The Fremantle Prison

Curious about Australia’s convict roots I decided to take a tour of the Fremantle prison where I was able to wander through the old cell blocks, the mess hall, the chapel, and the exercise yard. We listened to chilling stories at the whipping post, the solitary cells and the gallows.

 

 

 

Constructed by convicts sent from Britain between 1851 and 1859, Fremantle prison originally known as The Convict Establishment was transferred to the colonial government in 1886. It was eventually used as a maximum security prison and finally decommissioned in 1991. It is now recognized as a world heritage site. 

Notable prisoners:

 

Irish Rebel - John Boyle O’Reilly: Convicted for his part in the Fenian conspiracy, O’Reilly was one of the few to ever escape the Fremantle Prison and he did it with the help of the Americans. In March of 1869 O’Reilly managed to sneak away from his work party, rode a horse to the coast and used a row boat to get out into the Indian Ocean where the American ship Gazelle picked him up. He transferred onto two more American ships before finally reaching Philadelphia. O’Reilly ultimately settled in Boston where he continued to be an advocate and leader in the Irish community. 

Child Killer – Martha Rendell: Rendell killed three of her step-children using hydrochloric acid. The children died slow, agonizing deaths. Rendell was the only woman who was ever hanged (legally) in Western Australia.

Night Caller – Eric Edgar Cook: From 1959-1963 Cook committed 22 violent crimes in Perth, murdering eight people. He pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity but was sentenced to death by hanging.  He was the last person to be hanged in Western Australia on October 26^th 1964 and was buried next to Martha Rendell in the Fremantle Cemetery.

ACDC member – Bon Scott: At the age of 15 the lead singer of ACDC spent time at Fremantle prison for giving a fake name and address to the police, escaping legal custody, having unlawful intercourse and stealing 12 gallons of petrol. There is now a statue of Bon Scott rocking out near the harbor of Fremantle.

First Impressions in Australia

After finishing my Peace Corps service in the Philippines and spending a few weeks catching up with friends and family back home in Washington State. I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Australia. I am here on a work and holiday visa which basically allows me to stay in the country for up to one year and work to subsidize my travels.

I have been in Western Australia for a few weeks and I still can't seem to figure out where all the people are hiding. Even in Perth, the closest city, the streets are quiet and the shops close early. On the other hand, I have really been enjoying the hiking and wildlife in Western Australia. Here are some of the natives...

Bobtail lizard

Koala

Wallabies

These are just a sample of some of the animals I’ve actually been able to capture on camera. I've seen a few snakes and large race horse goannas but those sightings are quite rare. I have almost daily encounters with cockatoos, doves, kookaburra and magpies which as you can imagine are much harder to photograph.  The natural landscape is also a wonder. 

These mysterious limestone formations known as "The Pinnacles" are believed to have been formed underground possibly up to 500,000 years ago during the Ice Ages of the Quaternary period. Evidence from aboriginal artifacts suggests the Pinnacles were exposed about 6000 years ago, then buried by sands and only revealed again in the last hundred years. 

As I wandered through the vast desert I was amazed by the sheer number of the Pinnacles as well as the size. It was truly a bizarre environment, reminiscent of walking among tombstones. 

 

The indigenous tribe of the Noongars believed that the Pinnacles Desert was the Werinitj Devil place and that if you disobeyed your elders and wandered into the desert you would disappear into the sand. The Pinnacles represented the fallen wanderer’s fingertips, grasping for a way to pull themselves out again.