The Former Ballarat Gaol was one of the earliest constructions as part of the great gaol building programme which was a result of the report of the Select Committee on Prison Discipline of September 1857.
All prisons built in Victoria after 1851 adopted London's Pentonville Prison design of 1842, which carried on a revolution in prison design begun in 1829 by Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. The complex was based on a central hall from which radiated wings of cells. The principle of the design being that one guard would stand in the centre of the hall and at one glance survey all cells.[1]
The construction of the gaol began in 1856 and the first cell blocks were completed by 1857. It was completed in 1862 with 58 cells designed to hold a mixture of 74 male and female prisoners. In 1862 a tunnel was constructed to join the gaol to Ballarat Courthouse next door. This allowed for the safe transfer of prisoners.
| Name | Year of birth | Date of execution | Crime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Davis | March 1, 1864 | for the murder of George Sims near Smythesdale [2] | |
| James Jones | March 19, 1866 | for the murder of Dr Saenger [3] | |
| Denis Murphy | April 16, 1867 | for the murder of Patrick Mara.[4] | |
| George Searle | August 7, 1867 | for the murder of Mr Burke[5] | |
| Joseph Ballam | August 7, 1867 | for the murder of Mr Burke[5] | |
| John Wilson | May 11, 1867 | [6] | |
| James Johnston | May 18, 1891 | for the murder of his wife and four children[3] | |
| Oscar Wallace | August 11, 1873 | [7] | |
| James Ashe | 1839 | August 21, 1875 | [8] |
| Charles Baker | September 3, 1885 | attempted murder of policeman | |
| Cornelius Bourke | 1818 | November 21, 1891 | for the murder of his cellmate in Hamilton Gaol.[10] |
| Elijah Cockroft | November 12, 1894 | for the murder of his sweetheart, Fanny Mott, at Noradjuha.(near Natimuk).[11] | |
| Charles Henry Deutschmann | June 28, 1908 | for the murder of his wife at Dobie (near Ararat).[12] |
The prison was closed in 1965.[1]
Most of the gaol was demolished to allow the School of Mines Ballarat to expand onto the site. The remaining structures at the site include the main gate, warden's residence and governor's residence. These buildings are now used by the University of Ballarat
Ballarat Ghost Tours[13] conducts nightly tours through the remaining facilities.
The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
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