page_title: Perth Gaol
section_title: Perth Museum
hierarchical_section_title: Perth Gaol / Perth Museum
caption_attribution_description: Perth Gaol entrance
context_page_description: The Perth Gaol was a gaol built in Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, between 1854 and 1856 to house convicts and other prisoners. It is located just west of Beaufort Street.
  It operated until March 1888 when the last prisoner was transferred to Fremantle Prison. The main gaol building, minus the yards, stands today adjacent to the Western Australian Museum in Perth. In addition to a number of displays of colonial and prison related artefacts, the building houses the museum's retail shop and coffee shop.
context_section_description: In 1891 the building was renamed to the Geological Museum and used to store Reverend Charles Nicolay's geological collection. In 1892 the building was renamed as the Perth Museum, storing the Swan River Mechanics' Institute museum collection as well as a collection of Aboriginal artifacts from the Police Department. At about the same time, the building was substantially modified with the roof lowered and the entire central cell block removed.  A northern wing was built in 1895.
  Construction of the adjacent Jubilee Building commenced in 1897 and finished in 1899, which gave a new home to the museum, with the gaol continuing to be used until the present day as a museum annex for displays and storage.
  From 1968 until about 1976, major renovations of the gaol were undertaken including raising the roof to its original height and alignment.  As few original plans were available, it was not attempted to return the building to its exact original configuration, however the exterior is now substantially restored. Fire doors were fitted with improved ground floor and first floor access for visitors.
  The building is now a part of the Perth Cultural Centre, which includes the Western Australian Museum, the Art Gallery, the J S Battye Library and the State Library of Western Australia.
caption: Main entrance today
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