Forgotten Voyages - Rediscovering the S.S. Georgette
Learn about the disastrous final voyage of the S.S. Georgette as you immerse yourself in the new permanent exhibition at Busselton’s Old Courthouse Complex.
On Thursday 30th of November 1876, the S.S. Georgette left Busselton bound for Adelaide via Albany, carrying cargo and passengers. The steamer sail ship sadly didn’t make her destination in a tragic loss of life that echoed around the globe.
Learn about the disastrous final voyage of the S.S. Georgette as you immerse yourself in the new permanent exhibition at Busselton’s Old Courthouse Complex.
Forgotten Voyages - Rediscovering the S.S. Georgette presents previously untold stories from survivors and other sources about heartbreak and heroism of this infamous shipwreck.
Free to experience, visitors are invited to learn about the series of errors and events that resulted in the tragic loss of 12 souls at sea.
The Busselton Courthouse hosted the initial inquiry to the tragedy and we are now proud to present this exhibition that honours the heroes and commemorates those who perished at sea.
This heritage exhibition is housed in the New Courtroom and offers concise information suitable to all ages.
School Group Excursions
Enquire about our education programmes that offer curriculum appropriate information for all year levels.
School groups are invited to join us on a guided tour of the entire heritage-listed complex.
As an added activity, students can don costumes and participate in a guided role play re-enactment of the initial inquiry into the shipwreck on an extended tour.
Heritage Tours
Join us on a Heritage tour of the Old Courthouse Complex where your guide will tell you tales from the gaol cells, stories of the S.S. Georgette shipwreck and outline Busselton’s interesting settlement history highlighting hardships of pioneer life and those who governed. Advance bookings are required.
Old Courthouse Complex Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday ~ 10am – 4pm
Saturday and Sunday ~ 10am – 1pm
Stories from the Gaol Cells
Discover the captivating stories of prisoners and law enforcement officials through the Old Courthouse Complex’s audio-visual heritage interpretation, “Stories from the Gaol Cells.”
Discover the captivating stories of prisoners and law enforcement officials through the Old Courthouse Complex’s audio-visual heritage interpretation, “Stories from the Gaol Cells.”
This engaging exhibit features videos, audio stories, and interpretive signage throughout the Courthouse’s gaol cells and rooms, sharing true accounts of those who served time within. Learn about various crimes, notorious escapees, and the contrasting fates of convicts - one who became a respectable farmer and another who escaped from Fremantle Prison.
Listen to the Constable’s wife describe what it was like to ‘have a stay’ as she delivers the evening meal, and watch a wife represent her absent husband for their children’s truancy, highlighting the hardships of farm life. Experience the confinement of a vacant cell, imagining a stay of up to six months in this space with a basic bed and a toilet bucket in the corner.
At the end of the cell corridor, the Aboriginal cell offers a stark reflection on the historical treatment of First Nations People. This cell, with timber bars and shackles and jarrah block floor, is not enclosed like the others.
In the Exercise Yard, hear true stories from prisoners of the 1970s and inspect the vandalised metal-clad door that once locked them inside. These narratives are accessible via QR codes, adding a modern approach to interpretation.
Free to experience
Old Courthouse Complex Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday ~ 10am – 4pm
Saturday and Sunday ~ 10am – 1pm