Collingwood Courthouse was built in 1901 to replace the original 1882 courthouse, which was required because of the perceived lawlessness in the area.

The discovery of gold in Collingwood in the 1850s brought gold miners to the district. An estimated 2500 miners are thought have have flocked to the township at the peak of the gold rush. No police nor magistrates then monitored the district and, as the population grew, residents became increasingly concerned at the absence of law and order. By 1857 a lock-up, constable's rooms, and a magistrate's house had been constructed to control the district's miscreants.

In the late 1870's, Collingwood was exposed to a second influx of miners, who were attracted by newly discovered coal deposits in the area. The issue of law and order was raised a second time and, in 1882, a courthouse was constructed in the area. Eight years later, in 1900, a decision was made to replace this courthouse with a new, more accessible building in Collingwood proper. The new structure was designed by the now renowned architect John Campbell (1857-1942).

Campbell was born on 4 July 1857 in Glasgow, Scotland. He embarked on a career as an architect, serving his apprenticeship under John Gordon between 1872 and 1876. Campbell came to Dunedin in 1882 then transferred to Wellington in 1888, where he became a draughtsman for the Public Building Department in 1889. The Department merged with the Public Works Department in 1890, and Campbell's title became 'Architect' in 1899. He remained in charge of the architectural design of government buildings in New Zealand until his retirement in 1922. Campbell is particularly well-known for his establishment of Edwardian Baroque as the official style for New Zealand government buildings in the early twentieth century.

In contrast to John Campbell's later designs, the new, single-storied Collingwood Courthouse reflects the more homely style of English Domestic Revivalism, although aspects of other styles are also present. A Tudor influence, for instance, can be seen in the gables and the battens on the wall extending from the roof eves to the bottom plate of the building, while the small scalloped double valances placed above the exterior window frames are influence by the Queen Anne style. The segmented windows are a reference to the Italianate villa, whilst the division of the upper sash of the window into twelve lights is very much an English Georgian Revival aesthetic.

The building was constructed on the corner of Elizabeth and Gibbs Street, Collingwood, on land owned by Nelson builder Thomas McNabb. The building was completed by McNabb on 23rd February 1901 for just over 417 pounds. The land was leased by the Crown for the Courthouse until 1963 when it returned to the management of McNabb's descendant, Ivor McNabb. Ivor McNabb sold the land in 1979 and the building is now used as a café.

Established to control the lawlessness brought on by the influx of miners, and one of the few buildings to survive a disastrous fire in 1904, the Collingwood Courthouse forms a significant link to the early days of the Collingwood settlement. The Courthouse also has architectural value, as a building designed architect John Campbell, and because of the distinctive mix of styles present in its design.