I really wanted to visit Fremantle Prison in Fremantle, Western Australia. Me and my friends decided to go together but there was just not a common time for us. Therefore, I braved to go by myself. It was easy to get to Fremantle. I just hopped on the train on the Fremantle line and sat for almost 30 minute travel. From the Fremantle Train station, one can either ride a bus or enjoy walking thru the streets of the city towards the prison which is situated at 1 The Terrace, Fremantle.
Even with GPS, I still managed to get lost in locating the establishment but thankfully there was a utility man who pointed to where the entrance was (bless his kind soul).
According to www.visitfremantle.com. au, Fremantle Prison is the largest and most intact convict built prison in Australia and is Western Australia's only World Heritage Listed Building. For almost 140 years, the place was used for incarceration and was only decommisisoned as a maximum security gaol in 1991.
It was 15 minutes before the next tour started and the guard was kind to lead me to the gift shop where I can buy tour ticket and look at the merchandises. While waiting other guests can go to the Convict Cafe, the Prison Gallery and the Interactive Visitor Center. The gift shop sold key chains fashioned from old prison keys, shirts, prisoner dolls and other souvenirs.
There are 5 kinds of tours that can be availed. I chose the Doing Time tour and was glad that I was able to get the concession ticket since I was still a student. Normal fee for this tour is 20 AUD and it will run for 1 hour and minutes.
The bell rang and we all filed in 2 lines to have our tickets checked and be admitted into an old looking room. The guide introduced himself to us and we were told that this was the first room prisoners would enter, have their photos taken, be checked if they are hiding illegal things and given out uniforms before going into the jail itself.
Then we were led outside to see the vastness of the prison. It was first known as the Convict Establishment and was built by convicts between 1852 to 1859.
We stood in the middle of this hall where we can see a metal net hanging above us. It was placed there to protect guards from things that may harm them which could be deliberately dropped by prisoners on the upper floors.
We were also able to see open spaces like these.
There was a huge space for the kitchen with big pots like these. There was a room where the knives were kept and if prisoner workers would borrow a knife, he will leave his identification hanged from where the knife was.
Walking along the corridors. It was not so creepy as it was around 4 in the afternoon when I went.
They have their own chapel,too.
We were able to peek inside the prisoner's rooms and how it evolved from being a very tiny space to a bigger space like this that can accommodate at least 2 people.
Our fellow tourists were game to reenact, with instructions from our guide, on how the prisoners were flogged. Usually this was done in the presence of other prisoners so that they will know what they'd get should they break rules. There is a doctor on standby while this is being done to monitor the status of the inmate. We were also lead into the room wherein prisoners are hanged.
We also saw isolation cells wherein no light could enter. It was also somehow sound proof that if prisoners shouted, they cannot be heard from the outside.
The one hour and fifteen minutes tour passed quickly. I was amazed at how the building was preserved and taken cared of for the next generation. It was very educational and I bet the other tours are exciting as well. If time permits, I wish to come back with friends and try another tour - possibly the Tunnels or Torchlight Tour.
Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!
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