On 1 September 1968, the historic Queensland Supreme Court building was set alight by arsonist David Brooks, leaving much of the building in ruins, and seriously damaging library books and portraits hanging in the building.

In the early hours of a cold Brisbane morning in 1968, David Bertram Brooks—a man ‘sour on the world’—entered the unlocked front door of Queensland’s historic Supreme Court.

Resentful of the police and the justice system for his frequent arrests, Brooks made his way to the judges’ chambers and set the building alight. 

On his way out, he drove a knibbed pen into an associate’s blotting paper pad after writing the note 'judge not lest you be judged sinner'..

By the time the fire was brought under control, much of the building was in ruins. 

Many of the Supreme Court library’s books were seriously damaged by fire, smoke and water as were the prized law libraries of the judges.

In the days following the fire, judges, their associates, members of the legal profession, and law students from the University of Queensland diligently searched through the charred rooms to salvage books, court records, artworks and personal effects. 

I met with many of the judges as I continued my examination the next day . They were all very distraught about loosing there lifetime collection of law, some could never be replaced.

Only the registry could operate from the burnt building, which it did through a side window. 

The few judges’ chambers still safe were used to hear civil matters, and other Commonwealth courts in the city were co-opted for use.

After lighting the fire he also burnt down the historic O'Connor Boat House which was behind the building on the banks of the river.

Brooks was a vagrant and an alcoholic and he had dozens of convictions for these offences. He was arrested once again three days after the fire and he told watchhouse staff that he burnt down the Supreme Court. Staff did not take him seriously as he kept on repeating the claim. Finally, the C I Branch  was called and he provided a signed record of interview in relation to this fire and also O'Connor Boat House fire.

The building's fate took longer to resolve. It was not until 1978 that the old courts were finally demolished, and a new Supreme Court was opened in 1981.

I attended the crime scene and ascertained where the fire started adjacent to wooden cabinets which contained stationary. Brookes also claimed that it was cold and he lit the fire to keep warm.

Detectives obtained names of suspects who had threatened revenge on the court system as a result of dissatisfaction over legal judgements. One such person lived in Rockhampton and on the day of the arrest I was travelling to Rockhampton  with two detectives and a hand writing expert for him to be interviewed. On arriving there we were advised of the arrest.

The historic building was opened in 1979 on the corner of George and Ann streets. The colonial designed building was built from sandstone and the wooden paneling of the court room etc was something to behold. The destruction of this magnificent building was a tragic loss for the people of Qld.

 Neil Raward