Berrima Correctional Centre is an Australian female prison located at Berrima, New South Wales, Australia. Berrima Gaol is the oldest Gaol still in operation in Australia.
 | |
| Location | Berrima, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Medium (Female)[1] |
| Capacity | 75 |
| Opened | 1839 |
| Closed | n/a |
| Managed by | New South Wales Department of Corrective Services[1] |
History
The gaol was built of local sandstone between 1834 and 1839. Much of the building work was done by convicts in irons.[2]
In the nineteenth century, conditions at the gaol were harsh, prisoners spent most of their days in cells and the only light was through a small grate set in the door. In 1866 the gaol was renovated to the standards described by the prison reform movement for a “model prison”. However, Berrima gaol had solitary confinement cells which measured 8 feet by 5 feet, some smaller, where it was intended that all prisoners spent one year. In 1877 a Royal Commission was held to investigate allegations of cruelty by the prison authorities but the complaints were not upheld.
During World War I the army used Berrima gaol as a German Prisoner Internment Camp. Most of the 329 internees were enemy aliens from shipping companies. There were German officers from Rabaul, German New Guinea (what is now Papua New Guinea) and also sailors from the cruiser SMS Emden.
The gaol is now an all-female Low-Medium security prison.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Correctional facilities in New South Wales". Australian Institute of Criminology. 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-10.
- ^ "Walkabout Berrima". Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 2006-05-10.
- ^ Greg Appel (2003). "Berrima Gaol From The Inside Out". Radio National's Street Stories. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2006-01-30.
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