Maitland, New South Wales
The present city was proclaimed in 1945 with the amalgamation of the three local government areas. The city's boundaries have been increased by incorporating parts of other local government areas since then (most notably Kearsley Shire which from 1946 to 1949 was the only local government area in Australia's history to have a Communist majority of councillors).
Maitland Court House
The Maitland Court House was built in 1895-96 to the designs of Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon at a cost of £11,700. The contractors were William Taylor and Sons of Maitland, and the stone used in construction came from the Ravenswood quarry. It was formally opened on 19 December 1896. It was designed as a joint courthouse and police station. The new courthouse - often referred to as West Maitland - continued in joint operation with the pre-existing courthouse at East Maitland. The site had originally been set aside ten years prior to construction, but the project had faced numerous delays.