Helensburgh and District Historical Society is calling for action to preserve the Helensburgh Police Station and Courthouse on the corner of Parkes Street and Waratah Street.
The land has been the subject of a decade-long ownership dispute between Crown Lands, NSW State Police, and the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council. The Land Council successfully appealed to NSW Land and Environment Court, taking proprietorship of the lot’s police residence in the northern parcel and the paddock in the south.
With only the centre parcel retained and used by NSW State Police, the heritage-listed premises is now vacant and exhibiting external weathering.
While discussions continue between the parties regarding the facilitation and transfer of the land, Helensburgh and District Historical Society treasurer of Jenny Donohoe says the site appears neglected and at risk of further deterioration.
“The big question is: Why do we classify buildings ‘Heritage’ and then let them go to rack and ruin?
“This is the second oldest brick building in Helensburgh… [and] if it was privately owned, they’d look after it like they have with the other buildings that are heritage.
“[The] authorities are bound by red tape, and that’s what we’re stuck with.
“It’s very disappointing.”
Erected in 1902, the building contained a courtroom, police residential quarters, two cells, an exercise yard, and a single horse stable and forage room that has since been replaced by a double garage for police vehicles. It is believed to be one of a few courthouses that have their original lock-ups.
Operational until the early 1980s, the courthouse is recognised as a significant civic site, teeming with stories of old Helensburgh. Jenny says there’s a missed opportunity for the building to become a community space.
“We’d like to be able to have some usage of it as far as community activities; a cultural centre, an information centre, something that the community can build on for the Helensburgh district,” she said.
Historic order implications and staffing changes at NSW State Police Property Unit and Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council have delayed land transfers and discussions about constructing a new police station, Member for Heathcote Lee Evans explained in his response to Jenny’s public letter (published in the Flame in January 2023).
In the meantime, Jenny says the premises have been without necessary maintenance and fears there is little opportunity left to conserve it.
“[Lee’s] quite frank about telling me what the lay of the land is, and I’ve felt that for some time because he’s done his best to keep something going on it, to find out what’s happened, but now we’ve got to the situation where he’s as frustrated as me [and] we can’t do anything,” Jenny said.
“At this stage, you’ve got to spend a lot of energy to get results, you have to be a squeaky wheel and keep going, [and] I’ve run out of puff.
“When a local member says you can’t do any more, why should I be wasting my breath?”