We're doing the gaol thing again, sort of. An associated chapel anyway. That
is, it was built as a chapel but for most of its life, only part of it was a
chapel.
Now it's owned by the National Trust. Have Trust Membership, Will Use. (Home
Hill is a NT property too.)
It was built in 1831 to serve as the chapel for the adjoining prisoner barracks
on Campbell St. The
city gaol
then was in Murray St. This might be a good point to stop and make sure the
distinction between convicted criminals and convicts is understood. Home grown
vs imported, if you like. The former are housed in the city gaol, the latter
(the Imperial prisoners as they were sometimes referred to in the second half
of the 19th C) were housed in the barracks, when they were out working. Not a
distinction most of the world uses, I'm sure, but important here.
Then in 1857, the Murray St gaol was closed and the Campbell St site became the
city gaol
until
Risdon
was built in 1960, which is now being replaced. (Does that say something about
the lifespan of modern buildings or is it more about modern approaches to crime
& punishment?)
That's nicely unreadable isn't it?
Plan of whole gaol, from about 1847. The site stretched the
length of two inner city blocks
(you can see the tower of the chapel on the right, and white gaol buildings in
the left, and of course there's a bit in between).
Anyway, it was demolished and now remains but the old chapel building and parts
of the wall.
This side, with its ornate brickwork and decorative windows, faced the prisoner
barracks.
"Anno Domini MDCCCXXXI"
The original layout had three wings and a central pulpit. Under the seats, were
solitary cells, for punishment.
Soon after it was built, one of the wings was converted for use by the free
settlers of the city, who had become too numerous for
St Davids Cathedral
In 1834, a new entrance was added and the northern wing adapted for use by free
settlers. Access to the seats was via steps in the tower.
"Rural Dean Rev. Philip Palmer was installed as Penitentiary chaplain, but soon
incurred the wrath of Lieutenant Governor Arthur by hanging a screen to shield
the public from the gaze of the convicts. The screen remained even though the
convicts sorely objected to being so segregated.
"Complaints were also forthcoming regarding the total lack of ventilation in
the chapel and the disruption to services caused by the terrible noises which
could be heard coming from the chained convicts in the cells beneath the
floor."
(From
Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site.)
Come the following decade, and the free public moved out to a temporary
location, and then onto
Trinity Church
.
The relocation of the city gaol to the Campbell St site was followed by a
similar relocation of the city's court buildings. In 1859/1860, the former free
settlers wing and the eastern wing were converted to criminal courts, with an
with underground passageway connecting them. The third wing remained in use as
a chapel.
The front of the building, facing the street, has the more utilitarian
brickwork.
Close up of bricks, showing broad arrow & thumbprints (Unlike other NT
properties which don't allow photos to be taken inside, here the guide pointed
out things that should be photographed, inside and out. One felt obliged to
encourage him. One also wondered what these bricks would sell for.)
As can be by their absence on the early plan, these single storey buildings
aren't part of the original design.
They're smaller office-like rooms. On another plan they're marked as "Sheriff
Office", so I assume built as part of the conversion to courts.
Court room two
Court room one
To connect the two courts and to provide easy access for prisoners, there's an
underground passageway.