The demand for robust facilities to lock-up criminals declined significantly in Clyde once the lively goldrush days were over. Those that fell foul of the law from the late 1930s enjoyed a light-filled room with high ceilings and large windows.

The Clyde Police Lock-up was built next to the sergeant’s house in Blyth Street in 1938. Since then the small weatherboard building has been shuffled around various locations, mostly housing stored goods rather than law-breakers. 

Now with imminent development of a section adjacent to its present site at the rear of the Blyth Street museum, the tiny wooden building is on the move again.

A conservation plan recommended in 2014 that an “adaptive reuse” for the mustard-coloured Lock-up be found - one that gave it more prominence and allowed public enjoyment of it.

Yesterday the Vincent Community Board approved a plan to move it to a site on the Clyde Railway Station Recreation Reserve. A lease will be granted to the Clyde Historical Museum Group over 30m at the site.

Members of the Vincent Community Board discuss how best to relocate the Clyde Lock-Up, at a livestreamed meeting yesterday. 

The Museum group had wanted the Lock-up moved to the front of its current museum building on Blyth Street but the board felt the railway station site would be more permanent and avoid the historical building risking yet another relocation.

It was hoped a commercial cycling business may help with providing the public access to the building, as they currently do for the museum in the railway building.

The $46,000 relocation, which must take place before September next year, will be funded from the Vincent general reserves fund.