THEY say necessity is the mother of all invention, turns out the same principle also applies to literature… well it does for Lynne Mortimer at least.
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On Monday morning the local historian launched her first ever book, a comprehensive history of Goulburn Courthouse.
At 32 pages, it is the largest writing project the dedicated scribe has ever attempted and it all started because she couldn’t easily access information on the building.
“When I came to Goulburn it was one of the first monuments I saw and I thought, wow how wonderful I’ll have to buy a book about it and when I realised there wasn’t one I decided I’d write one,” she explained.
The project took four years to complete, wading through miles of records, reference materials and microfilms.
The book deals with not only the history of the building but also crime and punishment in Goulburn, from the harsh colonial public executions and hangings through to the civilised adversarial justice system we have today.
Ms Mortimer also tracks the location of both the jail and courthouse and explains how their designs and locations affected their use. Lindsay Allen provided the images for the publication and it was supported by the University of the Third Age (U3A).
Mayor Geoff Kettle attended the launch (the fifth of its type in as many weeks) and said it was yet another wonderful example of a local person going above and beyond to document our city’s history.
“These treasure troves of history are coming out and showcasing the heritage, our significant architecture, all at the time we’re celebrating our 150th birthday and it’s all been done by volunteers…a lot of sheer guts and determination has gone into making sure they are completed,” he said.
“The challenge for us now is to make sure that all of the work that has gone into this is documented and kept for future generations.” The book is on sale now at the Visitor Information Centre. It retails for $15 per copy and all proceeds will be held by Council in a trust account to use for re-printing further copies or to fund similar projects.
“The amount of work that has gone into the production of this book is a credit to Lynne Mortimer and the U3A and we’re honoured to have been given the rights to reproduce the book on their behalf in future,” Council’s strategic marketing team leader Jessica Aliffi said..
