Perth – Day 2 (Fremantle Prison)
28 Jan
While many people know that the colonization of Australia began when convicts were shipped there from Britian, most probably wouldn’t know the difference between a convict and a criminal in the context of an early Australian prison. Convicts were basically people who were sentenced in Britain whereas criminals were sentenced in Australia itself.
The main prison block
One of the well known attractions in Fremantle is the Fremantle Prison, which was built in the 1850s but decommissioned in 1991. The prison consisted of 4 divisions, each one meant for different categories of offenders, with the 4th division reserved for the worst of them all (e.g. murderers). A total of 44 people were hung in this prison with the last execution taking place in 1964. Australia has since abolished the death penalty, although I don’t think the same would happen soon in Singapore.
The Anglican Chapel – Interestingly, the words to the sixth commandment on the Ten Commandments painted on the wall behind the altar had been modified from "Thou shalt not kill" to "Thou shall do no murder". The former would have seemed rather hypocritical given that the gallows were still being used and England was involved in so many wars.
During our visit, we signed-up for the “Doing Time Tour” – an hour long walk around the prison compounds to see the various cell blocks, chapel and gallows. For the more adventurous, there is also a tunnel tour where visitors explore the labyrinth of passages beneath the prison.
Prison art – Rules forbidding painting or drawing on walls were relaxed after it was found to calm violent prisoners.
Prior to the tour starting, the guide told me a story about how two recent tourists with high end cameras had their equipment fail on them when trying to take pictures inside the execution chamber. It made my skin crawl, but thankfully, my faithful D3 didn’t skip a beat. I even took a picture of the noose but was quite disappointed at the lack of any mysterious ghostly silhouette in the final picture. 
Full Fremantle Prison gallery here.
whooooa very very nice travel photos!!
Hey thanks Jo!!! It’s an honour to hear that from a master travel photographer herself!
Greetings from Toronto, Canada!
I stumbled upon your website when I searched “high-key lighting” on Google. (I thought you might find that interesting seeing that you’re an IT guy)
I just wanted to say that I’m really enjoying your blog and your photo galleries – you’re very talented! It’s also great to see someone who openly confesses their faith in a truly sincere manner (I read your profile). You’ve encouraged me to do the same!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and your photography knowledge. I’ll be subscribing to your RSS feed!
Blessings,
Jiro
Wow nice! but so little pics hehe.. I like the one with Ashley on your shoulders!
Great pictures as usual!
Hi Jiro! Gee, very interesting to know that Google actually indexed my site on such a common photography term.
Anyway, thanks for your kind words and likewise you have also encouraged me in return. Now I have extra motivation to keep sharing and to keep updating.
Hey Tigerming! If you click on the small link at the bottom of each post, it’ll bring you to a much larger gallery of the day. Enjoy! And if you feel inspired to visit Perth, my photos are a success.
I really wish to go back again to Perth again. I’m residing overseas on the moment and everytime I study a weblog about Perth I miss it.
Aw I’m sure you’ll be back home soon enough! Great excuse to take a holiday.