The court that hosted Captain Moonlite’s committal hearing is having its historic clock repaired in the bright light of day.
Member for Cootamundra Stephanie Cooke said the work on the 162 year old clock at the Gundagai Courthouse will help it keep up with the times.
“Gundagai Courthouse really has stood the test of time, keeping law in order this year. This repair work will ensure the historic clock continues to function well into the future,” Ms Cooke said,
The $21,000 maintenance project requires an upgrade of the system to the latest technology which would include a GPS synchroniser, providing split second reliability and resetting after a power outage and automatic daylight savings adjustments.
The first step is removing the existing hands which will need to be adjusted to fit the new mechanism. Once the clock has been repaired, the hands will be reinstated to their original condition.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said the NSW Government was continuing to invest in the maintenance of the state’s courthouses.
“As well as being important centres for administering justice, Courthouses are significant local landmarks for the communities they serve. The NSW Government is working hard to upgrade these historic buildings to ensure they are looking their best and are fit for the future,” Mr Speakman said.
The National Trust listed building was designed by NSW government architects Alexander Dawson and Walter Liberty Vernon and is scene of many colourful court cases.
After his committal hearing at Gundagai, bushranger Captain Moonlite was sent to Darlinghurst Gaol where he was hanged in 1880. Originally buried in an unmarked grave at Rookwood, his remains were moved in 1995 to the North Gundagai Cemetery.
