Old Newcastle Gaol

Harsh realities of early prison life on show at Newcastle Gaol Museum

Enter Newcastle Gaol Museum and find yourself hurtling back in time to imagine life as a prisoner here from 1865 to the early 1900s. The tiny cells are most disturbing, particularly the Aboriginal cell which still has a metal bar to which Aboriginal prisoners were once chained. Close the door here to experience the darkness that once entombed prisoners, and watch a projection which represents, what Aboriginal prisoners endured. Other cells feature different displays, including one dedicated to the infamous Wheatbelt bushranger Moondyne Joe, who was once imprisoned in Toodyay. Another cell tells the story of the Dorizzi family who lived in the building after it had closed as a gaol. The sons used the cells as their bedrooms. Three of the boys later died in World War II and their former bedroom now honours their memory. Across the road you can visit the old police stables, the 1907 lockup which replaced the Newcastle Gaol, and a shearing shed brought in from a Toodyay farm.

Address:

13 Clinton St
Toodyay WA 6566
Australia

Opening Hours

7 days 10am - 3pm; Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, Good Friday

Around 1900, Aboriginal Elder Jack Woma carved this walking stick, which shows a snake encircling the walking stick’s length. As Aboriginal people didn’t use walking sticks, it’s likely he carved the...

Beasts of burden aid exploration

While the story of this particular camel has been lost, it is used here to tell the tale of the early European explorers who relied on camels to push the frontiers of exploration. In 1871 Ernest Giles...

This compass is thought to have belonged to Joseph Bolitho Johns who became infamous throughout Western Australia in the mid to late 1800s as bushranger Moondyne Joe. Johns arrived in Australia in...

More Golden Outback collections

Unearth a gem at this museum

A collection that just keeps giving: The Ravensthorpe Museum is a jam-packed display of local history. The collection unearths the history of local figures from the mining and agricultural industry...

An intimate display from pre-settlement history to mining and modernity

You will be greeted by a giant map which shows the location of Cue in relation to Wajarri, Badimia and Yugunga Nya Country. You can also learn about the history of Thuwarri Thaa (Wilgie Mia), a...

Sheds full of vehicles, tractors, machines and a library compactus of manuals

The Esperance Mechanical Restoration Group’s name speaks for itself. The members restore and collect everything from machines to matchboxes. The site takes in several sheds full of cars, trucks and...

Saving Goldfields Aboriginal languages for all of us

The Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre (GALC) is an Aboriginal research organisation focussed on the recording, linguistic analysis, preservation and use of the Aboriginal languages of the region...

While you're in the area

Filter
Northam Heritage Centre
Attraction
Northam Heritage Centre
The Northam Heritage Centre offers an insight into the railway history of...
425 Fitzgerald Street, Northam, WA 6401
Toodyay Miniature Railway
Attraction
Toodyay Miniature Railway
The Toodyay Miniature Railway was opened in 1996 and is owned by a local...
Duidgee Park, Toodyay, WA 6566
Connor's Mill Museum
Attraction
Connor's Mill Museum
Witness a working demonstration of the milling process using traditional...
7 Piesse Street, Toodyay, WA 6566
Homestead Camp at Avon Valley National Park
Accommodation
Homestead Camp at Avon Valley National Park
Homestead Camp is located in the stunning Avon Valley National Park. Close...
Avon Valley National Park, Morangup Road, Mundaring, WA 6073