Berrima Correctional Centre
 | |
| Location | Berrima, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Medium/Minimum (Female)[1] |
| Capacity | 75 |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Closed | n/a |
| Managed by | New South Wales Department of Corrective Services[1] |
Berrima Correctional Centre is an Australian female prison located at Berrima, New South Wales, Australia. Berrima Gaol (closed in 1909 and reopened in 1949 as the Berrima Training Centre) is the oldest gaol still in operation in Australia.[2]
The Centre is also responsible for the administration of a periodic detention centre and court cells at Wollongong.
Address
Argyle St Berrima NSW 2577
Postal Address
PO Box 250
Phone Number: (02) 4860 2555
How to get there Public Transport The nearest railway station is Moss Vale (2.5 hrs from Sydney Central) which is about 7 km from the Centre. There is a bus service to Berrima on weekdays only. On weekends and public holidays the local taxi service may be used.
Visitor Information Bookings: Visits must be booked. Bookings are between 6pm - 9pm Mon - Fri. Telephone (02) 4860 2555 for enquiries.
Visit times: Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 9.30am - 11:30am and 1pm - 3pm. Mondays - coordinated children’s visits.
History
The gaol was built of local sandstone between 1836 and 1839. Much of the building work was done by convicts in irons.[3]
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From 1970 up to 2001 the prison was class as minimum/medium security for male inmates and could work outside of the complex on the local market garden that they have, certain detainee's were allowed to cut the local parks grass and also help out with certain dutys in the community like fighting fires with the local firefighters.
In 2001 the gaol had it’s name changed again. It is now Berrima Correction Centre but this was not the only change to be made. After one hundred and sixty six years as a men’s prison Berrima became a woman’s prison, which can hold up to fifty-nine inmates.
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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.
One of the notable trials held in the nearby Berrima Court House was that of Lucretia Dunkley and her lover Martin Beech. Both were both hanged in 1843 for the murder of Dunkley’s husband. Lucretia Dunkley was the only woman hanged at Berrima gaol.
In 1898, a residence for the governor (or superintendent) of the jail was built next door to the gaol. In the 1930s it was used as a police station. A house for the deputy superintendent was built on the other side of the gaol.
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-to-medium-security prison.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Correctional facilities in New South Wales". Australian Institute of Criminology. 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-05-06. Retrieved 2006-05-10.
- ^ See historical details under Berrima
- ^ "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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