4 February 1988    Adelaide Gaol

Adelaide Gaol was closed on 4 February 1988. At times it had held as many as 300 prisoners in a building which was originally designed for 140.

In 1840 a decision was made to replace the first gaol in the colony. This consisted of two small temporary buildings which had room for eight but often held 30. When Governor Gawler authorised the building of the new radially designed prison, with the statement that it would be 'folly to build a gaol too small', he also had Government House under construction. The high costs of these two buildings contributed to the colony's near bankruptcy in 1840 and Gawler's replacement by George Grey in May 1841.

During the building of the controversial prison Francis Dutton, a rather outspoken radical, made a scathing attack:

A building upon which £34 000 has been thrown away, ornamented with a parcel of trumpery and useless towers each of which cost thousands, a building containing accommodation for 140 imaginary prisoners. ... This jail is a libel on our free, industrious and well disposed population, it is a libel on a Colony proverbial for the security of both life and property.

Unfortunately even in South Australia, free of the taint of convict transportation, there were still lawbreakers, and these had to be accommodated. The gaol was completed in stages, the first part for 48 prisoners, the second part in 1847, and ten years later major extensions added 92 separate cells, five solitary and a condemned cell next to the gallows. In all 40 men and one woman were hanged in the 'hanging tower' and buried in no-man's land within the walls.

Susan Marsden, Paul Stark, Patricia Sumerling (eds), Heritage of the City of Adelaide, Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1990, pp. 236-239.