Birdsville's historical courthouse has officially reopened to the public as a museum after two decades of planning.
Current and former residents gathered in town for the opening ceremony.
One local family hopes it can spark a conversation about the town's history, its treatment of Indigenous Australians.
Built from local materials on the edge of the Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park, Birdsville's original courthouse has stood the test of time, through dust storms and droughts, across its century in operation.
The complex was the home of police stationed in the remote outback until it was abandoned in 1988.
Among those helping push for the museum to be created was Maria Sammon Wheeler, who lived in the building as a child when her father was the town officer in the 1960s.
"I really wanted the stories to be told of how life was in those days and to keep them true to form," she said.
"I'm 77 now and [there are] fewer of us to remember accurately.
"It was harsh on families and wives to live out here under the conditions, but they were conditions for children to grow up in.
However, for other residents, the building also represented a challenging era in town when the government controlled the lives of local Indigenous people.
Wangkangurru man and retiring park ranger Don Rowlands, who has lived in Birdsville all his life, said the building brought up memories for him.
"Growing up … our job was to yard the goats for the police at night and milk them … and deliver the milk to his back door, and more than one time he'd come running out and beat the crap out of us," Mr Rowlands said.
As a child, Mr Rowlands was a ward of the state, which meant local authorities had a hand in directing his early years.
"If you wanted your endowment, you had to go to the copper; he was the protector of Aborigines, and he ran all those programs," Mr Rowlands said.
"Sometimes, he'd say yes and sometimes he wouldn't … we just had no control."
Mr Rowlands said he hoped the museum would provide a broader understanding of Birdsville's past.
"It opens a conversation, I guess, for tourists who go through it and come out the other end and then maybe talk to people like myself about the other side of the story," he said.
"It might give it another perspective like we've always been under the thumb."
Several Indigenous elders also returned for the opening ceremony, some of whom had not been back in almost 30 years.
Mr Rowland's daughter, Peta Rowlands, organised for the elders to come together to celebrate Indigenous history while in town.
"They're all really interested in seeing the school because they've all gone through the state school there," Ms Rowlands said.
"there are six kids at the school at the moment and there's only one that's non-Indigenous … it's just another way that we can get the kids to connect with culture and with each other and learn about where they come from.
"I feel like it's a celebration of family coming home; there's always been a want or a desire to come home."
Ms Rowland also believed the museum would allow for further storytelling and reflection.
"Birdsville has changed even in my lifetime; it's changed a lot," she said.
"[Dad] always said to me, 'You've got to make people comfortable to ask the uncomfortable questions.'
"I honestly believe that the more that we talk about it, the more that we acknowledge what happened, whether it was good or bad … I guess that's healing for us as a community to move forward."
Diamantina Shire Mayor Francis Murray said the opening celebrations allowed for everyone to share their views on Birdsville's history.
"I think we've got different versions [of the past], but today, we walked through that door together," Cr Murray said.