Boggo Road Gaol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australian Prisons
Boggo Road Gaol
Location:	Brisbane, Queensland
Status:	Closed
Classification:	Maximum Security
Capacity:	?
Opened:	July 1883
Closed:	November 1989
Managed by:	At first prisons fell under the control of the Sheriff until the 1890s. The Prisons Department (later the Department of Correctional Services), ran the site until closure. As a historical site the prison was run by different government departments, including State Development and Public Works.

Plaque on gallows beam used at Boggo Road Gaol

Boggo Road Gaol (alt. and older spelling "Bogga") was a notorious Australian prison located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

1 History
2 Notable prisoners
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] History

The first cellblock opened in July 1883, and over the years many other buildings came and went on the site. In 1903 a prison was built to hold female prisoners. This later became known as the No.2 Division, and is now the only prison building still standing. It is heritage-listed. The 'No.1 Division' built in 1883 was the scene of 42 hangings, including the hanging of Ernest Austin in 1913 - the last hanging in Queensland.

Protests at the gaol during the 1980s saw inmates undertake hunger strikes, roof top protests, and rioting over the poor conditions and treatment. Cells did not have any form of sanitation. Prisoners were required to use a bucket through the evening for toilet breaks and empty it in the morning. A Queensland Government inquiry into the living conditions of State prisons found Boggo Road to be outdated and inadequate for prisoners needs. No.2 Division was closed in 1989, and the No.1 Division was closed in 1992 and demolished in 1996. A modern prison for women operated on the site until 2000 and was demolished in 2006.

During the 1990s the No.2 Division was home to the Boggo Road Gaol Museum, which featured displays of prison-related artefacts. Ex-officers also conducted guided tours of the site. The museum and tours were operated by the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society, a non-profit group of volunteers. Redevelopment of the surrounding site began in 2006, leading to the temporary closure of the Boggo Road Gaol Museum. It is expected to re-open around 2007/08.

[edit] Notable prisoners

Nathan Jones, professional wrestler
James Finch and Andrew Stuart, the "Whiskey Au-Go-Go" murderers
Arthur 'Slim' Halliday, murderer and escapologis
Patrick Kenniff
Ellen Thomson (only woman hanged in Queensland)
Craig Petersen, Heavyweight Boxing Champion

[edit] See also

List of Australian prisons

[edit] External links

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources.
This article has been tagged since December 2006.

This article about an Australian prison is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about Brisbane is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it