Birdsville’s original courthouse has reopened to the public as a museum, bringing current and former residents together to mark the restoration of a building that served as a remote police post for much of the 20th century.
The courthouse was built from local materials near the Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park and remained in operation for about a century. It was abandoned in 1988. The museum project took two decades to plan, and its opening ceremony included residents who had lived in the building or remembered its role in the town.
Maria Sammon Wheeler, whose father was the town officer in the 1960s, lived in the courthouse as a child and helped advocate for its conversion into a museum. She said she wanted the stories of life there to be preserved accurately, including the difficulties faced by families living in the remote location.
For Wangkangurru man Don Rowlands, however, the courthouse also recalls the government’s control over Indigenous people. Rowlands, who lived in Birdsville all his life and was a ward of the state as a child, described being required to perform work for police and said authorities had influence over access to his endowment.
Rowlands said he hoped visitors would leave with a broader understanding of the town’s history and then speak with Indigenous residents about experiences that might not be represented by the building alone. His daughter, Peta Rowlands, organised for Indigenous elders to return for the opening, including some who had not visited Birdsville for almost 30 years.
Peta Rowlands also held a smoking ceremony and said the gathering celebrated family, culture and connections to the town. She said further discussion and acknowledgement of the past could help the community move forward. Diamantina Shire Mayor Francis Murray said people held different versions of Birdsville’s history, but had entered the courthouse together for the opening.