News

Old Benalla Police Station demolition the end of an era

By Simon Ruppert

Aug 8, 2025

The official opening of the Benalla Police Station in 1960. Back row: Les Bedle, Bill Boyd, Kevin Saunders, Leo Carey, Reg Greskie, Barry Richens, Det Jack Keppel. Front row: Bev Grant (Rayner), Bob Polworth, Peter Razsa, Sgt Harold Ware, Frank Findley, Terry Murphy and Marg Ride.

The old Benalla Police Station was once a shining beacon of modernity.

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Built at the end of the 1950s, eventually it became outdated and unfit for purpose, leading to the building of a new, state-of-the-art facility, officially opened in March 2025.

Since then, the former police station has been gathering dust.

With the site earmarked as a car park for the new station, demolition began in early August.

However, there was a time when the site was considered as modern and groundbreaking as the new police station that now sits to its west.

Benalla police had moved into that building in 1960, having occupied a few locations previously.

The location of the first Benalla Police Station was a block to the east of the Broken River, near the old post office and museum. It had been opened as the Mounted Police Station in 1839.

The museum is still in the same location, and the old post office was demolished for the construction of a library, which is now the Benalla Rural City Council offices, at 1 Bridge St East.

Inspector M. J. Healy with 10 Victorian police officers who were decorated with the Long Service Medal by Police Commissioner Porter after the opening of new State Public Offices, which would become Benalla Police Station, on Tuesday, April 12, 1960.

After major flooding in 1845 destroyed that building it was relocated to the west of the river, on Arundel St.

That building was vacated in 1859 to allow for the building of a courthouse, which still stands at 67 Arundel St today. It was the courthouse made famous by Ned Kelly.

Documents on Ned, and the Kelly Gang, state that in the 1870s the police station was only 100m from that courthouse, between Bridge and Wedge Sts.

Benalla Shire president, Cr Roy Hill, speaking outside the newly built State Public Offices, which would become Benalla Police Station, on Tuesday, April 12, 1960.

The Benalla Police Station would be at that site for just over 100 years. It featured a lock-up, stables and the superintendent’s home.

The site of the former and current Benalla Police Station was originally the Benalla Police Reserve.

In 1960 state offices were built there, with the ground floor becoming Benalla Police Station.

The superintendent's house was part of the Benalla Police Station that was used for more than 100 years until 1960.

The official opening was reported in the Ensign on April 14, 1960 — two days later.

The roof is of ribbed aluminium with copper guttering, and the block will accommodate the Department of Public Works, the Agricultural Department, the Soil and Conservation Authority, the Lands and Survey Department and the Police Department, which takes up the entire ground floor.

The total cost of the building was $76,701.

Plans for a new State Public Offices, including a police station on a triangle block of land between Bridge St West, Thomas St and Martin Pl, Benalla.

As the needs of Benalla police grew, it would take over more of the site, eventually occupying it entirely.

An Ensign article, dated June 17, 1989, reported on the Ministry of Housing vacating two public offices upstairs in the building to give police more office space.

Over the next decade, it would end up taking over the whole first floor, filling the entire building.

A photo of the old Benalla police lock-up, which used to stand behind the police station, which was located between Bridge St West and Wedge St.

After nearly a decade of lobbying for a new police station, in 2024 it was announced that a new facility would be built within the existing site, to the west of the current police station.

In March 2025, the new Benalla Police Station was officially opened.