Old Geelong Gaol
Posted by: 
ThePacman
S 38° 09.231 E 144° 21.923
55H E 269152 N 5773834
HM Prison Geelong, now known as the Old Geelong Gaol, was a maximum security prison used from 1853 to 1991.
Waymark Code: WMNP3G
Location: Victoria, Australia
Date Posted: 04/12/2015
Views: 12
The prison, built of bluestone by prisoners on the corner of Myers Street and Swanston Street in Geelong, was fully completed in 1864. The design was based on the Pentonville Prison in England.
The gaol could accommodate 150 prisoners. A total of six convicts were hanged in Geelong from 1854 to 1865.
The gaol was intended for punishment rather than rehabilitation, and even the most hardened criminals detained here were intimidated by the conditions. The most notable prisoner was Mark "Chopper" Read, who was held here in cell 39 and stated this gaol was the only one he did not want to go back to.
The government closed the gaol in 1991 and the Rotary Club of Geelong now operates it as a public service project.
Many people believe the gaol is haunted, and several ghost tours take place here.
Address:
Cnr Myers and Swanston Streets
Geelong, VIC Australia
3220
Open to the public: Yes
Hours:
Weekends 1pm to 4pm.
Fees?:
$10
Web link: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
In order to add a new log to the waymark of this category, simply take another photo of the prison from a different angle than the other posts. Also add to the history of the jail when possible.