Gladstone Gaol Open Day 16 March 2025
What: Gladstone Gaol Open Day
Old Gaol tours, illuminart displays, community stalls, food & drink and children's activities
Who: Gladstone Gaol
Gladstone Community Development and Tourism Association (GCD&TA)
When: 16 March 2025, 10am - 4pm
Where: Gladstone Gaol, Ward St Gladstone SA 5473
Free Event Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/34753w5b
Break-in at the Gladstone Gaol - All Welcome!
The Historic Gladstone Gaol, located in Gladstone in the Southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia, will open to the public for an exciting one-day event on March 16, 2025.
Local volunteers will run tours of the old gaol, sharing stories and history along the way. This community-focused event features an illuminart display, local stallholders, food & drink vans, and plenty of activities to entertain the kids!
David Catford, President of the Gladstone Community Development and Tourism Association, welcomed the opportunity to showcase the community's passion for the Gaol.
"We’re thrilled to open the Gaol to the public. In collaboration with the Department of Environment and Water and the Northern Areas Council, the Gladstone Community Development and Tourism Association is proud to highlight this significant piece of local history and its potential as a future tourism attraction," said David Catford. “With so much planned for the Historic Gaol precinct, we are excited to share this important tourism asset with the public.”
The magnificent Stone Gaol opened in 1881 and housed low-risk offenders. Its design at the time came from England's best examples. It became an internment camp during the Second World War, and the gaol tower was used as an air raid lookout. At the end of the war, it returned to being a prison.
The Gaol closed in December 1975, and all remaining prisoners were transferred to the Cadell Training Centre or Port Augusta Gaol. In 1985, Gladstone Gaol was confirmed as a State Heritage Place. It has been closed to the public for the last three years as preparations have been made to revitalise this critical tourism site.
Please join us in celebrating history, community, and future opportunities at this free event.
We hope to see you there!
