Old Melbourne Gaol

Old Melbourne Gaol

Tuesday in the 3rd week of March was indeed an eventful memory for me and my Crime and Punishment class. As part of our Crime and Study unit excursion, we visited the historical Old Melbourne gaol, a guide dressed as a police officer came to greet us in a serious but humorous manner. He guided us around as we walked around pointing out various parts of the jail and remand centre, explaining various facts while regaling us with his humour. We observed the unpleasant looking jail cells and the disturbing writing over walls and seats. As we finished our lunch, we took some time to walk around the vicinity of the shopping centre before heading back to the jail. 

As we entered the other side of the jail this time, another guide greeted our group and welcomed us inside showing us around. We were shown the dark jail cells which once held dangerous prisoners locked up. We also were shown the disturbing rope on which Ned Kelly and hundreds of other prisoners were hung. We were given time later to walk around to explore the jail, we especially crowded around room 17 as it is apparently haunted. My group was then asked around to gather in a room as the guide told us disturbing stories of ghosts of former prisoners and unsettling photos of these ghouls, leaving the entire class disconcerted as we left the jail with chills. We then headed back to the station, caught the train and headed back to Watergardens where we all dispersed. 

Surabhi Rao, 10B

On March 16th, I had the privilege of visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol with my Crime and Punishment class. Two knowledgeable tour guides guided us through what it would be like to be charged and imprisoned, as well as how the jail operated while it was open. For me, the most enjoyable part of the excursion was when we went to Melbourne Central for lunch and were able to shop around, as well as when one of our tour guides recounted ghost stories that he had heard of during his time of working at the jail. By attending this excursion, I was able to learn a lot about the criminal justice system and was deterred from committing any crimes in the future. Overall, it was a very fun experience that I would recommend.

Stephanie Venianakis, 10I

Our Year 10 Crime and Punishment Class recently went on an excursion to the Old Melbourne Gaol, which provided an engaging and educational experience for students to learn about the history of Melbourne's criminal justice system.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is a heritage site dedicated to preserving the history of the Australian justice system. The jail has housed some of Australia's most infamous criminals, including Ned Kelly and Frederick Bailey Deeming, providing students with a unique opportunity to learn about the justice system.

The students were greeted at the jail by a guide who was treating us as prisoners which gave us a really good experience of how prisoners were really treated back in the day as well as giving us a tour of the remand centre and the actual gaol which housed the prisoners. The tour included stops throughout the prison, such as the exercise yard, cells, and the gallows. The guide would provide a brief history of the location, as well as stories of previous prisoners and their experiences, at each stop. 

One of the highlights of the tour was a visit to the first floor of the Old Melbourne Gaol where students saw the heads of people who have been executed and heard stories about some of the prisoners' final moments. This visit had a deep impact on the students, and many expressed shock and sadness at the possibility of being executed.

The tour also allowed students to learn about the prison conditions and how they have changed over time. They learned about the harsh punishments imposed to prisoners, such as solitary confinement, back lashes and hangings and also explaining how they were eventually discontinued out in favour of more humane treatment. 

Overall, we had a fantastic learning experience at the Old Melbourne Gaol. It gave them the chance to learn about the criminal justice system from a different angle and gain a better understanding of the conditions that prisoners faced in the past. It's a priceless experience that they'll remember for years to come.

Kiiteh Hanzinikolas, 10G