Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053:body:0:p17
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 41560–44242

apron east of Biloela House (Building 22) was used as their recreation area (see Figure 12) and a swimming enclosure was later added. However, subsequent development on the island has removed all visible evidence of their existence.

A Gaol Again
In 1888 Cockatoo Island was once again used as a prison. This time it was to ease overcrowding at Darlinghurst Gaol and for the first time it accommodated both male and female prisoners who were considered to be habitual offenders, incapable of reform.
The women occupied a compound in the centre of the island (now replaced by Buildings 12 and 13) while the men were housed in the barracks to the west. This accommodation was recognised as inadequate but few alterations or improvements took place because it was always intended to be temporary.
Prisoners still quarried stone but any building work that took place was executed under contract. The turnover of prisoners was high, with as many as 70 admissions a week. See Figures 13 and 14 for photos from this period.
In its final years the gaol only housed female prisoners and in 1908 those that remained were relocated to Little Bay.
This ended the island's long role as a prison and dockyard and facilitated its emergence as the State Dockyard.
Figure 13: Photograph of main walkway through Plateau (1890s)
This photo, taken during the Biloela Gaol period (c.1890s) shows the main walkway along the plateau of the island from the Military Officers' Quarters (Building 2). It illustrates how the prison precinct was designed to maximise surveillance, with a clear line of sight from the sentry box on the right up to the female gaol precinct in the distance. On the left of the path is a row of cottages originally built in 1850 as accommodation for the Free Overseers (extant today are Buildings 9 & 11). At the time this photograph was taken, the cottages were used as warders' accommodation
Figure 14: Photograph of weatherboard workroom in the female gaol precinct (1890s)
Female prisoners carried out needlework for the Government Stores and this photo shows lengths of cloth and the sewing machinery used by the women.

Dockyard and Shipbuilding
Throughout the time that the island was used for institutional purposes the dockyard continued to operate and expand. However, with the closure of the prison in 1869 it could no longer rely on convict labour and its administration was split between the Department of Prisons and the Public Works Department.
Figure 15: HMS Galatea in the Fitzroy Dock (1870)
The Galatea was visiting Australia as part of an around the world tour undertaken by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. The elegant stone building to the right of the dock