Adelaide Gaol
| Adelaide Gaol | ||
 | ||
| View of Adelaide Gaol | ||
| Location | Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia | |
| Status | Closed | |
| Opened | 1841 | |
| Closed | 1988 | |
| construction_began | 1840 | |
| Architect | George Strickland Kingston | |
| managed_by | Government of South Australia | |
The Adelaide Gaol was one of the earliest public buildings constructed in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. Located off Port Road in Thebarton, it served as the primary prison facility for nearly 150 years until its closure in 1988. The gaol is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register and is considered one of the state’s most significant 19th-century colonial buildings.[1]
History
The gaol was commissioned during the governorship of George Gawler after concerns about the inadequacy of Adelaide’s temporary lock-up.
Architect George Strickland Kingston, who also contributed to Government House, prepared the design. His plan followed a radial or panopticon layout, common in Europe and colonial America during the 18th and early 19th centuries.[2]
Construction began in 1840 with the contract awarded to Borrow & Goodiar at a cost of £17,000. Local limestone, described as “hard milkstone,” was quarried from sites along the River Torrens, while red bricks were manufactured on site. By 1841 only a quarter of the intended half-decagon was completed, though towers, walls, and a governor’s residence had been erected. Costs quickly spiralled and, together with other government works, contributed to the colony’s financial crisis and the replacement of Governor Gawler by Governor Grey.[3]
Architecture
The initial plan featured castellated octagonal towers and high stone perimeter walls, giving the gaol a fortress-like appearance. The radial arrangement allowed prisoners to be supervised from central points. Later stages of construction in the 1840s and 1850s expanded the site with separate yards, women’s quarters, a treadmill, workshop, infirmary, and lock-up cells. From the 1850s bluestone was introduced in new cell blocks, replacing the original limestone.[4]
Significant additions included:
• A two-storey cell block for women (1857–1859), later expanded to three storeys.
• New debtors’ and felons’ blocks in the 1860s and 1870s, many using prison labour.
• A large T-shaped cell block constructed in 1879 to improve prisoner classification.
By the 1880s the gaol contained over 200 cells. Despite internal upgrades, the radial plan was increasingly regarded as outdated.[5]
Operations
During its early years, prisoner numbers were low, with fewer than 30 convictions recorded in 1844 out of a colonial population of 20,000. Nevertheless, the gaol was staffed by a governor, turnkeys, and guards. A women’s matron was not appointed until 1850, leading to concerns about the treatment of female inmates. By the late 19th century, the gaol housed a mix of debtors, petty offenders, and serious criminals.[6]
Closure
Adelaide Gaol remained in operation until 4 February 1988, making it the longest-operating gaol of its type in Australia. Following its closure, the site was conserved and opened to the public as a heritage and tourism site. From the outside, the castellated towers and high stone walls remain a striking landmark for passing visitors.[7]
Heritage listing
The gaol complex is entered on the South Australian Heritage Register for its architectural and historical importance. It represents one of the oldest surviving public works of the colony and demonstrates the challenges of early prison design in Australia.[8]
References
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), p. 1–7.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), p. 2.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), pp. 2–3.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), pp. 3–5.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), pp. 5–6.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), pp. 4–6.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), p. 7.
- ''Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide'' (1996), p. 7.
