Perth Gaol
Perth Gaol in about 1865 with exterior yards and walls visible
General information
Type	Heritage listed building
Location	Perth,Western Australia
Coordinates	31°56′59″S115°51′43″E / 31.9496°S 115.862°E /-31.9496; 115.862 (Perth Gaol)
Western Australia Heritage Register
Type	State Registered Place
Designated	16 October 1992
Part of	Art Gallery & Museum Buildings (1962)
Reference no.	1965

ThePerth Gaol (often referred to as theOld Perth Gaol) was agaol built inPerth, the state capital ofWestern Australia, between 1854 and 1856 to house convicts and other prisoners. It is located just west ofBeaufort Street.

It operated until March 1888 when the last prisoner was transferred toFremantle Prison. The main gaol building, minus the yards, stands today adjacent to theWestern Australian Museum in Perth.

Prior to the construction of the Perth Gaol, theSwan River Colony had only theRound House inFremantle, the partially completedFremantle Prison (construction began in 1851 and completed in 1859) and a six-cell lock-up which had been built in about 1830 oppositeGovernment House inPerth. With the growth of the city it was deemed that the latter was an inappropriate location for a gaol and it was demolished in 1855 (the site now occupied byThe Deanery). A new site was selected by theColonial Secretary, Charles Piesse and theSurveyor-General,John Septimus Roe^[1] and reserved on a rise on what is now near the intersection ofBeaufort and Francis Streets.

With the expanding population and with theimportation of convicts in 1850 to provide a labour force for public works, there was a need for a facility to house inmates near the city. A proposal was submitted toGovernor Charles Fitzgerald in December 1853 for such a facility comprising two floors with a basement. The project was approved but construction took longer than expected and substantial modifications to the original design were made while work progressed. The final building comprised a cruciform layout with cells, a chapel, gaolers' quarters and prisoners' yards.

The design was by architectRichard Roach Jewell, the city Chief of Works who had only recently arrived in the colony and who went on to also design a number of other public buildings in the city, including theBarracks Arch and thePerth Town Hall. The gaol was built using sub-contract labour with stone provided by convict labour. The stone was cut fromlimestone cliffs in Rocky Bay nearFremantle and floated up theSwan River onbarges. The first stage cost£2220/15/10, equivalent toA$342,319.52 in 2022.

While construction was underway, theEnquirer newspaper appealed for provision of facilities forhangings at the gaol.^[2]

On Wednesday last the execution of Samuel Stanley and the aboriginal native Jacob took place a little distance from thePerth Causeway, ... While on this subject we cannot help expressing a hope that a portion of the new Perth Gaol may be appropriated to a fitting place of execution. If such an arrangement were carried out, such spectacles we have here recorded would soon cease.

The first execution took place in 1855 in an execution yard on the south side of the site. After complaints, the sides of the gallows were enclosed to hide the executions from public gaze. The gallows remained until the gaol ceased operating in 1888.

Colonial prisoners were mainly housed in the gaol from its opening, but in 1858, control transferred to the Imperial Convict Establishment which managed the convicts, and the colonial prisoners were transferred toFremantle Prison. Transportation of convicts ended in 1868 and in 1875 the gaol was handed back to the colonial government. In 1886 it was reported that the gaol was overcrowded with 128 prisoners and at times the inmate population had reached 150.^[2] Later that year the Convict Establishment was disbanded, leading to the imminent demise of the gaol. The last prisoner was transferred to Fremantle in about 1888 and it ceased being used as a gaol from that date.

It was used briefly as the Perth courthouse before that returned toStirling Gardens, and for a few years it had occasional use by the police and other government departments.

In 1891 the building was renamed to the Geological Museum and used to store Reverend Charles Nicolay's geological collection. In 1892 the building was renamed as the Perth Museum, storing theSwan River Mechanics' Institute museum collection as well as a collection ofAboriginal artifacts from the Police Department.^[2] At about the same time, the building was substantially modified with the roof lowered and the entire central cell block removed. A northern wing was built in 1895.

Construction of the adjacentJubilee Building commenced in 1897 and finished in 1899, which gave a new home to the museum, with the gaol continuing to be used until the present day as a museum annex for displays and storage.

From 1968 until about 1976, major renovations of the gaol were undertaken including raising the roof to its original height and alignment. As few original plans were available, it was not attempted to return the building to its exact original configuration, however the exterior is now substantially restored. Fire doors were fitted with improved ground floor and first floor access for visitors.

The building is now a part of thePerth Cultural Centre, which includes theWestern Australian Museum, theArt Gallery, theJ S Battye Library and theState Library of Western Australia.

• Comptroller General of Convicts (Western Australia)

• Convictism in Western Australia
• Defunct prisons in Western Australia
• Prison museums in Australia
• Museums in Perth, Western Australia
• State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth

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