Old Castlemaine Gaol
The Old Castlemaine Gaol is a former prison, located in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. The building was modelled on Pentonville prison in London, replacing the original, designed by Inspector General John Price, which was never occupied. Built in 1861 to house offenders from the goldfields and nearby towns, it served various functions in the penal system before it was closed in 1990 and its prisoners transferred to HM Prison Loddon. From 1861 to 1908, the gaol housed all manner of criminals, including lunatics and debtors, and ten men were hanged within the walls. In the later of these years however, the gaol housed mostly short-term prisoners and first-time offenders. Between 1909 and 1951, the gaol was converted into a reformatory school for boys aged between 16 and 25. Most were under 21. The gaol then closed for a number of years, before reopening in 1954 to accommodate medium-security prisoners from across the state. It remained open until August 1990. After it ceased prison operations, it was used as a hotel and tourist attraction. It served as the studio for local community radio station WMA FM/Main FM 94.9 as well as various small businesses. In 2018, the old gaol was sold to artist David Bromley. The grounds were originally landscaped by renowned landscape gardener Hugh Linaker.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Old Castlemaine Gaol (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).Old Castlemaine Gaol
Edward Street, Shire of Mount Alexander
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Geographical coordinates (GPS)
Latitude | Longitude |
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N -37.061944444444 ° | E 144.21138888889 ° |
Address
Old Castlemaine Gaol
Edward Street
3450 Shire of Mount Alexander
Victoria, Australia
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