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Fremantle Prison - Night Tour |
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A few years ago we did a day tour of the old Fremantle Prison and were very impressed with what we saw. It took a while for us to get back and do a night tour but finally we managed to organise it and found that the prison at night is a very different place.
Even during the day the atmosphere in the prison is dark and forbidding but at night it becomes a place of ghostly shadows that stir the imagination. Our tour guide (Chris) informed us that the prison is the third most haunted place in W.A. The homestead at Oakabella lays claim to the title of 'most haunted' but what comes in second place we have no idea.
On arrival prisoners (visitors) are lined up in a double row and marched in to the prison reception area. Here the head warder (tour guide) picks a victim to be searched for contraband. Luckily this search is only a demonstration and does not involve the rubber gloves and rather intimate contact that the real prisoners had to endure.
After the 'search' is over it is off into the 'display' shower room where prisoners may be quite surprised to find that the facilities aren't all that bad. This, however, is the only time they will see this nicely tiled shower area as once they enter the main part of the prison they will find that facilities are much more primitive. The 'display' shower room is just there to show off to any visiting dignitary to show how well the prisoners are treated.
Next the 'prisoners' are assembled in the main court yard and given a run down on a bit of the history of Fremantle Prison. This includes some rather unpleasant tales (and a few amusing ones) about prison life. We don't want to spoil the enjoyment so to find out more about these stories you will have to go and do the tour.
Then it is off into the main cell block where the torches you were given as you started the tour really become useful. Inside the cell block it is dark and pretty spooky. Your 'guard' will ensure that your brief experience in this eerie place is one you won't forget in a hurry.
The tour winds its way from the main cell block out into the exercise yards where you can look up and contemplate the razor wire and guard towers where armed warders would try to ensure that prisoners stayed where they were supposed to be. In fact there were a number of escapes from the prison including the multiple escape artist Moondyne Joe.
Finally you will visit the execution room and an underground portion of the prison including the still rather unpleasant smelling morgue. You may be visited by a 'ghost' from the past who will bemoan her fate as one of only three women executed in W.A.
We highly recommend the night tour of Fremantle Prison and as long as you don't have a weak heart, you will certainly enjoy it too!
Updated December 2014
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Pics from the day-time tour.
The picture directly above is the execution room where a number of unlucky souls met their fate. One particular execution was particularly horrific and your 'guard' will be more then happy to fill you in on the details if you can stand to hear them. |
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