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HM Prison Beechworth

HM Prison Beechworth, now known as Beechworth Gaol, was a medium security Australian prison located in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.

HM Prison Beechworth
The main gate of HM Prison Beechworth (1940).
LocationBeechworth, Victoria
Coordinates36°21′28″S 146°41′24″E / 36.35778°S 146.69000°E / -36.35778; 146.69000
Capacity132
Opened1864
Closed2004[1]
Managed byCorrections Victoria

Construction of the current structure was begun in 1859 and completed in 1864 at a cost of £47,000. The prison closed in 2004 and the site has been purchased by private developers. A replacement facility, the Beechworth Correctional Centre, was opened in January 2005.

History edit

HM Prison Beechworth was built on the site of Beechworth's first stockade. It was designed by Victoria's Public Works Department and constructed using local granite that was quaried with prison labour.[2][3] Beechworth was one of nine panopticon prisons built in Victoria.[3]

Construction began in 1857[3] and the prison opened in 1860, though was incomplete and only had single cells for 36 prisoners.[4] The capacity doubled when the building was completed in 1864.[3] Beechworth initially housed male and female prisoners. Female prisoners were assigned washing and needlework for government departments. Between 1865 and 1881, eight executions were carried out at the prison.[4] Ned Kelly served six months at the prison in 1870-71 for assault. He was again held there during his committal trial for murder in 1880. Kelly's mother, Ellen and two associates of the Kelly family also served sentences at the prison the late 1870s for the attempted murder of Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick. Twenty suspected sympathisers of Kelly were held in 1879 in an attempt to limit support to the Kelly gang. The prison's iron gates were installed due to fears they may be attempts to break the sympathisers out of the prison.[3]

Between 1918 and 1925 the prison closed due to a lack of prisoners. It reopened as a reformatory for male recidivists between 1925 and 1951. In 1951 it became a training prison, focusing on rehabilitation and education. Beechworth Prison closed 2004.[3]

 
Main gates of HM Prison Beechworth 2022
 
HM Prison Beechworth Guard Tower 2022 at sunrise

Notable prisoners edit

Executions edit

Name Date of execution Crime[5]
Patrick Sheehan 6 November 1865 Murder of James Kennedy at Rowdy Flat Yackandandah
John Kelly 4 May 1867 Sodomy on eighteen-month-old James Strack at Wangaratta
James Smith 11 November 1869 Murder of his wife Elizabeth Wheelahan near Springhurst
James Quinn 4 November 1871 Murder of Ah Woo, near Myrtleford
James Smith 12 May 1873 Murder of John Watt ("The Wooragee Murder")
Thomas Brady
Thomas Hogan 10 June 1879 Manslaughter - shot his own brother
Robert Rohan 6 June 1881 Murder of John Shea at Yalca

References edit

  1. ^ Doing time without crime in Beechworth - National, by Melissa Marino, June 10, 2004, The Age
  2. ^ Lynn, Peter; Armstrong, George (1996). From Pentonville to Pentridge: A history of prisons in Victoria. State Library of Victoria. p. 79. ISBN 0730679608.
  3. ^ a b c d e f . Global Retail and Trade. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b Lynn, Peter; Armstrong, George (1996). From Pentonville to Pentridge: A history of prisons in Victoria. State Library of Victoria. p. 80. ISBN 0730679608.
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.

prison, beechworth, known, beechworth, gaol, medium, security, australian, prison, located, beechworth, victoria, australia, main, gate, 1940, locationbeechworth, victoriacoordinates36, 35778, 69000, 35778, 69000capacity132opened1864closed2004, managed, bycorr. HM Prison Beechworth now known as Beechworth Gaol was a medium security Australian prison located in Beechworth Victoria Australia HM Prison BeechworthThe main gate of HM Prison Beechworth 1940 LocationBeechworth VictoriaCoordinates36 21 28 S 146 41 24 E 36 35778 S 146 69000 E 36 35778 146 69000Capacity132Opened1864Closed2004 1 Managed byCorrections VictoriaConstruction of the current structure was begun in 1859 and completed in 1864 at a cost of 47 000 The prison closed in 2004 and the site has been purchased by private developers A replacement facility the Beechworth Correctional Centre was opened in January 2005 Contents 1 History 2 Notable prisoners 3 Executions 4 ReferencesHistory editHM Prison Beechworth was built on the site of Beechworth s first stockade It was designed by Victoria s Public Works Department and constructed using local granite that was quaried with prison labour 2 3 Beechworth was one of nine panopticon prisons built in Victoria 3 Construction began in 1857 3 and the prison opened in 1860 though was incomplete and only had single cells for 36 prisoners 4 The capacity doubled when the building was completed in 1864 3 Beechworth initially housed male and female prisoners Female prisoners were assigned washing and needlework for government departments Between 1865 and 1881 eight executions were carried out at the prison 4 Ned Kelly served six months at the prison in 1870 71 for assault He was again held there during his committal trial for murder in 1880 Kelly s mother Ellen and two associates of the Kelly family also served sentences at the prison the late 1870s for the attempted murder of Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick Twenty suspected sympathisers of Kelly were held in 1879 in an attempt to limit support to the Kelly gang The prison s iron gates were installed due to fears they may be attempts to break the sympathisers out of the prison 3 Between 1918 and 1925 the prison closed due to a lack of prisoners It reopened as a reformatory for male recidivists between 1925 and 1951 In 1951 it became a training prison focusing on rehabilitation and education Beechworth Prison closed 2004 3 nbsp Main gates of HM Prison Beechworth 2022 nbsp HM Prison Beechworth Guard Tower 2022 at sunriseNotable prisoners editJoe Byrne Steve Hart Ned Kelly Aaron Sherritt Carl WilliamsExecutions editName Date of execution Crime 5 Patrick Sheehan 6 November 1865 Murder of James Kennedy at Rowdy Flat YackandandahJohn Kelly 4 May 1867 Sodomy on eighteen month old James Strack at WangarattaJames Smith 11 November 1869 Murder of his wife Elizabeth Wheelahan near SpringhurstJames Quinn 4 November 1871 Murder of Ah Woo near MyrtlefordJames Smith 12 May 1873 Murder of John Watt The Wooragee Murder Thomas BradyThomas Hogan 10 June 1879 Manslaughter shot his own brotherRobert Rohan 6 June 1881 Murder of John Shea at YalcaReferences edit Doing time without crime in Beechworth National by Melissa Marino June 10 2004 The Age Lynn Peter Armstrong George 1996 From Pentonville to Pentridge A history of prisons in Victoria State Library of Victoria p 79 ISBN 0730679608 a b c d e f HM Prison Beechworth Sydney Rd Global Retail and Trade Archived from the original on 21 March 2012 Retrieved 2 April 2012 a b Lynn Peter Armstrong George 1996 From Pentonville to Pentridge A history of prisons in Victoria State Library of Victoria p 80 ISBN 0730679608 Ned kelly australian bushranger timeline page 2 Archived from the original on 13 March 2010 Retrieved 18 August 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HM Prison Beechworth amp oldid 1188052074, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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