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

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...

Bound by Iron

These leg irons once bound prisoners at Newcastle Gaol. Aboriginal prisoners in particular were bound by the legs and chained, even inside the tiny stone cell into which they were crammed behind...

More Golden Outback collections

Old Butler's Garage is a hub for the community.

The Kulin Museum and Men’s Shed is housed in the original Butler’s Garage which was opened in 1938. The collection includes cars, trucks, machinery, tractors, implements and a settler's cottage...

View local and Australian art at this nexis.

This is a wonderful art collection in a heritage listed building. NEXIS (Narrogin Exhibition Space), located in the Town Hall complex, hosts exhibitions and fund-raising events. The Shire’s art...

A railway museum inside an old railway station building.

Stand on the railway platform which once welcomed steam and diesel passenger trains. Imagine a time when rail travel was the cheapest and easiest way to travel. Be immersed in the fascinating history...

Walk through the lense of the Big Camera, into a world of cameras.

Walk through the lens of the Big Camera to be transfixed by wall-to-wall cameras! This is believed to be the largest working camera display in the Southern hemisphere. It is a place to learn about the...

While you're in the area

Filter
Farmers' Home Hotel
Accommodation
Farmers' Home Hotel
Each of the rooms at the Farmers' Home Hotel capture the simplistic beauty...
112 Fitzgerald Street, Northam, WA 6401
Heyscape Tiny Cabins - Northern Valleys
Accommodation
Heyscape Tiny Cabins - Northern Valleys
Get a taste for farm life in this stunning working sheep farm, Northern...
355 Lovers Lane, Morangup, WA 6083
Boshack Outback
Attraction
Boshack Outback
Boshack Outback is a secluded and pristine bushland near Toodyay only 90...
640 Wattening Springs Road, Toodyay, WA 6566
Julimar Date Garden
Attraction
Julimar Date Garden
The Julimar Date Garden is a small date growing enterprise, situated on...
1790 Julimar Road, Julimar, WA 6567