Maitland Gaol
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| Maitland Gaol | |
|---|---|
| Location | Maitland, NSW |
| Status | Closed (Museum) |
| Security Level | Originally male, then mixed |
| Capacity | ? |
| Opened | 1848 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Managed by | N/A |
Maitland Gaol is an Australian gaol or prison located in Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. Its construction was started in 1844 and by the time of its closure, on the 30th of January 1998, it had become the longest continually run goal in Australia. It has since been turned into a museum and popular tourist attraction.
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History
Executions were open to the public until 1861. Hangings took place at the main gates and the back corner of the gaol. Sixteen men were executed at Maitland Gaol between 1843 and 1897 - all for rape or murder. The last man executed was Charles Hines in May 1897 for raping his stepdaughter, however he claimed he was innocent until he took his last breath.
In 1975 inmates rioted, setting fire to the maintenance block. They used a swag of home made weapons to attack the warders, protesting about the prison system and the gaol's conditions. The infamous Darcy Dugan was blamed for inciting the riot, while 78 of the rioting inmates were transferred to other prisons.
In 1977, "Maddog" Raymond Denning and 6 others escaped through an exhaust vent in the shower block. They were all back inside in 2 hours after a massive police swoop on the area.
A 5.5m long tunnel was discovered in Cell 7 in C Wing in 1980. The man who informed the warden of the tunnel had his throat cut so viciously it swung back on his shoulders. It was hidden with a sheet of plastic painted the same colour as the floor. The tunnel was filled in with two truckloads of concrete. There were many other escape attempts but most failed. Of the 32 attempted escapees, 31 were recaptured.
In 1978, a 23-year-old inmate protested for 16 hours by sitting on top of the gaol's Administration building. At one stage he disappeared over the roof returning with food. Armed with a softwood stake he waved to the Maitland Mercury newspaper and television journalists.
Maitland Gaol is also heritage listed.
Notable prisoners
- Charles Hines
- Darcy Dugan
- Raymond Denning
- Andrew Garforth, serving a life sentence for the murder and sexual assault of nine year old schoolgirl, Ebony Simpson.
- Ivan Milat, serving a life sentence after being found guilty of the Backpacker murders.
- George Savvas
- George Ward
- Fred harbecke,
External links
Categories
Prisons in New South Wales | Prison museums in Australia | Visitor attractions in New South Wales | Defunct prisons | 1840s establishments | 1998 disestablishments