Adelaide Gaol: Keith experiences some a "sobering" site in the Adelaide City region of South Australia
They thought we'd never need one. After all, South Australia was the first convict-free colony so there'd be no call for a gaol. How wrong they were. Within 5 years of first settlement murderers, robbers and all manner of criminals were guests of Her Majesty within the stark sandstone walls of the Adelaide Gaol in the parklands at Thebarton.
From the moment the door slams behind you sense this is a strange place. Your first taste is in the 'Sally Port' - the arched entrance into the prison proper. It's where visitors would get to see the prisoners up until the 1960s.
The Gaol's a sobering tourist experience now and Manager, Peter Miller tells us that between 1841 and 1988 some 300,000 prisoners did time here in one of Australia's longest continuously operating prisons.
There are a few nervous giggles from a group of Year Ten girls from Saint Mary's as they take in the new 'hands on' exhibitions and hear harrowing stories of prison life from volunteer guide, Sue.
The Remand Wing is another chilling experience as Sue shows the girls a typical 1800s cell. Built in 1841 it's hard to believe these cells were still being used right up until 1986 when the new remand Centre opened in Currie Street.
There are lots of new signs around the gaol to help us understand where we are, what the gaol is all about. The first Governor was Governor Ashton and they called the gaol Ashton's Hotel. The brass bell that used to sound out the daily routine was made in England in 1937 and sent out to the new colony.
Colonial Architect, George Strickland Kingston wanted a far grander prison. His plan included 4 towers but he only scored two with cost blowouts almost sending South Australia broke. His gaol consists of a series of yards radiating out from a central block.
The walls of the gaol are topped with loose bricks called 'honeycombs bricks'. They were an anti-escape device - if a prisoner managed to climb the wall they would knock the bricks and the noise would alert the prison staff.
Yard Four is a very dark place containing three condemned cells where prisoners sentenced to death spent their last days. Visitors can also experience the hanging tower and see the beam where four people were hanged from 1953. The last was Glen Sabre Valance, a 21 year old who was executed in 1964 for murder.
The tolling of the brass bell broke the silence on execution days. 44 men and 1 woman were hanged at the Adelaide Gaol - 27 of them buried between the walls - their graves marked only by simple stencils. That includes the only woman to be executed in South Australia. Elizabeth Woolcock was found guilty of poisoning her violent husband and despite a mercy plea from the jury, on the 30th of December, 1873 she was led to the portable gallows built between the walls and hanged.
This Dickensian 19th century gaol was still being used until 1988. Now of course, we can all walk between the walls, go inside and just get a sense of the stories within. A lot of them now, retold. The Adelaide Gaol is open everyday except Saturday with a range of guided and self-guided tours available. And if you're game they even conduct night and ghost tours. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
ADELAIDE GAOL
18 Gaol Road
Thebarton
Ph 8231 4062Published 18th October 2009
