AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

FREMANTLE PRISON
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM
LINKS FOR YEAR 6
AUSTRALIA AS A NATION

1AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

CONTENTS
Fremantle Prison

3

Curriculum Links

4

Historical Inquiry

6

Teaching Resources

7

Resource Booklets

10

Planning a School Excursion

11

Suggested Pre‐Visit Activity

14

Historical Overview – Convict and Colonial Era

15

2

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

FREMANTLE PRISON
In 2010 Fremantle Prison, along with 10 other historic convict sites around Australia, was placed on
the World Heritage Register for places of universal significance. Collectively known as the AustralianConvict Sites these places tell the story of the colonisation of Australia and the building of a nation.
Fremantle Prison is Western Australia’s most important historical site. As a World Heritage Site,
Fremantle Prison is recognised as having the same level of cultural significance as other iconic sites
such as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, or the Historic Centre of Rome.
For 136 years between 1855 and 1991 Fremantle Prison was continuously occupied by prisoners.
Convicts built the Prison between 1851 and 1859. Initially called the Convict Establishment, Fremantle
Prison held male prisoners of the British Government transported to Western Australia. After 1886
Fremantle Prison became the colony’s main place of incarceration for men, women and juveniles.
Fremantle Prison itself was finally decommissioned in November 1991 when its male prisoners weretransferred to the new maximum security prison at Casuarina.
Fremantle Prison was a brutal place of violent punishments such as floggings and hangings. Conditions
were primitive ‐ freezing in winter and scorching in summer, infested with cockroaches and rats, thesite was lonely and cruel. It housed thousands of prisoners, each with a fascinating story to tell. It was
the site of numerous daring escapes and prisoner riots.
Western Australia, as we know it today, would not be here if not for the introduction of convicts to thecolony and the construction of Fremantle Prison. For students studying the history of our State andAustralia, Fremantle Prison is an essential site of historical investigation.

3

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

CURRICULUM LINKSYEAR 6 – AUSTRALIA AS A NATIONThe Year 6 curriculum moves from colonial Australia to the development of Australia as a nation.
Students explore the factors that led to Federation and the experiences of democracy and citizenshipover time. Students learn about the way of life of people who migrated to Australia and theircontribution to Australia’s economic and social development.
Fremantle Prison as an institution underwent major changes during this period as it transitioned froma convict prison to a maximum security prison operating as the main prison in the state of Western
Australia. Fremantle Prison can be studied as a case study of the broader changes that occurred in thecommunity as the swan River Colony became the state of Western Australia.
A framework for developing students’ historical knowledge, understanding and skills is provided byinquiry questions. The key inquiry questions at this year level are:••Why and how did Australia become a nation?
How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century?
Fremantle Prison was a key institution in the transition of the Swan River Colony to the Stateof Western Australia. As the convict era ended in 1886, Fremantle Prison became the major
place of incarceration for all sectors of the community, including colonial citizens, women,
juveniles, and Aboriginal people. As the colony changed, so too did Fremantle Prison.

•

Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?
The Gold Rush period saw the population of Western Australia boom as thousands of fortune
seekers flocked to the west. Many Chinese and other Asian migrants came to the colony, andmany of these, as a result of the inevitable clash of cultures on the goldfields, ended up in
Fremantle Prison.

•

What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development ofAustralian society?
Fremantle Prison was a site of major change during this period in Australia’s history. Evolving
attitudes towards issues such as punishment and reform were played out here. Capital
punishment began here in 1888, boys as young as 8 were incarcerated here, as well as
thousands of Aboriginal people. These issues can be explored by students before, during andafter a visit to Fremantle Prison.

HISTORICAL CONCEPTS
Evidence and SignificanceFremantle Prison exhibits an extraordinary power of place. Because it remained operational as a
prison until 1991, the site is remarkably intact and authentic. Students visiting the Prison can see firsthand what life was like for modern prisoners as well as for convicts 150 years ago. Seeing the original
heritage fabric allows students to identify the heritage significance of the site.
Sources
Our tour guides encourage students to ask questions while on tour. In this way are tours focus on an
exchange of information rather than a one‐way lecture on the Prison’s history – our tour guides are
sources of information directed by the active inquiry of students.
4

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

Continuity and change
On a tour of the Prison students can identify what aspects of the prison system changed over the years
and what stayed the same.
Cause and Effect
Our display cells provide a visual example of how changes to cells over the Prison’s history were driven
by cause and effect.
Perspective
People in the past may have had different points of view about a particular event, depending on theirage, gender, social position, beliefs and values etc. Our tour guides tell stories about historicalindividuals and provide an insight into their differing perspectives.
Empathy
An understanding of the past from the point of view of a particular individual or group, including anappreciation of the circumstances they faced, and the motivations, values and attitudes behind theiractions. Students on tour see the real conditions of incarceration and punishment which helps them to
empathise with prisoners’ experiences.

5

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

HISTORICAL INQUIRY
Fremantle Prison is a site of active historical inquiry. Historical research to inform the content of ourtours and exhibitions is ongoing. Curators research and manage the Prison’s collection which includes
colonial and modern‐era artefacts, prison clothing, documents, photographs and artworks. Prison
historians research the intangible heritage of the site which includes stories of prison life, escapes,
riots and punishments. Heritage specialists manage and conserve the Prison’s buildings and structures,
ensuring that they are preserved for generations to come.
Fremantle Prison has two visitor centres which provide visitors to the site with an introduction to thehistory of Fremantle Prison and the themes of incarceration. The Convict Depot focuses on the story of
the convicts who originally built Fremantle Prison.

6

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

TEACHING RESOURCES
Fremantle Prison’s on‐line Convict History resources are designed for students studying early colonial
or convict history. While these resources focus on the convict‐era, many of the pre‐visit and post‐visit
activities can easily be adapted for the Year 6 Curriculum focus areas. The Teacher Resource provides
suggested pre‐visit and post‐visit activities and the Student Resource provides activity and information
sheets for students.
These resources are free and downloadable at www.fremantleprison.com.au

The Student Resource provides activity and information sheets for students.

7

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

8

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

9

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6RESOURCE BOOKLETSThere are four resource booklets that provide supporting information for the student and teacher
booklets.

10

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

SUGGESTED PRE‐VISIT ACTIVITY
In terms of preparing students for a visit to Fremantle Prison, a useful pre‐visit activity would be to run
a simple Five Ws and an H exercise to focus students on what they plan to learn from their visit. In
small groups students list possible questions focussed around the theme of their visit. Ideally theirquestions should link back to one or more of the key inquiry questions from the Australian History
Curriculum for year 6:••••

Why and how did Australia become a nation?
How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century?
Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?
What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development ofAustralia society?

Questions are grouped into five Ws and an H. These questions then form the focus of their visit toFremantle Prison and are used to direct the tour guides tour.

What do I want to know?

WHAT?

WHO?

WHEN?

WHERE?

WHY?

HOW?

Write a question you can ask the tour guide on your trip to Fremantle Prison.

14

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

FREMANTLE PRISON HISTORICAL OVERVIEW – COLONIAL
AND POST‐COLONIAL ERASCONVICT SYSTEM ENDS 1886
When the transportation of convicts to Western Australia ceased in 1868, 3158 convicts
remained in the system, most of whom were working in the colony on tickets of leave.
Fremantle Prison remained under administration of the British Government and the system
continued to operate for another 18 years.
By 1884 only 63 prisoners populated Fremantle Prison, aging ex‐convicts and serial re‐offenders. By this stage the prison was a mostly empty complex, quiet but for the sounds of a
few remaining angry and bitter men. The British Government, reluctant to continue paying forFremantle Prison, decided to hand the Prison over to the colony. On 31 March 1886
Fremantle Prison was transferred to the Colonial Government, bringing an end to 36 years ofconvict history in Western Australia.
PERTH GAOL CLOSES AND FREMANTLE PRISON BECOMES COLONY’S MAIN PRISON IN 1888
The colony did not need two large prisons. On 31 March 1888 the Perth Gaol was officiallyclosed. Its 54 male and 12 female prisoners were transferred to Fremantle Prison whichbecame the colony’s main prison. Perth Gaol only stood empty for a year before it became
the site of the Western Australian Museum.
NEW PRISONERS
By 14 April 1888 all of the prisoners from Perth Gaol were transferred to Fremantle Prison,
which then became the state’s main place of incarceration for men, women and children.
Originally designed as a convict barracks, Fremantle Prison was transformed into a maximum
security prison holding a more complex and violent criminal class. Subsequently the Prison’s
population boomed.
Deeming it unwise to place the female prisoners in the main cell block with the maleprisoners the prison hospital was temporarily converted into the women’s division while apermanent female division was constructed.
While the number of boys kept at Fremantle was small (for example, in 1893 there were only
two boys incarcerated at Fremantle), nonetheless they had to be kept separate from the adultprisoners for fear of sexual abuse.
Up until 1903 Aboriginal prisoners were sent to the Aboriginal prison on Rottnest Island.
However, during the 1880s a small number of Aboriginal men were kept at Fremantle Prison.
They were kept separate from the other prisoners and they mostly served short sentences.
Finally, penal prisoners (men originally transported to Western Australia) remaining at
Fremantle Prison tended to be paupers and old men who had nowhere else to go.

15

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

The remaining majority of prisoners were adult white men, colonial prisoners sentenced tohard labour for serious crimes. The different categories of prisoners including men, women,
Aboriginal men, juveniles, ex‐convicts and invalids, penal and colonial prisoners, caused major
logistical problems at the prison, specifically to do with segregation and the different levels of
security required for different classes of prisoner.

Plan of Fremantle Prison 1887
Fremantle Prison Collection

16

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

RETURN OF PRISONERS IN CONFINEMENT ‐ FREMANTLE PRISON 31 DECEMBER 1893 1
PRISONERSNUMBER

Undergoing Penal Servitude

35

Undergoing Hard Labour

85

Paupers (ex‐convicts) under medical treatment at hospital

5

Ticket‐of‐Leave Holders out of Employment

3

Juvenile Male Prisoners

2

Debtors1

Aboriginal Male Prisoners

3

Female Prisoners Undergoing Hard Labour

12

TOTAL

146

GOLD RUSH
After decades of geological exploration, a rich field of gold was finally discovered in
Coolgardie on 17 September 1892. The colony exploded with an influx of fortune seekers.
During the 1890s the population of the colony rose from 48,502 to 179,967 people.
Life on the goldfields was characterised by squalor, greed and crime. Water was in short
supply and outbreaks of typhoid, scurvy and dysentery were common. Crime rates soared asrivalry between prospectors and the bitterness of failure pushed men towards violence.
Fremantle Prison was never the same again. In 1890, 452 adult male prisoners passed throughthe Prison. By 1900 that annual figure had increased to 1,511.
Originally convicts slept in the prison and spend their days on work parties outside the prison
gates. As prisoner numbers increased there was no associated increase in staffing levels ofwarders. It became impractical and unsafe to have large numbers of prisoners working
outside. From the 1890s onwards Fremantle Prison faced issues with keeping large numbersof inmates on the inside and providing them with meaningful employment, particularly in a
prison never designed to be inhabited during the day. Many of the issues were to do withconflict between the different prisoner groups, including different racial groups, most notably
whites, Aboriginals, and Asians.
AN INHARMONIOUS PRISON
With the increase in the number of prisoners in Fremantle Prison came an associated increase
in insubordination, criminal activity inside prison, and escape attempts. In 1897
Superintendent William George ordered the height of the perimeter walls be increased.
1

Ibid, p. 36.

17

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

In January 1898, after three escapes in four days, the West Australian commented that ‘Gaol
breaking is becoming a common occurrence at Fremantle.’ 2 High‐risk prisoners were put tothe hard and monotonous work in the pump yard of turning the pump to fill the East
Reservoir.
Superintendent George’s annual report in 1898 summarized the prison’s main weaknesses:•

the prison buildings were inadequate•

there were insufficient staff•

there were too many prisoners•

the system of prisoner employment was inadequate•

the general character of the prisoners at this time represented a greater threat tosecurity than previous stages of the prison’s history.

These issues and more were the subjects of a Royal Commission into Prisons from 1898‐1899,
appointed to investigate the Penal System of the Colony.
SECONDARY PUNISHMENTAs the number of inmates rose, the number of infractions resulting in secondary punishment
such as restricted diet, time in the Refractory block, hard labour in chains, or flogging, also
increased. But more significantly, the proportion of punishments per capita of the prison
population also increased. In 1890, there were 101 sentences of secondary punishment
across that year’s population of 583 prisoners. In other words, 17% of prisoners in that year
received secondary punishment of some form. In 1894 that figure rose to 20%, and in 1898 it
rose again to 26%. This increase in prisoner misbehavior pointed to a growing sense ofprisoner discontent with the penal system in an age when the ethics of prisons andpunishment were being seriously questioned in society.
ESCAPESOne of the most notable escapes from Fremantle Prison occurred in 1887. While excavating
the East Reservoir, two prisoners, Tom Hughes and James Jarvis, overpowered their guardand stole his shotgun. Aiming the gun at the other prisoners, Hughes ordered them to raise along plank against the perimeter wall. The two escapees climbed the plank and dropped over
the other side.
A man hunt involving aboriginal trackers and police eventually caught the escaped prisoners
in Bassendean. On his return to Fremantle Prison, Hughes was sentenced to 36 lashes fromthe cat o’ nine tails and three years hard labour in the pump yard in leg irons. Jarvis was let off
lightly with only three months hard labour added to his sentence.

2

West Australian, 4 January 1989.

18

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6EXECUTIONS
Prior to 1888 most executions in the colony occurred at the Perth Gaol. Hangings were open
to public view until 1869 when, after a number of complaints from local residents, theexecution yard at Perth Gaol was walled in.
After the closure of Perth Gaol in 1888, Fremantle Prison became the only site of legal
executions in Western Australia. Between 1889 and 1964, 44 prisoners were hanged at
Fremantle Prison, 43 men and one woman. During its first four years of operation, seven men
were executed in the gallows. All were convicted of murder.
1898 ROYAL COMMISSION
By 1898 it was clear to people both inside and outside Fremantle Prison that there wereserious problems with the prison system and the treatment of prisoners. A member of theLegislative Assembly, Charles Vosper, began agitating for a Royal Commission into Fremantle
Prison. In particular he was vocal in his criticism of Superintendent George, challenging theman’s credibility in the Sunday Times:
Do you consciously consider that a man wield the autocratic power that Mr. W.A.
George is allowed to with impunity, ably seconded by the herde of illiterate andbrutal warders, most of them, like himself, the product of the most iniquitous convict
system on earth, is a proper person to have absolute domain on the lives and libertyof men?’ 3
He alleged that secondary punishments for prisoners were too severe, citing the examples ofleg‐irons, dark cells, and flogging. He stated that the sanitation was bad, the food poor, andthe system of remissions chaotic. 4 He was particularly critical of the policy of having prisoners
engaged in the pump yard pumping water into the East Reservoir:
Sixty or seventy prisoners are engaged on pumping which could be done by a dozen
men; but there is no other work available in the walls. … If other forms of labour
were employed the engine could do all the pumping work. 5
Western Australian society had reached the point where people felt the prison should befocused less on punishment and more on the reform of prisoners. As the main voice ofreformation, Vosper put‐forward the motion to the Legislative Assembly on 6 July 1898 that:
A Royal Commission be appointed (with power to call for persons and papers), toinquire into the existing condition of the penal system of Western Australia, and toreport to this House upon the method now in vogue for the punishment of criminals,
the classification of the same, the sanitary conditions of Fremantle Gaol … also into
the manner in which convicts are employed both inside and outside of places ofdetention. 6

3

Sunday Times, 17 April 1898.
Thomas, J.E. and Stewart, A. Imprisonment in Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press 1978, p. 50.
5Report of the Commission appointed to inquire into the Penal System of the Colony, WAPP, V. 1, 1899, Evidence from
W.A.George, p. 55
6Western Australian Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 12 6 July 1898, p. 303
4

19

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

The commission met eighty times and received 240 witness accounts from a wide variety ofpeople including Vosper himself, Superintendent George, the Inspector of Prisons J.B. Roe,the police, warders and other prison staff, and prisoners.
The overall picture revealed by the Royal Commission was that the operating prison system
was archaic and in desperate need of renewal.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION
Among the key recommendations of the Royal Commission included the abolition of flogging
as a secondary punishment at Fremantle Prison, the abolition of the dark cells which were
described as ‘a relic of barbarism’, the abolition of irons and the crank in the pump yard.
Another recommendation was that boys under the age of sixteen and girls under the age ofeighteen should not be sent to Fremantle Prison.
A major recommendation of the commission, quickly adopted by the prison, was that asystem of proper classification of prisoners be introduced. The Main cell Block was divided
into four divisions:•

Division one ‐ debtors, trials and remands, and juveniles•

Division two ‐ first offenders with short sentences, petty thieves, drunkards andvagrants•

Division three ‐ long‐sentenced and habitual offenders•

Division four ‐ cooks, bakers, cleaners and orderlies 7

The other major recommendation was that the cells be enlarged and the ventilation improvedby removing the walls between each successive single cell. The West Workshops wereconstructed in 1900 to house new trades such as shoe‐making, tailoring and book‐binding toprovide more work for inmates.
FEDERATION
Despite the forward thinking ideas espoused by the commission, many of its key reforms
were not immediately taken up by the prison administration. The major reason for the lack ofinterest in the findings of the Royal Commission was that Western Australians had at thattime an even greater major change taking place around them. In May, the Commonwealth ofAustralia Constitution Act 1900 was passed by the British Parliament, and was signed by
Queen Victoria on 9th July 1900. The Act declared that on 1st January 1901, the colonies of
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania would be united andknown as the 'Commonwealth of Australia'. In August 1900 a referendum was held, and thepeople of Western Australia voted to join the Commonwealth.
In this way Australia became a united federation. For prisoners in Fremantle Prison, thefollowing century saw many major and fundamental changes. In other areas however there
was very little change at all.

7

Georgiou, N. Work and Reform in Fremantle Prison 1989-1912, History Research Essay, University of Western Australia, 1995.

20

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

View of Main Cell Block from the South Knoll c1911
Fremantle Prison Collection

A PERIOD OF REFORM – FREMANTLE PRISON DURING THE 1910s
Despite major changes to prison structure and operations in the latter years of the 19th
century and the recommendations of the 1898 Royal Commission, Fremantle Prison remained
a 19th century anachronism well into the 20th century. As far as conditions for prisoners andprison officers went, there had been few improvements since the prison had been
constructed by convicts 50 years earlier.
ROYAL COMMISSION 1911
In 1911 a Royal Commission was set up to investigate a series of complaints made by prison
officers regarding alleged poor work conditions. Captain Pennefather, Comptroller‐General of
Prisons in Queensland was appointed to investigate.
Pennefather interviewed 55 prison officials and 14 prisoners, and he inspected the prison
buildings in the company of the medical officer and the acting superintendent. 8 As had many
reports before, Pennefather condemned the physical state of Fremantle Prison, in particular
the Female Division, and called for the construction of a new penal establishment. The old

8

Ibid.

21

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

buildings, he stated, were ‘badly constructed and badly ventilated,’ and did ‘not appeal to one
as being adapted to the application of modern prison principles.’ 9
Regarding the prisoners the Royal Commission made a major recommendation that was tohave ‘a considerable impact on the future of the Western Australian prison system,’ 10 thatbeing the reintroduction of the Mark’s System which had been in operation during theconvict‐era but was abolished in 1865. This system which allowed prisoners to accumulate
points for good behaviour led to the re‐introduction of ‘indeterminate sentences’ whereby
prisoners had the possibility of reducing their sentences and achieving early parole.
Apart from his call for the closure of Fremantle Prison, many of Pennefather’s
recommendations were accepted by the system. This was due largely to good timing, morethan anything else, as the report’s tabling in parliament coincided with a major changing of
the guard at Fremantle Prison, with new administrators being receptive to modernising andreforming the prison system.
THE REFORMER VERSUS THE PUNISHER
After running Fremantle Prison since before the turn of the century, Superintendent W. A.
George retired in 1911. George was a conservative administrator who focussed on security
and prisoner discipline. He had raised the prison’s perimeter walls in 1898 and brought to an
end the practice of prisoners working outside the prison. His replacement Hugh Hann was anenergetic and imaginative administrator who came into the role with an agenda to overhaul
and modernise the prison system. During the next few years a number of significant reforms
and changes occurred at Fremantle Prison.

9

West Australian, editorial 10 May 1911.
Stewart, Alex, Imprisonment in Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, 1978, p. 84.

1022

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

Superintendent Hugh Hann, c unknown

Superintendent Hann’s annual report for 1912 details a number of significant improvements
to the prison including the introduction of games for prisoners. This indicated anunderstanding of the importance of leisure activities for prisoner morale. Prisoner clothing
was now treated in a disinfecting room, a vegetable garden on the south terraces had been
established, and international correspondence school courses had been introduced. Hann
implemented changes to prisoner uniforms including the removal of any visible prison
marking on the uniforms, the addition of collars on shirts and the issuing of ties, hairbrushes,
hand mirrors and razors. ‘All our efforts at reform,’ he concluded, ‘are thrown away unless we
23

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

can make them feel that they are not mere brutes and get them to hold their heads up again
like men.’ 11
The 1913 report indicated the continuing project of enlarging the cells by knocking out every
second wall. An attempt to eradicate vermin in the prison was made by injecting acid into thewalls. The vegetable garden established the previous year had produced 21 687 pounds ofvegetables and a second garden was created where ‘prisoners could sit, talk and read’. 12 The
Female Division had been improved with the addition of a visiting room, a reception room
and a bath.
In December 1915 Hann ordered his staff to issue ham, eggs and cigarettes to the prisoners
and to hang up Christmas decorations in the Main Cell Block. Prisoners were served their
Christmas meal on plates rather than the usual eating tins. Also provided were basins, knives
and forks. The meal was a success and from this point on plates, knives and forks became
standard for mealtimes.

Christmas decoration in the Main Cell Block, Fremantle Prison 1916
Fremantle Local History Collection

11
12

Ibid.
Ibid.

24

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

In 1913 prisoners were given the privilege of having pens and paper in their cells. Education
classes were extended to include shorthand and language studies.
Hann believed that the object of prison was to reform. His approach to prison discipline cameunder criticism by those in the government and the general community who believed that theobject of prison was to punish. People felt that under Hann’s administration, Fremantle Prison
was becoming too easy on its prisoners. The easing of discipline led to an inevitableweakening of security and during Hann’s regime the number of escape attempts began torise. In 1918 a Board of Enquiry was set up by the Public Service Commission to investigate
the rise in escapes. On April 5 it was reported in the West Australian newspaper that Hann
had been found to be negligent in the discharge of his duties as well as incompetent, and had
been suspended from duties. 13
Although an investigation by the Public Service Commissioner into the charges laid against
Hann led to his total exoneration, he was to retire soon after because of ill‐health. Despite
receiving little recognition or accolades for his reformative influence on the prison system byhis contemporaries, in retrospect Hann can be considered ‘the most important figure in thehistory of Western Australian prisons since the convict period.’ 14

13
14West Australian, 15April 1918.
Stewart, Alex, Imprisonment in Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, 1978, p. 96.

25

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

STORY: TOM HUGHES 1887
The most notable escape of the 1880s occurred in 1887 during the excavation of the East
Reservoir near the prison hospital. Thomas Hughes was a desperate character suspected of anumber of burglaries in the Fremantle area in early 1887. As two police came across him onenight in town he immediately tried to flee. The police took chase. Constable O’Connell
grabbed at Hughes as he was climbing through a fence. Hughes turned and fired a gun, killingthe unfortunate police officer. Hughes fled and was at large for three months. After a massive
manhunt the police caught up with him and Hughes was shot in the leg during a wildshootout. 15 He received a life sentence for manslaughter.
Hughes was put to work at Fremantle Prison with a group of prisoners excavating the East
Reservoir. In late November, Hughes and another prisoner named Jarvis planned their escape.
James Jarvis’ involvement is peculiar considering that at the time of the escape attempt hehad only five weeks left to serve on his sentence.
At 9:30am Jarvis climbed from the pit and walked to the tool shed near where a sentry armed
with a shotgun watched over the prisoners. Hughes also left the pit and walked in the otherdirection. As the guard kept his eye on Hughes, Jarvis grabbed him from behind pinning hisarms. Hughes ran up and knocked the guard to the ground, wrenching the shotgun from his
grasp. Covering both prison officers with the firearm, Hughes herded them to a nearby toilet
and locked them inside with the warder’s keys.
Training the gun on the other prisoners, Hughes ordered them to raise a large wooden plankagainst the perimeter wall. It fell just short of the parapet. Jarvis climbed it, gained the top of
the wall and dropped over the other side. Hughes followed, but as he reached the top of theplank a prisoner named Green attempted to pull it away from the wall. Hughes raised the
shotgun and fired at Green. He missed, but as everyone dived for cover, Hughes gained the
top of the wall and dropped over the other side.
Police began tracking the escapees at once, following their tracks over Monument Hill. A
manhunt involving more than forty police as well as Aboriginal trackers followed. One
hundred pounds reward was offered to any member of the public who helped to capture
Hughes.
Mrs Davies came across Hughes in the act of loading his shotgun. He assured her he meant noharm and went on his way. 16 As Hughes and Jarvis passed an old man near the Canning River,
Hughes told him, “They will have to put a bullet through Tom Hughes’ heart before they willtake him.” 17 The following day Hughes and Jarvis reached Guilford, broke into a clothing store
and stole supplies. The police, rushing to Guilford along the north bank of the Swan Rivercame across the fugitives in Bassendean. Hughes was a skilled bushman ‐ used to roughing it
outdoors, but Jarvis was an ex seaman not used to bush life. While on the run his condition
had deteriorated rapidly. Hughes stayed with his companion, even to the point of allowing
himself to be captured. They gave up without a fight, were handcuffed and escorted back to
Perth. 18

15

Elliot, I. Moondyne Joe – The man and the myth, University of Western Australia Press, 1978. p. 105.
Ibid. 106.
West Australian, 18 November 1887.
18
Elliot, I. 1978. p. 106.
16
17

26

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

Hughes was sentenced to 36 lashes from the cat‐o‐nine tails for assaulting a prison warderand three years hard labour in irons for the burglary committed in Guildford. This sentence
was added to his previous conviction. Jarvis was sentenced to three months hard labour. On 5
May 1888 the West Australian referred to Hughes and Jarvis:
Since the escape of ‘Hughes’ and ‘Jarvis’ precautions have been taken which renderescape almost impossible. Hughes is employed in the pump yard and his movements
are watched by a sentry who is stationed out of his reach. 19
Hughes eventually became a trusted prisoner and gained his ticket of leave on 29 June 1896.
He went on to successfully prospect for gold and ended up marrying and settling in the
Dwellingup area, south of Perth, where he established an orchard and a saw milling business.

19

West Australian 5 May 1888

27

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

STORY ‐ SAMUEL ANDREWS – AN INCORRIGIBLE YOUNG SCAMP!
The information below is about Samuel Andrews, a repeat offender and habitual criminalfrom an early age. He was first sent to Fremantle Prison in 1889 for three hours where hereceived 6 strokes of the birch. He was 8 years old. He was the youngest known offender sent
to Fremantle Prison.
Samuel Andrews’ name appears again and again in the newspapers over the next 20 years. He
was birched numerous times, spent 4 years at the Rottnest Island Reformatory until he was14, and then was in and out of Fremantle Prison continuously.

Samuel Andrews Charge Sheet, Prisoners Register c1903
State Records Office of Western Australia

28

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

SAMUEL ANDREWS CHRONOLOGY OF CRIME
30 July 1889

Stole 17 shillings in silver from shop till on High Street

31 July 1889

Three hours imprisonment at Fremantle Prison and 6 strokes with birch.
He was 8 years old

11 August 1889

Caught stealing 3 dozen oranges from a ‘Chinaman’s’ shop

15 August 1889

Three hours at Fremantle Prison and 8 strokes of birch

30 December 1889

Charged with attempting to set fire to the Fremantle Town hall. He was
8 years old. Case sent up to the Supreme Court

16 April 1890

Supreme Court sentences Andrews to 14 days imprisonment –On review he was sent to Rottnest Island Reformatory until he was 14.
While on Rottnest he received a total of 100 strokes with the birch.
Rottnest Island Reformatory opened in 1881 and ran for 20 years until
1901. It was next to the Aboriginal Prison.

4 September 1894

Recently discharged from Rottnest Island Reformatory, convicted ofstealing oysters from ‘artificial oyster bed in river’. Imprisoned for one
hour and received 24 strokes of birch.
All imprisonments after this point were at Fremantle Prison.

3 November 1894

Charged with stealing items from shop on Packenham Street.
Sentenced to 36 strokes of birch.

10 January 1895

Charged at Fremantle Police Court with two counts of larceny.
Sentenced to 36 strokes of the birch. Magistrate Fairbairn advises
Samuel’s father to “get the young good‐for‐nothing aboard some ship.”

20 January 1896

Charged with stealing bag of lucerne, from railway yards. Received 24
strokes of birch.

3 August 1896

Andrews with two companions charged with assaulting a vagrant,
George Taphier. Andrews received 12 strokes of birch. Taphier charged
with vagrancy and received 6 months imprisonment

22 August 1896

Cautioned for using abusive language towards a Greek.

8 January 1897

Fined 5 shillings by Fremantle Police Court for ‘driving round street
corners at a faster pace than a walk.’
29

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

16 January 1897

Caught plying for hire without a licence – ordered to pay 3 shillings

6 June 1899

Charged with assembling with others for an unlawful purpose.
Sentenced to 3 months hard labour. Judge – “You seem an incorrigible
young scamp. It is hard to know how to deal with you.”

29 June 1901

Apprehended in Kalgoorlie on a warrant from Fremantle, charged withstealing 55 bottles from Port Brewery.

8 August 1901

Andrews appears before the court. He states he was with his sister at
the time of the alleged crime. His sister Mary Andrews gives
corroborative evidence. Jury unable to reach a verdict.

1 January 1902

Andrews and a large number of youths were charged with disturbing
the peace. Early in the morning on New Year’s Day they were kicking
kerosene tins around High Street. Andrews was sentenced to 3 months
imprisonment with hard labour.

7 October 1904

Andrews charged with housebreaking and receiving stolen property, agold bangle, a gold scarf‐pin, and a razor. Judge read a list of 19
previous convictions from 31 July 1889 to 19 September 1904. Notedthat on Rottnest Island Reformatory he received a total of 100 strokesof the birch. Andrews was 23.

8 October 1904

Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour. Andrews laughs
and shakes hands with himself.

7 July 1906

Sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for breaking into a pub andstealing food.

14 July 1908

Sentenced to 5 months in prison for stealing two suits from Spiros
Nicola.

30 March 1909

Charged with being a rogue and vagabond, living on the proceeds ofimmorality ‐ Perth Court. Sentenced to 12 months imprisonment withhard labour.

28 February 1910

Sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for stealing 800 chaff bags and aquantity of corn sacks and flour bags.

16 November 1910

Andrews, then 28 years old, and two companions, Thomas Roberts anda woman called Florence Redpath, were charged with indecently
assaulting a woman, Maud Lipshut and stealing her property, including
a gold brooch, and gold wedding ring, a pair of gold earrings, and otheritems.
30

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

Andrews knew Lipshut. He offered to give her a lift into town on his
dray (horse and carriage), which she accepted. Redpath told Lipshutthat she and Samuel Andrews “were married”. Lipshut soon noticed
that they were taking her out of her way. When she protested theywent to a hotel in Maylands and told her, “have one drink with us andwe will take you to your friends.” After leaving the hotel they took her
to bushland in Maylands. There Lipshut was assaulted and robbed.
Lipshut warned her attackers “I will make trouble with the police foryou this day.” Roberts then threatened her, “If you use those words, I
will throttle you and leave you in the bush.”
Lipshut then escaped and ran to a nearby house for help.
After a three day hearing, Andrews and his companions were found not
guilty. Maud Lipshut was a married woman estranged from her
husband. She had a record of minor crimes from when she lived in thenorth of the state.
After this point there is no record of Samuel Andrews appearing in the
public record (that I can find). Perhaps after narrowly escaping
conviction for what was a serious crime he decided to move interstate,although there is no record of him anywhere else in Australia. It also
seems unlikely that with his criminal record, he suddenly went straight.

31

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

FREMANTLE PRISON TIMELINE
DATE

EVENT

1788

First Fleet arrives Port Jackson

1819 ‐ 1821

Bigge Inquiry ‐ Recommends stricter convict system

1827

Captain James Stirling explores Swan River area
Stirling recommends establishment a colony at the Swan River

25 April 1829

HMS Challenger captained by Charles Fremantle arrives Cockburn Sound

1 June 1829

HMS Parmelia captained by Stirling arrives Cockburn Sound

12 August 1829

Foundation of Perth

1837‐1838

Molesworth Committee ‐ Recommends abolishment of transportation

1840

Transportation to NSW ends

1842 – 1849

Western Australia accepts 234 Parkhurst Apprentices

1843 – 1844

Economic depression effects colony

1846

York Agricultural Society petitions Legislative Council for colony to accept
convicts

6 November 1849

Swan River colony officially becomes a penal settlement

1 June 1850

Scindian arrives Fremantle with first convicts
In the first year of transportation, 4 ships unload 676 convicts

18 December 1851

Captain Henry Wray and Twentieth Company of Royal Engineers arrive
Fremantle on the Anna Robertson

1853

Transportation to Van Dieman’s Land ends

1 June 1855

Convicts move from temporary establishment to main cell block

1856

Select Committee on Transportation investigates transportation to colony

2 January 1858

Henry Wray leaves the colony

1859

Fremantle population is 2946

15 April 1859

Superintendent Dixon suspended – flees colony in July

December 1859

Construction of Convict Establishment officially completed

28 February 1862

Governor Hampton replaces Governor Kennedy

December 1862

Comptroller‐General Henderson resigns and departs colony

1863

Captain Newland replaces Henderson as Comptroller‐General

30 March 1863

Warder Johns refuses order to give convict Own Duffy 100 lashes. He isrelieved from duty

1864

Frequency of floggings at prison increases rapidly
Government House completed using convict labour
32

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY CURRICULUM @ FREMANTLE PRISONLINKS FOR YEAR 6

1865

Fremantle Lunatic Asylum completed, built with convict labour

1866

George Hampton replaces Newland as Acting Comptroller‐General
Fremantle (Stick) Bridge completed using convict labour

5 September 1866

Inquirer refers to ‘severity of punishment’ at the prison and is highly critical ofGeorge Hampton

1867

Convict Establishment renamed Fremantle Prison

March 1867

George Hampton abolishes Board of Magistrates, removing prisoners’ meansof redress

1868

Transportation of convicts to colony ends with arrival of the last convict
transport Hougoumont
Upper southern association ward converted to prison schoolroom

2 November 1868

Governor Hampton resigns and departs colony

31 March 1886

Fremantle prison handed over to colonial authorities and becomes colonial
prison1888

Gallows constructed

14 April 1888

Transfer of prisoners from Perth Gaol to Fremantle Prison completed

1889

Jimmy Long first man hanged at Fremantle Prison

1893

Gold strikes at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie

1897

Superintendent George orders height of perimeter walls to be increased in
response to escape attempts

1898

Royal Commission into Prison System

1899

Royal Commission recommends abolition of dark cells and leg irons at
Fremantle Prison, enlargement of cells and division of main cell block

1900

West Workshops constructed

August 1900

Western Australian vote to join the Commonwealth

1 January 1901

Federation of states

33