Robe Gaol Ruins - Robe, South Australia - Retired Prisons on Waymarking.com

For about 15 years after the settlement of the South-East of South Australia, all prisoners had to go to Adelaide for trial and serve their sentences, even those guilty of minor misdemeanors.
The high cost of this travel led to the construction of the Robe Gaol.
The first part of the gaol was built in 1860/61 and consisted of a small receiving yard, cells for male prisoners and the keeper’s residence, with a duplicate half later being built on the southern side for female prisoners.
While the original building works were underway there was concern about the standard of workmanship in the walls. Two of the early prisoners picked their way through the walls with a hook made from a window fastening. The prisoners were soon caught but their escape led to the reinforcement of the cells outer walls with boiler plates which were came from the shipwreck of Admella www.admella.org.au near Carpenter’s Rocks.
The first prisoners in Robe’s gaol were two indigenous men charged with stealing another aborigine's female. One of the prisoners escaped after assaulting the gaoler with a stick, but was later recaptured near Lake Bonney.
Later a prisoner named George Cateola escaped after striking the gaoler on the chest with the flat of the head of an axe, and hitting him across the head with the handle. Cannons were fired and the district notified by telegraph.
Cateloa’s perfectly salt “pickled” body was found many months later in nearby Lake Eliza by two bathers.
Prisoners were sent from Mt Gambier to Robe for trial and to serve their sentences until 1863, and Robe’s jail remained open until 1881 except for a brief period of closure between 1870 and 1872.
In 1995, restoration of the walls of the gaol were undertaken as a Federal Government Job Skills project.

Informatiuon was taken from The Obelisk Walkway Trail brochure preparesd by the Robe District Council.

Address: Obelisk Road Robe, SA Open to the public: Yes Hours: 24/7 Fees?: Nil Web link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   06/28/2019 blingg visited it 08/24/2013 Jeremiah Bullfrog visited it 01/01/2013 froghoppin visited it

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