[1] The former Court House was erected in 1887 as part of a complex of government buildings on the main street of Croydon, at the time a busy goldfield.

In October 1885 a major find was reported about 145 kilometres (90 mi) east of Normanton and a rush to the area began.

The Queensland Government of the time faced the problem of policing a huge area with a scattered population on a limited budget.

The situation was addressed by instituting a system of regional courts served by visiting magistrates or judges and which had police offices, accommodation and lockup facilities on the same site.

Plans for a suitable court house with facilities for visiting magistrates and a Clerk of Petty Sessions were drawn up and the successful tender was that of contractors Edward and James Headland at £1875.

The use of corrugated iron as wall cladding reflects local conditions where suitable timber was scarce and voracious termites made keeping buildings in good repair a constant problem.

Croydon had the services of a visiting mining warden from Georgetown from 1886 and it was clear that provision would need to be made for an office in the town.

[1] 1897 was also the year in which a disastrous fire that destroyed much of the town's centre possibly marked the beginning of a decline in its fortunes.

Unlike Charters Towers, the Croydon field did not prove to have the deep reefs that would have provided work for large numbers and the population consequently fell.

Following World War I, when mining generally diminished and the price of gold dropped, it was obvious that the field would not recover.

The last court was held in 1926 and rooms at the rear of the building were used for storage, though the Clerk of Petty Sessions maintained an office into the 1940s.

It is one of a series of public buildings along the main street of Croydon, including the police station and residence and the shire hall, which define the visual character of the township.