While it is known that similar ventilation techniques were incorporated into other public buildings such as schools and post offices or other court houses during this period and earlier, the system within the second Innisfail court house now at Yorkeys Knob is rare in its survival in North Queensland.
Between 1920 and 1930 the total population of the Johnstone Shire ballooned from 5,549 to 18,088 people and the number of recorded dwellings rose from 700 to 3,130.