| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| VAN STEEL, M** V M** B** | Courtroom 1 | 09:30 am |
| GOLDRICK, C** V H** S** | Courtroom 1 | 09:30 am |
Last updated: 27 Aug 2026, 9:52 am. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
The Orbost Magistrates' Court is a regional circuit venue of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, sitting at 8 Wolsley Street, Orbost, Victoria 3888, in the far east of the state. As a single-courtroom country venue serving the East Gippsland community, it operates on scheduled sitting days rather than daily, and its registry, correspondence and coordination are handled through the Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court roughly 90 kilometres to the west. Anyone with a matter listed here should confirm the next sitting date in advance, because the courthouse is not staffed on non-sitting days and all postal contact is directed care of PO Box 367, Bairnsdale Victoria 3875.
On sitting days the court is open from 9:00am to 4:30pm and closes between 1:00pm and 2:00pm for lunch, mirroring the standard operating hours used across Victorian Magistrates' Court venues. Enquiries are managed by the Bairnsdale coordinating registry on (03) 9063 0117, with correspondence emailed to the Bairnsdale coordinator. Parking at the Wolsley Street site is on-street only, so allowing extra time to find a space and clear security screening is sensible, particularly when several matters are listed for the same morning.
Where the Orbost Magistrates' Court sits in the Victorian court system
The Magistrates' Court is the entry point of Victoria's three-tier court hierarchy, sitting below the County Court and the Supreme Court. It is the busiest jurisdiction in the state by a wide margin: the court operates from 51 locations and handles the overwhelming majority of matters that reach a Victorian courtroom. Industry explainers estimate the Magistrates' Court deals with around 90 per cent of the state's criminal caseload, which places small circuit venues like Orbost at the frontline of everyday justice in regional Victoria.
Orbost is one of a cluster of Gippsland circuit courts that also includes Bairnsdale, Sale, the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court at Morwell, Korumburra and Wonthaggi. County Court circuit sittings for the region are held at Latrobe Valley (Morwell) and Sale, so more serious indictable matters that begin in Orbost are typically committed onward to those larger venues. For anyone tracking hearings across the region, the daily Victorian court list is the practical way to see which venues are sitting on a given day.
Criminal jurisdiction
The criminal work of the Orbost Magistrates' Court covers summary offences and indictable offences that can be heard summarily, along with the early procedural stages of more serious matters. In practice this means traffic and driving offences, drink and drug driving charges, low-level assault, theft, property damage, drug possession and breaches of intervention orders make up the bulk of the list. The court also conducts committal proceedings, a threshold test in which a magistrate decides whether there is enough evidence to send a serious indictable charge, such as an offence carrying a lengthy maximum penalty, to the County or Supreme Court for trial. Committals do not decide guilt; they filter which cases proceed to a higher court.
Indictable offences can be heard summarily in the Magistrates' Court where both parties consent and the charge falls within prescribed limits, generally where the maximum penalty does not exceed ten years' imprisonment. Bail applications, adjournments, pleas and sentencing for summary matters are all dealt with at this level. Across the state the scale of this work is substantial: the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council reports that the Magistrates' Court sentenced 85,462 cases in 2023 to 2024, and averaged 83,587 sentenced cases a year over the two decades to June 2024.
Civil jurisdiction
In its civil division, the Magistrates' Court of Victoria can hear disputes about money or property up to a value of $100,000, a jurisdictional limit set under the Magistrates' Court Act. This covers debt recovery, breach of contract claims, damages from motor vehicle accidents, consumer disputes and other monetary or property claims. Where a claim is likely to exceed $100,000, it generally must be commenced in the County Court of Victoria instead. It is worth noting that Victoria does not operate a separate small-claims division in the way some other states do, so lower-value disputes are handled within the same civil framework.
Family violence and intervention orders
The court hears applications for family violence intervention orders under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 and personal safety intervention orders that protect a person from stalking, harassment or threatening behaviour. For regional communities, having these applications heard locally at Orbost rather than requiring travel to a metropolitan court is an important part of access to justice. If you are an affected family member or a respondent, it is advisable to arrive early, seek out the duty support services and confirm which courtroom your matter is listed in when you check in at the registry.
How the Orbost court list works on a sitting day
Because Orbost sits on scheduled days only, the daily court list for the venue is published on the sitting date and sets out the matters to be heard, the parties and the courtroom. When you arrive, you pass through security screening, then approach the registry to record your appearance. If you are legally represented, your solicitor will usually notify the registry on your behalf; if you are self-represented, the registrar will direct you to the correct courtroom after locating your name on the list. Matters are not always called in listed order, so it is wise to plan to be at court for much of the day.
Checking the list ahead of time helps you confirm your listing time, identify your courtroom and avoid a wasted trip if a matter has been adjourned. Regional Victorians often monitor neighbouring venues at the same time, since Gippsland circuits share magistrates and administrative teams; the Sale Magistrates' Court list is a common companion check for practitioners and litigants moving between East Gippsland venues.
Orbost in context: a small venue in a large jurisdiction
Orbost is a rural town on the Snowy River in East Gippsland, and its Magistrates' Court reflects the pattern of country justice across Victoria, where a compact courthouse serves a broad catchment and links administratively to a larger regional registry. The court building on Wolsley Street has long served the district, and its coordination through Bairnsdale allows the Magistrates' Court to maintain a physical presence in a remote community without the overheads of a permanently staffed metropolitan-scale courthouse.
The broader jurisdiction that Orbost belongs to has been through a period of significant change. During the pandemic the Magistrates' Court's pending caseload roughly doubled, reaching about 142,000 unfinished cases in December 2020, before returning to around 68,000 by late 2023, close to pre-pandemic levels. In 2022 to 2023 the court finalised 160,959 criminal cases, a 21 per cent increase on the prior year, and recorded a 53 per cent reduction in cases running longer than 12 months. Expanded online and remote hearing options, introduced during the pandemic, contributed to that recovery and continue to shape how regional matters are managed.
Practical information at a glance
- Address: 8 Wolsley Street, Orbost, Victoria 3888
- Postal: C/- PO Box 367, Bairnsdale Victoria 3875
- Enquiries: (03) 9063 0117 (Bairnsdale coordinating registry)
- Hours on sitting days: 9:00am to 4:30pm, closed 1:00pm to 2:00pm
- Sitting pattern: Scheduled circuit days only; not staffed on non-sitting days
- Parking: On-street parking only
- Administered by: Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court
Frequently asked questions
Is the Orbost Magistrates' Court open every day?
No. Orbost is a circuit venue that sits on scheduled days rather than daily. On non-sitting days the courthouse is not staffed, and enquiries are handled by the Bairnsdale coordinating registry. Always confirm the next sitting date and your listing time before travelling.
What types of matters are heard at Orbost?
The court hears summary criminal offences such as traffic matters, drink and drug driving, minor assault, theft and drug possession, along with committal proceedings for more serious charges, civil disputes up to $100,000, and family violence and personal safety intervention order applications.
How do I find the Orbost court list for today?
The daily court list for the venue is published on its sitting date and shows the matters, parties and courtrooms scheduled. Checking it beforehand lets you confirm your listing and courtroom and avoid attending on a day your matter has been adjourned.
Which court handles matters too serious for Orbost?
Indictable matters beyond the Magistrates' Court's summary jurisdiction, and civil claims over $100,000, are generally dealt with in the County Court of Victoria. County Court circuit sittings for the region are held at Latrobe Valley (Morwell) and Sale.
Who do I contact about an Orbost matter?
Contact the Bairnsdale coordinating registry on (03) 9063 0117, or write to the court care of PO Box 367, Bairnsdale Victoria 3875. Bairnsdale manages Orbost's registry functions and correspondence.
