Toy Elephant

It is likely this toy was made within the Tailor’s Shop at the Fremantle Prison, from repurposed prison blankets. The Tailor’s Workshops were part of the West Workshops complex at the prison. The construction of these workshops was an outcome of the 1898-99 Royal Commission which recommended prisoners be given more opportunities to develop skills. The Tailor’s Workshops were better known for producing much of the clothing worn at the Prison, as well as other institutional equipment such as sheets and pillowcases and uniforms for various institutions. An article entitled; ‘The Fremantle Prison: Reformative Improvements’ published in the Western Mail in 1909 states, “The tailoring department…executed uniforms for the gaol officials, clothes for the inmates of the Old Men’s Home, Hospital for the Insane, and the several State Prisons, including the Nor’-West native gaols…”.

The toy relates to the changing nature of work and prison industries of which the Tailors workshop was one part. The changing nature of work within the prison is a manifestation of penal reform, marking the shift from punishment to rehabilitation, a transition which began at the end of the 19th century. Colin Campbell, who became Comptroller General of Prisons in 1966 was a leading proponent of prison reform including the expansion of education programs and prisoners learning skills through expanded industries. By 1969/70 the prison’s annual report stated that 6 prison workshops were in operation, employing around 192 men across metalwork, carpentry, footwear, clothing, printing and concrete products.

There are only a small number of toys in the prison collection; the only other items being an abacus (1999.164), a wooden trolley with blocks (1999.306.1-26) and three rocking horses (2018.4), (2025.72) and (2025.82). The elephant is rare as one of a very small number of toys identified as having been made at the prison, however it is singular as the only soft toy in the entire collection identified thus far.