Get ready to learn the spooky and kooky history behind the Ballarat Gaol, one of Ballarat’s unique heritage buildings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As part of the Ballarat Heritage Weekend on May 26-27, the former gaol will open its doors with free hourly guided tours, and blueprints and prisoner records on display.
A virtual construction of the building’s inaccessible underground tunnels and cells will be available to access across the weekend on smartphones.
Federation University’s Dr David Waldron said patrons will be treated to fascinating stories of the space.
“Some of the stories are a bit grim… but it’s part of our heritage, and crime is always connected with the marginalized and disenfranchised,” he said.
The last of 13 hangings took place at the gaol in 1908, but the intrigue continues around one in particular, which can be explored by patrons during the festival.
“Denis Murphy, while he was executed for murder, they never actually investigated whether the bones they found were human or not,” Dr Waldron said.