Gateway To Hell Downunder
The harsh convict barracks at Fremantle (the waterfront district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia) -- established in the British colonisation of Australia -- was first known as the "Convict Establishment". It was renamed Fremantle Prison in 1867. The lighthouse above steered the transportation ships into Fremantle harbour for unloading of the convicts.
Convicts built the prison between 1852 and 1859 using limestone quarried on the site. The first prisoners moved into the main cell block in 1855.
Like Tasmania's notorious Macquarie Harbour Penal Station (see "Hell's Gate Lighthouse" in this gallery on page 2 near the bottom); Fremantle Prison was also an extremely tough prison to be shipped to across the world.
Common events were hangings, floggings, and solitary confinement, which saw daring convict escapes, and prisoner riots. Nearly 10,000 convicts passed through the prison between 1850 and 1868. Transportation then ceased following a reassessment of British home policy.
Inmates also included imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, enemy aliens, prisoners of war, maximum-security detainees, and thousands of Australian Indigenous or Aboriginal people, who never yielded sovereignty to the British. In 1991, the prison was shut down, and later became a museum.
Believe it or not, in 2010, Fremantle Prison, along with 10 other historic convict sites around Australia, was placed on the World Heritage Register for places of universal significance. (various references).
Explored 7 May 2024
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Tamron 16-300mm Lens
Gateway To Hell Downunder
The harsh convict barracks at Fremantle (the waterfront district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia) -- established in the British colonisation of Australia -- was first known as the "Convict Establishment". It was renamed Fremantle Prison in 1867. The lighthouse above steered the transportation ships into Fremantle harbour for unloading of the convicts.
Convicts built the prison between 1852 and 1859 using limestone quarried on the site. The first prisoners moved into the main cell block in 1855.
Like Tasmania's notorious Macquarie Harbour Penal Station (see "Hell's Gate Lighthouse" in this gallery on page 2 near the bottom); Fremantle Prison was also an extremely tough prison to be shipped to across the world.
Common events were hangings, floggings, and solitary confinement, which saw daring convict escapes, and prisoner riots. Nearly 10,000 convicts passed through the prison between 1850 and 1868. Transportation then ceased following a reassessment of British home policy.
Inmates also included imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, enemy aliens, prisoners of war, maximum-security detainees, and thousands of Australian Indigenous or Aboriginal people, who never yielded sovereignty to the British. In 1991, the prison was shut down, and later became a museum.
Believe it or not, in 2010, Fremantle Prison, along with 10 other historic convict sites around Australia, was placed on the World Heritage Register for places of universal significance. (various references).
Explored 7 May 2024
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Tamron 16-300mm Lens