kp_old_gaol

Go to: | Home | Birrarung Marr | Eureka Tower | Theatres and Musicals | **Old Melbourne Gaol** | Crown Casino | Laneways **Old Melbourne Gaol ** Built in 1840 to 1844, the Old Melbourne Gaol was the first extensive gaol complex in Victoria. It housed 136 hangings between 1842, and it's closure in 1929. Originally, all prisoners were kept in the same cell block. This changed when, in 1862 to 1864, a western cell block was built to house women. It was recommended in 1870 that the prisoners should be moved to a more suitable location and the gaol be closed. Between 1880 and 1924, the gaol became more and more run down, with parts being demolished. After its closure in 1929, it was reopened as a prison for soldiers Absent Without Leave during the war. In 1972 the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) took over the gaol to run it as a tourist attraction. In 2008 the Crime and Justice Experience at the Old Melbourne Gaol won the Best Heritage and Cultural Tourism Award at the Australian Tourism Awards. It is famous for the hanging of Ned Kelly. He became a fugitive in 1878 after frequently breaking the law. In June,1880, in a shootout at Glenrowan the Kelly Gang was killed and Ned was captured. His death sentence was carried out on the 11th of November, 1880, after he spent 5 months at the Old Melbourne Gaol. At the same time, his mother, Ellen Kelly, was serving a sentence of her own in the women's wing. The gaol holds Ned Kelly's death mask and famous revolver.

Some Popular activities you can do at the gaol include:  Watch House Tour: Feel the thrill of getting 'arrested' and experience the conditions and life of a new inmate to the gaol. After a role play arrest, visitors walk around the interactive cells and breathe in the atmosphere of the well preserved watchouse.

Old Magistrate Court: Visitors can expererience the atmosphere of a typical hearing in the late 19th century. In this court you can step into the shoes of the courts officals and feel the tension of the hearings that were played out years ago.

Hangman's Night Tour: Walk the floors of this historic prison by candlelight. Take the tour with Micheal Gately Melbourne's most brutal hangman. A spine tingeling experience in the most haunted building by candlelight

We looked at 2 different website advertisements for the Old Melbourne Gaol. The first was the official [|Old Melbourne Gaol website]. As soon as the page loaded, we could feel the authenticity of the gaol. It gave an eerie, but intriguing atmosphere. The page was set out very well with interesting pictures. The actual writing on the page was fantastic. It gave enough background information to make you want to visit to learn more. The text, matched with catchy slogans and great imagery has made this website a great advertisement for the Old Melbourne Gaol. The second ad which we looked at was on the [|Visit Melbourne website]. This page was not as engaging with only one picture up the top, and many distractions to the side. However as soon as we started reading we were hitched; although not in the same way as the previous site. It was short, but gave as all the right information in a very effective way. This site was plain, but very effective and made us want to visit the Old Melbourne Gaol.

By Natalie and Rosie