Victoria · Attraction
Beechworth Historic Courthouse
Where Ned Kelly faced justice
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
The Beechworth Historic Courthouse hosted more than 40 trials and hearings connected to the Kelly Gang and its sympathisers during 1878 to 1880, including the committal hearing that sent Ned Kelly to Melbourne for his fateful Supreme Court trial. Today a multimedia exhibition fills the original courtroom with a wraparound projection experience, bringing the drama of crime, law and a colonial outlaw vividly back to life.
Built in the 1850s from local granite, the courthouse is one of the finest examples of Victorian-era civic architecture in regional Australia. Ned Kelly's mother Ellen, his brother Dan, and dozens of sympathisers all appeared in this very room, making it the most intensely Kelly-associated courtroom still standing in the country.
The exhibition opened in 2024 and uses modern projection technology alongside original artefacts and signage to reconstruct the trials. Hosted sessions run on the hour, giving visitors a dramatic sense of colonial law in action rather than a conventional static display.
The courthouse sits at the heart of the broader Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct on Ford Street, a short walk from the Burke Museum and the Telegraph Station. Combined passes with other precinct sites are available from the Visitor Information Centre next door.
Scenic views
