Victoria - Old Melbourne Gaol

Old Melbourne Gaol



Sneak a look inside the gaol from the north entrance along Victoria Street.


Walking south along Russell Street until I find an entrance to the courtyard.


Panning around the courtyard from left (southwest) clockwise to where I came in (east). The gaol opened in 1845 and closed in 1994, obviously outdated by that time.


First stop inside is the exercise room. It's not large, but there's enough room to shank a snitch.


Various views of the sorting/holding area for incoming prisoners who have yet to see the judge. Heaters and speakers are kept out of reach to prevent meddling or additional murders. The padded room is clearly the most comfortable digs and the one you want to angle for, perhaps by foaming at the mouth or expressing yourself in creative languages.


One of many doors in the gaol you may or may not ever be able to walk through.


Before we get into the gaol proper, take a moment to read the etchings of some more recent prisoners (1980s through closing). Click for a closeup, but be warned of some adult language.


Starting out on the lowest of 3 open levels. The last photo looks up at historic fencing for the upper walkways.


The end of the lower floor passageway. Ned Kelly's death mask and replica armor is on the left, if you're feeling morbid.


Looking up in the rotunda, then looking down at a closed part of the gaol where the floor has collapsed and not been restored for tourist traffic. The lowest levels included most of the mundane (boiler, kitchen, etc.).


Before we go to the second level, peruse Ned Kelly's last gun. He stole this from Senior Constable George Devine during his Jerilderie bank robbery/town holdup, and grabbed this in Glenrowan after his other weapons ran out of ammunition. The chipped handle is from a police bullet that struck Ned in his pinkie. Pro tip: If battling police, make sure your armor covers your entire body, not just your torso and face.


Up the stairs (window) to the second level (room), walking back to the beginning of the hallway. The walkways are perfectly safe, but open grates always give me pause.


All of the gaol's hanging executions happened at this very spot. The hangman's box was used for 20th-century hangings, with such luxurious features as a set of weights to stretch the rope properly and wax coating on the noose for the condemned's comfort. They really thought of everything.


The rickety back staircase to the uppermost level, where you find the best exhibits.


One last journey back across the gaol. A new tour group learns the ropes below. (That's gallows humour for you. Ha, I slay me. (That's all also gallows humour.))


From up here, you can look down at the hanging spot. If there was a prisoner on the rope, you could hock a loogie onto his skull. Maybe ill-advised. Before you leave, check out the whipping triangle. Misbehaving prisoners were subjected to whipping by other prisoners - no better way to teach compliance than to have your peers shame you, or so the gaolers figured.

See more of Melbourne

Back to Victoria Non-Roads
Back to Non-Roads main page