| Historical notes: | Prior to European settlement the Goulburn Plains and the Wollondilly River provided native game and fish for a number of the traditional Aboriginal peoples, including the Mulwaree, Tarlo, Burra Burra, Wollondilly, Wiradjuri, Gundungurra, Dharruk, Tharawal, Lachlan, Pajong, Parramarragoo, Cookmal and Ngunnawal. The Goulburn region was known as a meeting place rather than being inhabited by just one group of people. Evidence remains of sites where stone tools were made and great corroborees were held until the 19th century. Some known significant sites in the region include areas around the Wollondilly River and Mulwaree Flats.
It is historically thought to be at the boundary of two Aboriginal groups, the Gundungurra to the north and the Ngunnawal to the south. Developing understanding today indicates that this boundary is likely to be quite nebulous, with social, economic and kinship ties likely spreading throughout NSW and beyond.
It is well documented that after European arrival there was radical displacement and disease which drastically affected Aboriginal populations here and elsewhere. Dispossession from traditional lands further decimated the population along with cycles of influenza and smallpox.
Colonisation
The Goulburn Plains were first sited by Europeans in 1798. In 1818 Hamilton Hume, James Meehan and exploratory party traversed and named them. In 1819 Governor Macquarie ordered construction of the Great South Road from Picton to here. It first followed the track blazed by Meehan in 1818, and ran generally east of the present Hume Highway via Bungonia. Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition and Goulburn's growth saw the road diverted west. From that time most traffic travelled across Boxers Creek near the present bridge site, through Goulburn to southern NSW and Victoria. Settlers soon followed. The site for Goulburn was gazetted in 1833. (Berger, RTA 2005: 5; DMR 1976: 17, 23; Morris 2003: 1-2)
Governor Darling (1825 -31 improved civil administration, and encouraged exploration and expansion by a road building program to the north, south and west of Sydney.
The 'township of Goulburn Plains' was laid out in a bend of the Wollondilly above its confluence with Mulwaree Ponds immediately south of the ford by which travellers crossed the river. This was just north-west of the present Goulburn Correctional Centre. Assistant Surveyor Dixson set out the first allotments in 1828 and Elliot completed the layout in 1829. The only building on the plan signed by Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell, was the gaol on its reserve to the north east. It was probably already built or under construction. Governor Bourke, on his first visit in 1832 considered the site too susceptible to flooding, selecting a new location for the town where it now stands. After work by Assistant Surveyors Govett and Hoddle it was formally notified on 27 March 1833. (Kerr 1994: 1).
Goulburn Gaols
All the early places of confinement at Goulburn Plains and Goulburn were of makeshift construction with short lives. Ransome Wyatt noted the first 'so badly built that within a few years a second one, of slab or log, was built'. This is likely that depicted by Colonial Architect Ambrose Hallen in January 1832. It exhibited a standard plan. By 1835 it was in bad condition. In 1836 Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis, arranged with Brodie and McKellar to construct a watch house cum lock-up. It faced Auburn Street on the reserve set aside for a court house and gaol. Lewis' attempts to have a substantial masonry gaol erected on the same reserve were to prove agonising. (Kerr 1994: 1, 2).
By the time his masonry gaol at Goulburn was commenced, his 1838 plan for the cell range had been modified to correspond to other major country gaols underway at Port Phillip (1841-43), Bathurst (1841-44) and Maitland (c.1840-48). Construction was delayed by flood, labour shortage and a depression. The cell range was completed in 1845. That year Sydney builder, Jacob Inder began the perimeter wall, gatehouse, cook house, privies and cesspool. Lewis finally reported it fit for occupation in June 1847 and it was proclaimed. Part of the cell block was used as a temporary lock-up from 1845. (Kerr 1994: 2).
It had no facilities for yard classification of prisoners - a requirement taken seriously at Parramatta and Sydney gaols. It was also badly built: the next twenty years saw repairs, alterations and additions. Local builder James Sinclar in 1848 created male and female hospital wards in the cell range by removing walls and enlarging windows. In 1846-47 he erected a new watch house or lock-up fronting Auburn Street. Visiting clerk-of-works White was critical of Sinclair's and Inder's buildings, recommending reconstruction. Sinclair's successor, Columbus Fitzpatrick worked on the prison for nearly twenty years. In 1852 and 1853 he did many repairs and additions. The gaoler from 1847 -61 was Henry Forster, Napoleonic Wars veteran. As usual in the 19th century, his wife, Margaret was matron of female prisoners. After decommissioning in 1884, the gaol was demolished to make way for the court house. Prisoners were transferred to a newly built gaol near the site of the original Goulburn Plains township. (Kerr 1994: 3-5).
New Goulburn Gaol:
In 1864 Harold Maclean was appointed sheriff and subsequently comptroller general of prisons. He devoted 25 years to giving New South Wales a consistent middle-of-the-road penal system based on initial separation and careful classification. As well as country establishments, he did major new construction at Darlinghurst, Parramatta, Trial Bay, Goulburn and Bathurst. The latter two shared identical radial plans and both were completed in a relatively short time without altering his concept. After brief total separation in single cells, prisoners began the major parts of their sentences. This involved separate accommodation in single cells at night and classification into groups for associated work and messing during the day. Maclean aimed to keep habitual and casual, major and minor offenders and others apart. This called for single cell wings and sufficient yards to cope with the consequences of classification and protection. His Goulburn Gaol had four radial cell wings, eight yards for daytime classification of males, a female division with three yards, detached modern hospital and separate small yards for daytime protection of individuals. The symbolic and actual focal point of the design was the chapel - chaplains were intended to play an important part (Kerr 1994: 5).
The plan was developed in 1879, in James Barnet's* office under the supervision of William Coles (State Projects 1995; Kerr 1994: 6). Coles was deputy Colonial Architect and acknowledged expert on asylum and prison design. Goulburn was one of two model prisons it designed in the late 1870s and early 1880s. It was laid out using the radial panopticon principle, with ranges of dormitories or cells radiating from a central observation point, aimed at efficient and complete observation and total control with minimal staff. Its design gives a clear indication of advances in penal architecture in the late 19th century, and changing philosophies. The gaol was conceptually designed by Harold Maclean, NSW comptroller-general of prisons. J.S. Kerr notes that Goulburn and Bathurst gaol designs 'were not novel but they were up with the best practices of the day and represented the zenith of orthodox design in the nineteenth century'. (Kerr 2000: 6). The only surviving 1879 plan was signed by Alfred Brown. A plan as actually built was signed by Barnet, 2 June 1884. (Dunn 2026; Kerr 1994: 7, 8).
Goulburn Gaol was designated by Maclean as the NSW establishment with a particular role in reforming first time and young offenders. It was the first to introduce single cells of a reasonable size (13 feet x seven). These were based on England's famous Pentonville model prison but, given Goulburn's cells were only for night occupation, their size was generous and not surpassed in Australia for nearly a century. (Kerr 1994: 6).
It was built by Frederick Lemm of Sydney between 1881 and 1884 for 61,000 pounds. It was part of the public works boom in the town during 1869 - 86, boosting employment and local industry (State Projects 1995).
The site has been continually used as a gaol since it opened in 1883. It has an important historic link Goulburn, particularly during up to the 1970s with its reformatory, agricultural and training agenda. Adjacent land was worked by prisoners for agricultural training, particularly food production. For a time, it supplied most vegetables for Kenmore Asylum and Goulburn Hospital as well as the gaol. (Dunn 2026).
In 1893 a new wing was added of 127 cells, one per inmate. In 1894, a cell range was built for female prisoners. c13 hectares (32 acres) for agricultural cultivation were introduced in 1897-99, electric powerhouse in 1898, new bakery in 1916.
Goulburn Correctional Centre is associated with two influential NSW comptroller generals of prisons, Harold Maclean (1864-89) and Frederick William "Dutchy" Neitenstein** (1896-1909). Maclean established the conceptual design, while Neitenstein introduced strict systems of staffing, prisoner classification and association. It has a recorded association with many famous and infamous characters, staff and inmates, including a Victoria Cross winner, bushrangers, larrikins, labour leaders and murderers (Kerr 1994: 22).
It has a close relationship with Goulburn. Both town and institution grew together and are economically and socially interdependent. Goulburn has become the major judicial and penal centre of the Southern Highlands (Dunn 2026).
In 1957 work commenced on new cell block - 'X wing' outside the walls for 94 prisoners employed at the agricultural area. It opened in 1961. In 1966-68 a new education block and auditorium were completed (State Projects 1995). Works to extend gaol footprint by 100 x 450 feet commenced in 1971.
In 1986-88 the first major redevelopment extended perimeter walls to include a new industrial area, laundry, sports area, gym and high security segregation unit (Kerr 1994: 20-21).
In 1996-97 there was an upgrade for the inmate development service. 1999 saw a 75-bed intensive care management centre for maximum security inmates.
Goulburn Correctional Centre is currently used as a maximum / minimum security institution for males (Section 170 Heritage and Conservation Register: Corrective Services: 2004).
*_James Johnstone Barnet (1827-1904) was acting Colonial Architect in 1862 and Colonial Architect from 1865-90. He studied in London at King's College, London and was strongly influenced by Charles Robert Cockerell, leading classical theorist and the fine arts. He arrived in Sydney in 1854 and worked as a self-employed builder. He served as Edmund Blacket's clerk-of-works on the foundations of the Randwick Asylum. Blacket then appointed Barnet as clerk-of-works on the Great Hall at Sydney University. By 1859 he was second clerk of works at the Colonial Architect's Office. Thus began a long career, dominating public architecture in NSW, as longest-serving Colonial Architect in Australian history. Until he resigned in 1890 his office undertook some 12,000 works, Barnet himself designing almost 1000. They included 169 post and telegraph offices, 130 courthouses, 155 police buildings, 110 lockups and 20 lighthouses. Barnet's vision for Sydney is most clearly seen in the Customs House, General Post Office, Lands Department and Colonial Secretary's Office in Bridge Street. (Le Sueur 2016: 6).
**_Frederick William Neitenstein (1850-1921), mercantile marine captain and prison reformer, was made comptroller-general of New South Wales prisons in 1896, with reputation as a reformer. Adapting many schemes for juvenile reform, he introduced the grading, mark and physical drill programmes, 'restricted association' policy and other schemes to reduce contact between inmates as a means of separating different classes. Hoping to turn prison into a 'moral hospital', he sought to remove first offenders, inebriates, juveniles, lunatics and summary offenders from the population. Only 'real criminals' were subjected to the new 'reformative regime'. He was an occasional member of the Public Service Board and served on the Public Service Tender Board. A prominent Freemason, he was a founder of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society and belonged to the Howard Prison Reform League. He retired as comptroller-general in 1909 and from the public service in 1910. (Garton 1986, published online 2026). |