Old Melbourne Gaol excursion
Crime & Punishment Excursion: Old Melbourne Gaol
On the 30th of April and 7th of May, the Year 10 Crime and Punishment students visited the Old Melbourne Gaol to explore the history of Victoria’s legal and prison system.
Here, students learned the history of the Gaol along with the changing crime and punishment system of Melbourne. Students were transported back in time to learn about the harsh day-to-day lives of the 50,000 inmates who passed through the gates, corporal punishment, outdated laws such as being charged with vagrancy (homelessness) and the case of Ned Kelly.
Students were also given a tour of the City Watch House. An interactive experience where students explored historic ‘holding cells’ for people who were arrested and awaiting their court date from 1909 to when it closed in 1994. Students experienced the behind the scenes of what happens when a person was arrested in those times, an engaging and enriching learning experience for all.
Sema Ersoy
Crime & Punishment/Humanities Teacher
Our excursion to the Old Melbourne Gaol was a highly engaging and insightful experience that tied in perfectly with our current studies on Australia’s justice system and government.
As we explored the historic site, we gained a deeper understanding of how the legal system operated in the past, particularly in relation to crime and punishment during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
We walked through original prison cells, viewed artifacts such as death masks and personal items from former prisoners, and learned about significant historical figures like Ned Kelly. The grim and confined atmosphere of the gaol gave us a strong sense of the harsh conditions faced by inmates.
A key part of the visit was the interactive session at the former City Watch House, where we participated in a realistic role-play experience of being processed through the justice system.
This helped us connect classroom learning with real-life historical context in a memorable way. We also had a break at Melbourne Central, where we had time to relax, eat, and reflect on the day’s experiences.
Overall, the excursion was a valuable extension of our classroom learning and helped bring the topic of Australia’s justice system to life.
Hana Nasef 10H
"The policemen gave us a tour of the police watchtower and locked us in the cell with the lights off. My favourite part of the watchtower was the padded cell. Then we got a tour of The Old Melbourne Gaol.
It was interesting because there was Ned Kelly’s original armour, a mould of his face and old jail cells with writing from over a 100 years ago. It was fun...”
George Sanj 10C
“This excursion showed us a great insight on how prisoners were treated and how it was set up. It was a great addition to this subject, and I was looking forward to it. My favourite part was going into the prison and looking around to see the cells and the messages that were left from the prisoners.
The guide told us a lot of information about how the jail started out, up until it shut down. Knowing that some parts of the jail have turned into areas that uni students can use was interesting. Being able to take an in look on how prisoners lived and treated was amazing."
Juliana Waheb 10C