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Barton’s Mill Prison

Barton’s Mill Prison originally functioned as a timber workers’ camp. In 1942 the military requisitioned Fremantle Prison at short notice, leaving authorities with no option but to find another location for the inmates. Barton’s Mill was chosen, initially housing all prisoners until escapees and those considered a maximum security risk were returned to Fremantle. Young…

Heavitree Gap Gaol

The Heavitree Gap Gaol was Central Australia’s first prison. It opened in a small wooden police hut at Heavitree Gap near Alice Springs in 1904. Two teenage boys were among the first prisoners to be committed to the Gaol. The Gaol closed in 1909 and was replaced by the purpose-built Stuart Town Gaol. The Heavitree…

Alice Springs Gaol

The Alice Springs Gaol was the new name given to the Stuart Town Gaol in 1933 when the town of Stuart was officially renamed Alice Springs. Run by the government the Gaol housed male and female, adult and juvenile prisoners. In 1938 the Alice Springs Gaol was closed. It was replaced by HM Gaol and…

Stuart Town Gaol

The Stuart Town Gaol was opened by the government in Alice Springs, then called Stuart, in 1909. It housed male and female, adult and juvenile prisoners. The Stuart Town Gaol became known as the Alice Springs Gaol in 1933 when the town of Stuart was officially renamed Alice Springs. The South Australian Government began building…

Darwin Correctional Centre, Berrimah

The Darwin Correctional Centre at Berrimah in Darwin opened in 1979 to replace the Fannie Bay Gaol. It housed minimum and maximum security prisoners, sentenced and on remand. It had separate sections for young people and women. The number of young people accommodated decreased during the 1980s to 1990s. In 2013 Berrimah was scheduled to…

Her Majesty’s Gaol and Labour Prison, Alice Springs

Her Majesty’s Gaol and Labour Prison, Alice Springs, opened in November 1938. Male and female prisoners were held in separate cell blocks. Until 1964 male prisoners were segregated by race. Records show that some young offenders were also detained. In 1996 all prisoners were transferred to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre at Owen Springs. Builders…

Launceston Reception Prison

The Launceston Reception Prison, run by the government, opened in 1976. It is in the Police Department buildings in Cimitiere Street which opened at the same time. The Prison is a remand centre with a capacity for up to 33 men and women. It is likely to have held inmates under the age of 18….

Launceston Police Watch House

The Launceston Police Watch House, run by the government, replaced the Launceston Gaol in 1917. It was a place where prisoners, sometimes under the age of 18, could be held temporarily. In 1976, the functions of the Police Watch House were transferred to new police buildings. The Police Department ran the Launceston Watch House but…

Campbell Street Gaol

Campbell Street Gaol opened in 1821. Although for adults, it housed a number of children. The Gaol closed in 1960 when the newly built Risdon Prison replaced it. Campbell Street Gaol opened as a barracks for male convicts in 1821. Children’s presence in the Gaol was widely accepted by nineteenth century society because of the…

Launceston Gaol

Launceston Gaol, run by the government, opened in 1827. Although the Gaol was for adults, it housed quite a few children, some as young as eight or nine. It closed in 1917. Launceston Gaol, located in Patterson Street, opened in 1827. By 1900, it was mostly used as temporary accommodation for offenders waiting to go…