Gladstone Gaol
 | |
Interactive map of Gladstone Gaol | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed |
| Capacity | 86 |
| Opened | 1881 |
| Closed | 1975 |
| Managed by | Department for Environment and Water, Government of South Australia |
Gladstone Gaol is a historic former prison in Gladstone, South Australia. Built between 1879 and 1881, it was eventually closed in 1975 and opened to tourists in 1978. It state heritage-listed.
History
The prison was built between 1879 and 1881.[1] It was built to address chronic overcrowding in regional prisons in South Australia, and was built to a model prison plan by the then governor of Bristol Prison in England. It was designed to house both male and female prisoners from the beginning. The prison was built by Messrs. Sara and Dunstan, from local Gladstone stone. It was the first prison in South Australia to restrict prisoner contact with visitors, separating them "by iron gratings nine feet apart, with a warder between" so conversations could be overheard and contraband restricted.[2] Its capacity was 86 prisoners.[1]
The first prisoner arrived on 8 June 1881.[3] It was reported to be lightly used in its early decades; one report stated that "the only 'lifer' was a cat called Lady Jane Grey".[1][4]
The prison saw a significant industrial dispute regarding sacked warders in 1921, which saw the involvement of future MP Frank Nieass as the secretary of their union.[5][6] Issues had further arisen regarding the treatment of prisoners at Gladstone by the 1920s. In 1924, a released prisoner told The News that "any man who has served six months in Gladstone Gaol has been through hell".[7] In 1925, Chief Secretary James Jelley inspected the jail to investigate issues around the "harshness of confinement".[8]
In 1939, all its prisoners were transferred to Adelaide Gaol and Gladstone Gaol was taken over by the military for use as an internment camp.[9] for Nazi sympathisers.[10] Its use as an internment camp was not long lived; it was used as a military detention barracks for a period, but spent much of the next fifteen years in a state of disuse.[4]
The prison was reopened in September 1952, after repairs and renovations, as a result of difficulties regarding the imprisonment of young offenders at Yatala Prison; it was to house mostly males under 25 years away from "hardened criminals" and teach them skilled trades, while decreasing overcrowding at Yatala.[11][12][13][14] The prison closed permanently in 1975 due to its facilities having become outdated.[3][15]
Heritage listing
The prison was listed as a State Heritage Place on the South Australian Heritage Register in March 1985.[16]
Tourism
The prison was opened to visitors in 1978, though closed in June 2022 for repairs, following the previous caretakers surrendering their licence to operate the gaol as a tourist attraction.[1] Repairs were originally due to be completed by the end of 2022; however, the gaol remained closed due to delays in the repairs being undertaken.[17]
It was announced in June 2026 that the gaol would be reopened as a tourist attraction in late 2026, operated by Lantern Ghost Tours.[10]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Gladstone Gaol". Southern Flinders Discovery Centre. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide. 6 September 1879. p. 11. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- 1 2 "Gladstone Gaol". Weekend Notes. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- 1 2 "8 August 1881 Gladstone Gaol". SA Historians. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ↑ "The Gladstone Gaol Trouble". Daily Herald. Adelaide. 8 February 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol Dispute". The Register. Adelaide. 26 January 1921. p. 9. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol". The News. Adelaide. 28 June 1924. p. 4 Edition: Sporting Edition. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "The Gladstone Gaol". The Observer. Adelaide. 4 July 1925. p. 36. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol". Laura Standard and Crystal Brook Courier. SA. 15 September 1939. p. 358. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- 1 2 Dowdell, Rory (30 June 2026). "Boo: Heritage prison set to reopen after years of closure". Seniors Card. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol Re-opening". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 12 June 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol Plans". The Chronicle. Adelaide. 4 September 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol Reopening". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 16 April 1952. p. 5. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol Re-opened". The Chronicle. Adelaide. 18 September 1952. p. 6. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Spooky stories, ghost hunters and the Gladstone gaol". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ↑ "Gladstone Gaol". The South Australia Heritage Places database. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ Selby, Isaac (16 February 2023). "Gladstone Gaol remains closed despite federal government funding". The Advertiser.
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