Rules for Women's division sign

From 1856 until its closure in 1889, women prisoners were held in Perth Gaol. Upon its closure, women prisoners were transferred to Fremantle Prison. The female block was walled off and separate from the much larger male divisions. Women were incarcerated in Fremantle between the years of 1889 until 1970 as the state’s only prison for women. After 1970, operations for the women’s prison transferred to Bandyup Women’s Training Centre. Over the course of its operational life some 2,000 women spent time in the Fremantle Women’s Prison, many serving repeat sentences.
This object is one of only two signs in the Fremantle Prison Collection that relate to the rules and regulations in Female division. The other sign is printed on cardboard and outlines in detail the routine of prison life c.1970 (1978.76).
The Fremantle Prison Collection has numerous books, ephemera and objects that outline the rules and regulations imposed on prisoners and officers while the Prison was operating. There are also numerous signs that have been salvaged from the site, which indicate processes and operations within the Prison. That said, this sign is unique because it outlines rules within the Female division, and there are few objects in the collection that directly relate to the experience of women in the prison system.
The sign highlights the gendering of criminality, specifically themes of morality and control in relation to female incarceration. In comparison to rules relating to men, this object highlights the high societal moral standards women were held to, and how these standards were erroneously equated to a woman’s perceived criminality. During its years of operation, many more women than men were incarcerated for offences such as disorderly behaviour, public drunkenness, being unkept in public or the perceived crime of being in public whilst seemingly idle or without visible means of support. Many women served repeat sentences for similar offences.
The sign has historical significance as it illustrates the experiences and histories of female prisoners held at Fremantle Prison from 1886 until 1970. The object also has high social significance, as an artefact which communicates some of the harsher elements of the lives female inmates led. The object is extremely valuable for future research and further interpretative potential. There is little evidence of womens’ past presence in the Female Division today, adding to the value of the sign as an object that can shed light on the conditions experienced by female inmates. The sign is in moderate fair condition with some paint cracking, however the item is rare and no other examples exist; as such the average condition does not take away from its significance. Together with other items in the collection the item has the capacity to provide further details about the lives of women in the prison system.