Fremantle Prison

The Fremantle prison closed down in 1991 and survived two riots, the most recent being in 1988. Now operated as a tourist historical site, you can tour it much like Alcatraz. Our tour guide was fantastic and full of great information. I'm slightly sensitive to taking/posting photos of areas where people suffered so I focused on the artwork found in the cells. 

The other side of the two main towers once you enter. The prison was built using prison labor, so the inmates were building their own jail.

A room as it would have looked in 1885. It measures 4'x7'

The Anglican Church inside the prison. There are weddings held here to this day. As our tour guide hilariously said, 'A lifelong sentence in a place where you get a lifelong sentence'. The Ten Commandments are on the wall and they changed 'Thou shalt not kill' to 'Thou shalt not murder' as it would have been hypocritical in a prison that hung 44 inmates.

They allowed certain inmates to add art to their cells. It was calming to some and it was toward the end of the facilities life.

The cells are now larger, due to the fact that they separated the walls dividing two cells and combined them into one. Later on, overcrowding would put two men in each cell, limiting the room space once again.

Bunk beds from the overcrowding era. The drawing above appeared to be done in sharpie.

A closer look. It reads, 'Julie, Megan +Todd I love you more than life itself (love) Dad'

The doors to solitary confinement were beautiful. Creepy, I know. I just found the craftsmanship gorgeous. The plate marking the door number is adorned with a few aboriginal dots.

Scrawled inside one of the confinement rooms. I'm not sure what it says.

More markings on a confinement wall.

Early on in the prisons first years, it housed people who's only crimes were stealing a loaf of bread or political affiliations. One of those was John Boyle O'Reilly, who was an Irishman and a member of the Fenians. He was shipped to Fremantle and escaped with the help of Americans. He was welcomed with open arms in Boston, MA.

It's New Years Eve here in Australia, so Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!