The Darlinghurst Gaol is a former Australian prison located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The site is bordered by Darlinghurst Road, Burton and Forbes streets, with entrances on Forbes and Burton Streets. The heritage-listed building, predominantly designed by New South Wales Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis, was closed in 1914 and has subsequently been repurposed to house the National Art School.

History

thumb|The entrance to the jail

thumb|Grounds of the former jail in 2011

Construction commenced with pegging out by Francis Greenway in 1821. The Darlinghurst Gaol wall began in 1822 and finished in 1824 using convict labour, but due to a lack of funds, the site sat empty for 12 years. Construction of the rest of the complex did not begin until 1836, with completion of some of the cell blocks in 1840. The jail was ready for occupation a year later, with the first prisoners occupying the jail on 7 June 1841.

The jail was finally completed in 1885. The main material used for construction of the jail is Sydney sandstone, cut into large blocks by convicts. Convict markings on the blocks are visible along the upper half of the wall on Darlinghurst Road. A tall circular chapel stands in the middle of the site, around which are sited the six rectangular cellblocks in a radial fashion.

Australian poet Henry Lawson spent time incarcerated here during some of the turbulent years of his life and described the jail as Starvinghurst Gaol due to meagre rations given to the inmates. The site is now open to the public as The National Art School. The last hanging at the jail was in 1907.

Hangings were open to public viewing throughout several decades. People would gather at the front gate of the jail in Forbes Street, and the condemned would be brought out to a scaffold built in front of the jail gate, and later on a platform built above the gate. The public executioner Alexander Green lived for a time in a hut outside the eastern wall of the jail, would then leave his house to the jeers and catcalls of the gathering crowd, enter the prison and do his job. Seventy-six people were hanged at Darlinghurst Gaol, but most of them met their demise on the scaffold inside the jail in a corner of E-wing. Among those who were executed were bushranger Andrew George Scott, better known as Captain Moonlite, in 1880, and the last woman to be hanged in NSW, Louisa Collins, in 1889.the last woman to hang in New South Wales.

  • Sir George Dibbs Colonial politician jailed for a year in 1880 for slander relating to a widely reported adultery case. He was perceived by the electorate as the underdog, and his political popularity was restored.
  • Albert Thomas Dryermedical doctor and founder of the Irish National Association of Australasia.
  • John Dunnbushranger, member of Ben Hall's gang, hanged in the jail on 19 March 1866.
  • Frank Gardinerbushranger and mastermind of the Forbes gold escort robbery at Eugowra on 15 June 1862 (sentenced to 32 years, but pardoned early).
  • Jimmy Governorupon whom Thomas Keneally based his novel, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
  • Henry Lawsonwriter and poet.
  • Henry Mannsbushranger
  • Henry James O'FarrellIrish Australian attempted political assassin.
  • Andrew George Scottknown as Captain Moonlite, bushranger.
  • John Vanea bushranger who was member of Ben Hall's gang.
  • Charles Kilmeister, James Oates, Edward Foley, John Russell, John Johnstone, William Hawkins and James Parry – Executed for their roles in the Myall Creek massacre on 18 December 1838.
  • George Duffy, Joseph Martin, William Boyce, and Robert Read – Executed for their roles in the Mount Rennie rape case on 7 January 1887.

See also

  • Punishment in Australia
  • List of Australian psychiatric institutions

References

Further reading

  • National Art School – The school occupying the site today
  • reference and article (CC-by-sa) in the Dictionary of Sydney
  • State Library of New South Wales – Discover Collections – Halls of Justice
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