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Claremont Museum > Records

Bathurst Gaol

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Sharkey Collection

c. 1895

Overview

Impressive stone entry with lion's head as keystone of arch, coat of arms and heavy pediment above. Infill has two barred windows and two doors. Three-storey wing on left has small windows: larger wing on right has upper balcony and arches to lower floors. There is an cart, shed and barrels in foreground

Historical information

Bathurst Gaol (later renamed the Bathurst Correctional Centre) was proclaimed on 7 June 1888, and built at a cost of just over 102,000 pounds.

The building contained 308 cells and "commodious workshops" was complete and partly occupied in 1888.

The hand-carved sandstone gate at the gaol featured an ornate sculptured lion's head holding a key that is a Victorian symbol designed to impress wrongdoers with the immense power and dignity of the law.

Legend has it that when the key falls from the lion's mouth, all prisoners are allowed to go free.

Source: Wikipedia

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-28--9-172-c

Item type

Themes

Contextual information

Australian social history from the collection of photographs and albums donated to the museum by Raymond Sharkey's family.

Raymond John Sharkey an architect, surveyor and amateur photographer was born in 1868 in New South Wales. Raymond was a Claremont resident when he died at an early age.

Year

Geotag

-33.417736547553, 149.55793989557

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Nearest geotagged records:

Bathurst Courthouse (1.89km away)

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Links to additional resources

Claremont Museum.

Last modified

Friday, 27 June, 2025

Completeness

94

Copyright and Reference

Copyright and Reference

Copyright category

Date of creation +70 years

Permissions

For authorisation to reproduce, publish or display, please contact the Claremont Museum.

Attribution requirements

Acknowledgements to be made to 'Claremont Museum 09.172c'

Copyright holder

Claremont Museum, Town of Claremont, Western Australia, 6010

Claremont Museum

Claremont Museum

Organisation details
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Other items by Sharkey Collection

Other items from Claremont Museum

Bathurst Gaol

Bathurst Gaol
Source: Claremont Museum 09.172c

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