Boggo Road Gaol
Encyclopedia
Boggo Road Gaol was a notorious Australian prison located on Annerley Road in Dutton Park
, an inner southern suburb of Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
. The site is the only surviving intact gaol in Queensland that reflects penological
principles of the 19th century. For many years it was Queensland's main prison.
It was officially known as "Brisbane Jail" but was commonly known as "Boggo Road Jail" because Annerley Road became known as "Boggo Road" due to its poor condition, after originally being named "Bolgo Road". Boggo Road was originally an unofficial and unmaintained short-cut between Ipswich Road
and Stanley Street that became very boggy after rain.
in 1913—the last execution in Queensland. A new prison was built around the perimeter of No.1 prison during the 1960s and No.1 prison was demolished leaving area for a oval and recreational facilities for the newly built prison and this prison had running cold water and toilet facilities in all cells. Under the oval was the facility that became known as the "black hole" where prisoners were subjected to "punishment". The "black hole" continued in use until the late '80s.
Protests at the gaol during the 1980s saw inmates undertake hunger strike
s, roof top protests, and riot
ing over the poor conditions and treatment. The prison was constantly in the headlines and became notorious around Australia. Cells did not have any form of sanitation and facilities for washing were lacking. Prisoners were required to use a bucket through the evening for toilet breaks and empty it, or 'slop out', in the morning. A Queensland Government
inquiry into the living conditions of State prisons found Boggo Road to be outdated and inadequate for prisoners' needs. No.2 Division was closed in 1989. No.1 division was closed in 1992 and was demolished in 1996 (a small section of what was "C5" and guard tower still remain). A modern (by 1960's standards) prison for women operated adjacent to this site until 2000 and was demolished in 2006.
Since 1992 the No.2 Division has been home to the Boggo Road Gaol Museum, which featured displays of prison-related artefacts. Throughout the 1990s ex-officers conducted guided tours of the site, and from 2003 the museum and tours were operated by the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society, a non-profit incorporated association of volunteers. Like many other similar places around the country, the site also hosted ghost tours.
Redevelopment of the surrounding site began in 2006, leading to the temporary closure of the Boggo Road Gaol historical site. The No.2 Division prison buildings will be preserved according to its heritage listing. It is expected to re-open around 2011. The redevelopment will be called Boggo Road Urban Village and will be completed in 2010.
The gaol was originally designed to cater for 40 male prisoners serving as a holding place for prisoners heading to St Helena Island
in Moreton Bay
. However by 1989 there were 187 male prisoners and the women's facility had around 200 additional prisoners.
Prisoner (Prisoner: Cell Block H) as the prison where Joan Ferguson worked at prior to coming to Melbourne
.
Dutton Park, Queensland
Dutton Park is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 5 km south of the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is predominantly residential, with some light industrial and commercial areas....
, an inner southern suburb of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The site is the only surviving intact gaol in Queensland that reflects penological
Penology
Penology is a section of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate treatment regime for persons convicted of criminal offenses.The Oxford English Dictionary defines...
principles of the 19th century. For many years it was Queensland's main prison.
It was officially known as "Brisbane Jail" but was commonly known as "Boggo Road Jail" because Annerley Road became known as "Boggo Road" due to its poor condition, after originally being named "Bolgo Road". Boggo Road was originally an unofficial and unmaintained short-cut between Ipswich Road
Ipswich Road, Brisbane
Ipswich Road is one Brisbane's main roads connecting Brisbane to the nearby city of Ipswich, via the Ipswich Motorway. Logan Road, Pacific Motorway, and Beaudesert Road are the other major roads in the south of Brisbane. The road was an important transport route in 19th century Brisbane...
and Stanley Street that became very boggy after rain.
History
The first cellblock opened on 2 July 1883, and over the years many other buildings came and went on the site. The first buildings were built by Robert Porter, contained 57 cells and were constructed using materials from the demolished Petrie Terrace Jail. In 1903 a prison was built to hold female prisoners. This later became known as the No.2 Division, and is now the only prison building still standing. It is heritage-listed. The 'No.1 Division' built in 1883 was the scene of 42 hangings, including the hanging of Ernest AustinErnest Austin (murderer)
Ernest Austin was the last person executed by Queensland.Austin was convicted of raping and murdering 12-year-old Ivy Mitchell at Cedar Creek road near Samford...
in 1913—the last execution in Queensland. A new prison was built around the perimeter of No.1 prison during the 1960s and No.1 prison was demolished leaving area for a oval and recreational facilities for the newly built prison and this prison had running cold water and toilet facilities in all cells. Under the oval was the facility that became known as the "black hole" where prisoners were subjected to "punishment". The "black hole" continued in use until the late '80s.
Protests at the gaol during the 1980s saw inmates undertake hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
s, roof top protests, and riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
ing over the poor conditions and treatment. The prison was constantly in the headlines and became notorious around Australia. Cells did not have any form of sanitation and facilities for washing were lacking. Prisoners were required to use a bucket through the evening for toilet breaks and empty it, or 'slop out', in the morning. A Queensland Government
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
inquiry into the living conditions of State prisons found Boggo Road to be outdated and inadequate for prisoners' needs. No.2 Division was closed in 1989. No.1 division was closed in 1992 and was demolished in 1996 (a small section of what was "C5" and guard tower still remain). A modern (by 1960's standards) prison for women operated adjacent to this site until 2000 and was demolished in 2006.
Since 1992 the No.2 Division has been home to the Boggo Road Gaol Museum, which featured displays of prison-related artefacts. Throughout the 1990s ex-officers conducted guided tours of the site, and from 2003 the museum and tours were operated by the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society, a non-profit incorporated association of volunteers. Like many other similar places around the country, the site also hosted ghost tours.
Redevelopment of the surrounding site began in 2006, leading to the temporary closure of the Boggo Road Gaol historical site. The No.2 Division prison buildings will be preserved according to its heritage listing. It is expected to re-open around 2011. The redevelopment will be called Boggo Road Urban Village and will be completed in 2010.
The gaol was originally designed to cater for 40 male prisoners serving as a holding place for prisoners heading to St Helena Island
St Helena Island National Park
St Helena Island is an island in Queensland, Australia, 21 km east of Brisbane in Moreton Bay. Originally used as a prison, it is now a national park. Named Noogoon by the Australian Aborigines, it was renamed St Helena after an aboriginal named Napoleon was exiled there in 1826. The island...
in Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
. However by 1989 there were 187 male prisoners and the women's facility had around 200 additional prisoners.
Notable prisoners
- Michael PetersonMichael Peterson (surfer)Michael Peterson , known as MP, is an Australian surfer. He was among the best Australian surfers in the early to mid 1970s, noted for his deep tube riding skill, especially at Kirra on the Gold Coast. He was Australian champion in 1972 and 1974 and won many other major surfing competitions...
, Australian surfing legend - Nathan JonesNathan Jones (wrestler)Nathan Boyce Jones is an Australian actor, powerlifting champion, strongman, and retired professional wrestler...
, actor and professional wrestler - James Finch and Andrew Stuart, the "Whiskey Au-Go-GoWhiskey Au Go Go fireThe Whiskey Au Go Go fire was a fire that occurred at 2.10 a.m. on Thursday 8 March 1973, in the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia that killed 15 people...
" murderers - Arthur 'Slim' Halliday, murderer and escapologist
- Patrick Kenniff (also known as Queensland's last Bushranger (Outlaw or Highwayman))
- Ellen Thomson (only woman hanged in Queensland)
- Craig Petersen, Heavyweight Boxing Champion
- Debbie Kilroy, prisoner rights activist, founder of Sisters Inside
- Hon. Gordon Brown, President of the Senate (Australia)
Executions
42 prisoners were hanged at the Gaol.| Name | Year of birth | Year of death | Place of origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Gardiner | 1864 | 1883 | Scotland |
| Jango | c.1866 | 1883 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| George | 1858 | 1883 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| Walter Edward Gordon | 1857 | 1885 | England |
| Tim Tie | 1856 | 1886 | China |
| Wong Tong | 1857 | 1886 | China |
| Christopher Pickford | 1856 | 1887 | England |
| Ellen Thompson | 1846 | 1887 | Ireland |
| John Harrison | 1860 | 1887 | England |
| Edmond Duhamel | 1851 | 1888 | France |
| Sedin | 1864 | 1888 | Java |
| Donald | c.1863 | 1892 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| Francis Charles Horrocks | 1875 | 1892 | Queensland |
| George Gleeson | 1865 | 1892 | India |
| Leonard William Moncado | 1850 | 1892 | Chile |
| George Thomas Blantern | 1858 | 1893 | England |
| Hatsuro Abe | 1863 | 1894 | Japan |
| Mi Orie | 1866 | 1895 | Malaita Island |
| Narasemai | 1862 | 1895 | Malaita Island |
| Sayer (Safhour) | 1870 | 1895 | Malaita Island |
| Jacky | 1864 | 1895 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| Frank Tinyana | 1858 | 1895 | Filipino |
| Willie Broom | 1870 | 1900 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| Charles Beckman | 1859 | 1901 | Germany |
| Wandee | 1881 | 1901 | South Sea Islands |
| John Rheuben | 1846 | 1901 | Portugal |
| Arafau | 1879 | 1901 | South Sea Islands |
| David Alexander Brown | 1846 | 1901 | USA |
| Patrick Kenniff | 1865 | 1903 | NSW |
| Sow Too Low | 1875 | 1903 | Malaita Island |
| Gosano | 1870 | 1905 | South Sea Islands |
| James Warton | 1845 | 1905 | Ireland |
| Johannes | 1867 | 1906 | Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
| Twadiga | 1876 | 1906 | Solomon Islands |
| Look Kow | 1844 | 1906 | China |
| August Millewski | 1855 | 1907 | Germany |
| Bismarck | 1886 | 1909 | Australia (Aboriginal) |
| Arthur Ross | 1888 | 1909 | England |
| Alexander Bradshaw | 1882 | 1910 | Queensland |
| George David Silva George David Silva George David Silva who was of Cingalese descent, worked as a farmhand on a property owned by Charles Ching at Alligator Creek, about 20 miles from Mackay, Queensland.... |
1884 | 1912 | Queensland/Ceylon |
| Charles Deen | 1865 | 1913 | Ceylon |
| Ernest Austin Ernest Austin (murderer) Ernest Austin was the last person executed by Queensland.Austin was convicted of raping and murdering 12-year-old Ivy Mitchell at Cedar Creek road near Samford... |
1890 | 1913 | Victoria |
Popular culture
Boggo Road is mentioned in the Australian soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Prisoner (Prisoner: Cell Block H) as the prison where Joan Ferguson worked at prior to coming to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
See also
- Boggo Road Busway
- List of Australian prisons