Elisabeth Champion
Relive the days of the Old Mount Gambier Courthouse at a special event next month.
Custodians of the courthouse, the National Trust Mount Gambier Branch, will be holding a mock trial, which will see a man face trial for a gruesome murder.
The trust has teamed up with the Mount Gambier Theatre Group, to bring the trial to life.
National Trust Publicity officer Kathy Rochow said the trial will run as one would have back in the day – with a judge, jury, prosecutor, tipstaff, sherriff, and three witnesses who will put forward their accounts of what happened.
“We have an accused character who has been accused of brutally butchering someone with a very nasty looking cleaver,” she said.
“It will follow, pretty well, most of the ins and outs of what happens in the courtroom.”
The trial will bring to life back to the courthouse, which functioned as a working court from its opening in 1865 until 1975.
The actors have been studiously practising their roles, and are ready to embrace their characters.
“One of them is the owner of the one of the stations out at Glencoe, one of them will be the publican from the pub at Millicent and we have the state coroner – she’s a very wise looking lady,” Ms Rochow said.
“We have quite a nice little gathering of people who are here to speak up for the person who has been accused.
“We will also have the defence and the prosecution.
“There are characters and there will probably be more of the characters that will come out – they will bring forward more of their characters as we go.
“This is for the fun of a mock trial, we can get comments from the jury, we can get comments from the witnesses.”
Everyone is welcome to attend the event which is from 2pm on May 4 at the Old Courthouse on Bay Road.
Following the trial, there will be afternoon tea provided.
Tickets can be bought online at www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1196000 or at the door
