Boggo Road Gaol

Boggo Road Gaol (alt. and older spelling [http://www.google.com.au/search?q=bogga-road "Bogga"] ) was a notorious Australian prison located on Annerley Road in Dutton Park, an inner southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

History

The first cellblock opened in July 1883, and over the years many other buildings came and went on the site. 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 Austin in 1913 - the last hanging in Queensland.

Protests at the gaol during the 1980s saw inmates undertake hunger strikes, roof top protests, and rioting 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. 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 A Queensland Government inquiry into the living conditions of State prisons found Boggo Road to be outdated and inadequate for prisoners' needs.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, and the No.1 Division was closed in 1992 and demolished in 1996. A modern prison for women operated on the site until 2000 and was demolished in 2006.

During the 1990s the No.2 Division was 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. It is expected to re-open around 2009. The redevelopment will be called Boggo Road Urban Village and will be completed in 2010 [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Boggo Jail to become urban village | date=2007-04-10 | publisher= | url =http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/boggo-jail-to-become-urban-village/20073910-6rj.html | work =Brisbane Times | pages = | accessdate = 2007-04-10 | language = ] .

Notable prisoners

* Nathan Jones, actor and former professional wrestler
* James Finch and Andrew Stuart, the "Whiskey Au-Go-Go" 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

ee also

* List of Australian prisons

References

External links

* [http://www.boggoroadgaol.com.au Boggo Road Gaol Museum Web Site]
* [http://www.ghost-tours.com.au Boggo Road Gaol Ghost Tours]
* [http://www.boggoroadjail.net History of Boggo Road Gaol]
* [http://www.boggoroad.com.au/content/standard.asp? Boggo Road Urban Village Website]