photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Alan K | all galleries >> Melbourne >> Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail) > 13184 A Cellblock Overview
previous | next
24-DEC-2010 AKMC

13184 A Cellblock Overview

Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail), Russell St Melbourne VIC

Here we get an overview of the surviving cellblock. The women's block was originally attached at the far end.

The spectral objects moving through the images are visitors with motion blur as a result of necessarily longish exposure times, not the ghosts of past residents. I hope. (For this place does indeed have a rather funky atmosphere to it; a bit disquieting.)

New prisoners were originally housed in the tiny cells on the ground floor, which you'll get some idea of the size of in subsequent images. Often this time was spent in solitary confinement, including the use of silence masks (also seen later). They were in the cells for 23 hours per day with one hour for exercise... alone. They had the opportunity to bathe and wash their clothes weekly. If they proved that they could follow da rules, they were moved to the second floor from which they were permitted to work in the prison yards. I was initially surprised at how much more spacious the third floor cells were, but they were communal cells for housing debtors, trusted prisoners and ones who are due for release.

At the far end on the second level is the scaffold which was used to hang condemned prisoners. Above that you can make out the frame that prisoners were tied to when they were lashed.

Canon EOS 40D ,Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
0.80s f/8.0 at 24.0mm iso800 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
previous | next
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment