history of Old Stone Court House was supplied by by Beth Ritchie and Derick Leather,
Buninyong & District Historical Society.