Ghosts

Walking through the Old Melbourne Gaol is a strange experience. It's fascinating yet morbid, educational yet at the same time ever so slightly ghoulish.

The three story cell block which came into use in 1857 was an addition to the original 1839 gaol. The entire facility though was a replacement for the original two cell building constructed for the region. The prison operated between 1842 and 1924 and had in its time housed some of Australia's most notorious convicts, including Edward "Ned" Kelly. He was also one of 133 prisoners to have been hung in the facility. Due to one case, in which he wife of a hanged man protested his death by displaying his body in her oyster shop, subsequent executed prisoners were interred within the gaol's perimeter.

Such was the interest in Ned Kelly that when the bodies were exhumed in 1929 to be moved to another location as a result of the prison being demolished, souvenir hunters including school children grabbed what they could from under the market E.K. when it was discovered. Although missing a few teeth, the scull however was saved from theft and was, Neil 1978 displayed in the museum, before it was stolen. Subsequent to its recovery recent DNA tests have proven that the skull did not in fact belong to Kelly, but another prisoner with the initials E.K. His bones were eventually recovered and identified and released back to his descendants for burial.

The museum makes use of a number of the cells on all three stories to tell the story of itself and its inmates. It's quite disconcerting being watched by the death masks of the very people you are reading about. It's little wonder some think the prison is haunted. Today's shot is looking down the length of the cell block from the top level with a replica of Kelly's armour helmet and death mask as my extra.

I'm way behind in commenting and I haven't answered any of your generous comments on my shots. I will eventually but it will probably be after I get back home. Thanks so much for your continued appreciation in spite of this. Really means a lot. I know I'm also a day behind in posting. Hopefully I'll catch my tail before leaving these shores. ;-)