Vibrant art, laughter and live music aren’t exactly what you expect to see when walking into a courthouse, but that’s exactly what you got if you checked out the grand opening of the latest Pinjarra venue on Saturday morning.
The Court House, a contemporary space in the town where small businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs can co-work, co-create and co-innovate, officially opened its doors to an encouraging crowd.
The community-based space offers seven hot desks for hire, a meeting room accommodating up to eight attendees with audiovisual equipment and teleconferencing capability, and ample room to host workshops.
There is also a maker in residence room built to exhibit and sell the wares of talented Peel-based artists, with Vanessa Black and Eileen Macpherson the first cap off the ranks.
Juxtapositioned in the Pinjarra Courthouse building, the space was made possible by local place-making group Pinjarra Connect and the Shire of Murray.
It was launched to the local business community during a closed event on Friday, with members of the public invited to pop in to view the transformed space on the Saturday.
Already staying true to its purpose, the open house featured live music provided by local buskers, and market stalls and free face-painting for the kids.
Pinjarra Connect representative and Jarra Infusion owner Nicole Willis said the group is thrilled with the space and looks forward to watching its growth.
“Pinjarra has a thriving creative community and having a space available on the main street for its representatives to showcase their works and engage with the public is a great opportunity,” she said.
Shire of Murray president David Bolt said the project demonstrates what can be achieved when a local government commits to community-led initiatives.
“Thanks to Pinjarra Connect’s vision and commitment, the Court House now provides networking and business opportunities,” he said.
The Court House is open from 10am – 2pm Monday to Sunday.
The Pinjarra Court House was built in 1938 and is a National Trust of Western Australia property, under the management of the Shire of Murray through a long-term lease.
It played an important role in the Ministry of Justice system, with the final sitting of the Magistrates Court held in December 2002 before the court was closed.
