Located in downtown Melbourne, Victoria's capital, Old Melbourne Gaol, the oldest prison in Melbourne, is now a museum open to the public.
Old Melbourne Gaol is at the beginning of the transition between Victoria Street, (Victoria Street), Russell Street, (Russell Street), and Franklin Street, (Franklin Street). There are five buildings in the old prison, leaving only one for visitors.
Old Melbourne Gaol, once a highly guarded prison, began building Melbourne prison in 1841 in, Melbourne government. Before the prison was opened, all criminals were held in the shabby detain room, often accompanied by the escape of prisoners. The prison was completed in 1845, but by 1850 the prison was overcrowded. In order to accommodate more criminals, a new prison was built next to it between 1852 and 1854, and the prison continued to expand over the next few years. And joined hospitals, churches, watchtowers, sports facilities and other facilities.
The old Melbourne prison was considered to be one of the most advanced at the time, in which the most special management was silence control, in which all prisoners held in the prison were unable to talk to others and were held in dark cells for 23 hours a day. Especially designed cells and cushions laid on the floor to soften the sound of footsteps reinforce the loneliness of the prisoners, who have only one hour a day to get out of the air. And even a free-moving hour must wear a headcap, unable to talk to others, and can be flogged if you speak.
In the history of the old Melbourne prison, 135 people were killed, many of them guilty of felonies such as murder, rape, and of course others were framed or unable to defend themselves from unfamiliar English. Most of the prisoners on death row will be hanged, and before the execution, they will be held in a cell on the second floor for a period of time, and the moment they are accompanied by a priest to be executed, the prison authorities will ask for the executioner among the prisoners before the execution. The executioner of the execution can be exchanged for a two-year commutation of his sentence. Most famously detained and executed here is Ned Kelly (Ned Kelly), a once household name in Australia and regarded as a legendary robber.
Today's old Melbourne prison, the air is still gloomy and depressing. The already blackened Bluestone building has a passageway, with three-story cells on both sides, which are still bleak even in the summer. There is an experience room next to the old prison, where the prison staff will act as police officers, while the visitors will become "criminals" for role-playing, and visitors will be given a card with the name of the prisoner to be played. Age, crime, etc, ultimately leave a unique experience for visitors.
Bolder visitors can choose more exciting nightly browsing, booking ahead of time:
- Clock Tower (A Night in the Watch Hous): 20:00-21: 00, A $38 per person
- Ghost? What the heck? (Ghost? What Ghost?): 20:30-21 / 30, A $38 per person
- Executioner's trip (20:30-21: 30, A $38 / man, Hangman's Night Tour):)
