Old Melbourne Gaol

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Last week, we visited the Old Melbourne Gaol, a museum and former prison. For my American readers, gaol is a British variant spelling of jail. They’re pronounced the same.

The building of the Old Melbourne Gaol began in 1841 and expanded following the discovery of gold in Victory, which led to rapid growth in population and increased crime. It held and executed some of Australia’s most notorious criminals including Ned Kelly. At one point, the Gaol occupied an entire city block and included exercise yards, hospitals, a chapel, a bath house, and accommodations for staff. It closed in 1924 and parts of the Gaol have since been incorporated into the RMIT University. The rest is a museum.

Inside the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Inside the Old Melbourne Gaol.
Cells have information about the prisoners Women were also held and executed here
The death mask of the outlaw Ned Kelly.
The death mask of the outlaw Ned Kelly
The gallows.
The gallows
The triangle where prisoners were flogged.
The triangle where prisoners were flogged

Inside the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Inside the Old Melbourne Gaol.
Bricked up doors Where did they lead
Outside the Old Melbourne Gaol.
The Gaol is shown on the right The RMIT Alumni Courtyard once held the Gaols hospital
The entry to the Old Melbourne Gaol.
A peek through the Gaols original entry gate This part of the site now belongs to RMIT University
The entry to the Old Melbourne Gaol.
The original entry gate

Admission to the Gaol includes a tour of the old City Police Watch House next door. It closed in 1994.

Inside the old City Police Watch House.
The cells at the old City Police Watch House
Inside the old City Police Watch House.
The interior of a cell
Inside the old City Police Watch House.
A padded cell
Inside the old City Police Watch House.
A view of the exercise yard from a separate cell for isolated criminals at the old City Police Watch House
Graffiti in the women’s exercise yard at the old City Police Watch House.
Graffiti in the womens exercise yard at the old City Police Watch House

For more information about the Old Melbourne Gaol, visit its website here.

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