[1][2] The Chief Judge of the District Court, since 2014, is the Honourable Justice Sarah Huggett.

[3] By 1850, the court system in the Colony of New South Wales consisted of: The population of NSW increased as a result of the gold rush of 1851 and became more dispersed.

The Supreme Court began to fall seriously into arrears, and this was not helped by the fact that it did not visit a lot of towns.

As a result, the parliament passed the District Courts Act 1858 (NSW).

[2] The purpose of the Act was briefly described as: District Courts were established by the Legislature for the purpose of simplifying legal proceedings in the recovery of amounts under £200, and lessening the expenses of attending such proceedings, as well as to relieving the Supreme Court of some portion of the overwhelming civil business which the rapid progress of the colony had lately engendered.

In addition, the Court may deal with equitable claims or demands for recovery of money or damages for amounts not exceeding A$750,000.