Arrested! Old Melbourne Gaol

Old Melbourne Gaol:

After being in Sydney for a couple of weeks, we finally decided to start our journey down to Melbourne. Upon our arrival, we took a tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol where we were exposed to the lives of men and women who died paying for their crimes.

Walking through the narrow hall.

As I walked in through the doors that led to the cells of many of these offenders, I began to feel a little spooky. I would only recommend this tour to people who are not afraid of ghosts! Not that I saw one, but going in some of the cells was scary.

Inside a cell.

The Old Melbourne Gaol held dangerous criminals, petty offenders, the homeless, and the mentally ill. One of the most notorious criminal was Australia's citizen Ned Kelly. In the image bellow you can see the death mask Ned Kelly wore during his execution.

Ned Kelly's Death Mask

All the inmates would watch as the hangings took place. 

The Old Melbourne Gaol was the scene of 133 hangings and we were able to stand on the same spot where they took place. Although this gaol was closed in 1929, the thought that criminals had walked through the halls, slept, ate, and died where I was standing were impossible to ignore. 

Mugshots

Arrested!

At the end of the tour I was able to get my own mug shots. This specific section of the tour consisted of police officers treating us "just" like they would treat criminals coming in. They were loud, rude, strict, and although it was only role playing, one can only image what it really was like. 

Jen and I trying real handcuffs on for the first time.

I would never have imagined handcuffs to be as heavy as they are! Jen and I decided to try them on just to see what it was like, and we took them off immediately after this photograph was taken because it hurt to keep them on. TIP: NEVER GET ARRESTED

If you are ever in Melbourne be sure to check out the Old Melbourne Gaol. It definitely is an interesting experience! 

Remember: There are YHA Hostels in Melbourne too! (To me it was one of the cleaner ones to stay in) You can also receive a discount for this tour when you present your YHA Membership Card. If you are not sure what this is, check out my earlier posts!

Exploring the land down under;

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