Eye-Opening Old Melbourne Gaol Visit
#2024wish
The Old Melbourne Gaol stands as a solemn testament to Australia's convict history, offering visitors a poignant journey into the past. Located in Melbourne, this historic prison operated from 1845 to 1929 and housed notorious criminals like Ned Kelly. Today, it serves as a compelling museum and heritage site. The gaol's stark bluestone walls and imposing cells provide an immersive experience, allowing visitors to explore the harsh conditions faced by prisoners during the 19th century. The museum showcases artifacts, exhibits, and interactive displays, shedding light on the lives of both inmates and staff. One of the most haunting features is the site of 133 hangings, including that of the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly. The Old Melbourne Gaol is a window into Australia's penal past, offering a sobering reflection on justice, crime, and punishment in colonial times.
We had a great day in this prison. Our family loves history so this tour was a great experience and an interactive tour that takes you back to the past. My 9-year-old son loves to pretend to be locked up. The prison itself is interesting, especially the display of Ned Kelly. I highly recommend it if you like to learn about history.
The old prison is very big. You have to go to a small store to buy tickets, visit the men's prison, and then wait for the prison experience that should be an hourly one. The prison guard takes you to prison, and this time you are his prisoner! At first, I was looking at the photo with my mobile phone and was murdered by him! Scared me! Hahahahaha, personally feel quite fun. Not much to say about the specifics! It is more interesting to let you experience it yourself! (The whole English, my English is not very good, so I will listen to a general, it is recommended to understand the history in advance, if you are interested, you will feel that it is not worth the fare, one person is more than 30 Australians, student ID can be discounted!)
Every time in the old prison, there is an experience of the activities of prisoners. When we went there that day, we happened to catch up with the activities. A staff member wore police uniforms. We had about 30 people. Men and women stood in two rows separately to experience the process of prisoners entering the detention center. You will also randomly draw a few people and send you a piece of paper with names, crimes, simple interrogations.
Melbourne's old prison is the oldest Victorian prison in existence. Originally used to hold manic and stubborn criminals, it is now a museum with all the original settings. After purchasing the tickets, you can get the "Tourist Guide" in Chinese. Near the corners of Victoria Street and Russell Street are already dark bluestone buildings, which are now only part of them. That is "cell building". The interior has access in the middle and three-storey single cells on both sides, which are still very cold even in summer. It showcases all kinds of torture tools, such as hanging table, whipping platform, whip, handcuffs, fetters and so on. It is shocking. 104 executioners were executed here, and Ned Kelly, the first member of an Australian legendary band of robbers, was hanged in 1880. Hand-made helmet, armor and other death masks used in his final battle with the police were displayed. Every day, the museum has a prison experience activity, Watch House Experience. Interested visitors may wish to pay attention to the schedule of the day's activities when they enter the museum. They can attend the event 10 minutes before the event starts. After the event begins, you will get a Charge Sheet, which records the name, address, charges, location of arrest, etc. "Prison Guard" will give a few minutes for each visitor to remember these contents, and then "Prison Guard" will take you "Prison Guard" into prison, and urgently ask you to follow his instructions, including a symbolic body search, etc. The atmosphere was created as it really was. Men and women tourists are divided into two groups, each locked in a confinement room, narrow space, claustrophobic environment, people feel the oppression of suffocation. The whole experience lasts about 30-40 minutes. After experiencing "imprisonment", visitors can take a picture of a prisoner with a number in front of the scene. If they like, they can print out the number in the souvenir shop as a souvenir. After the experience, he did not take "prisoner photo"
Experience activities, in the stern voice of female prison guards, men and women stand apart, raise their hands, hold their heads, open their mouths, face walls, jail cells, lectures and so on, feel the life of prisoners, interesting. We also saw the gallows and the whipping tables.
Worth to pay a visit! The one who pretended the warden was so into it and it was really fun! Good experience and know more about the life in gaol in the past.
Melbourne's old prison is next door to the Royal Melbourne Polytechnic University. Its unique architectural style resembles a solemn old castle. The reason why it is famous is that it once detained and executed the famous Greenwood Great Zei Ned Kelly in Australia. Visiting the old prison is a fee-based and inexpensive one. You can see some torture tools, Nederkeley's armor helmet, masks and lifelike performances used at that time, which reproduced the original environment of the old Melbourne prison.
Now it is all an attraction, all aspects of the prison are average, it is unlikely to have praise.