The cellblock and workshop buildings of the 1903 prison followed the British radial design that was popular with many prison architects of the day. Access to each cellblock was limited to one doorway located on the end wall of the block and opening into the central hub of the complex. This design reduced the presence of blind spots or areas outside surveillance, and made prisoner movements about the prison predictable and controllable.

KEY

GATEHOUSE: This featured red brickwork with cream bands. The tuck-pointed brickwork, with its raised white mortar, gave the building a striking appearance. The two-storey gatehouse was flanked on one side by the matron's quarters and on the other by the warder's quarters. Each of these had their own gardens and were not accessible from within the prison. Inside the gatehouse itself there was a visiting cell and a guardroom.

 

The main entrance area was equipped with two sets of substantial, full height iron gates, one inner and one outer. Security was maintained by never allowing both sets of gates to be open at the same time. The prison bell was located over the inner gate.

 

PERIMETER WALL: This impressive 22 feet (7m) high wall ran in a graceful contour around the prison, and was similar to the wall over at the men's prison. The southwestern corner had an observation tower that was accessible via a spiral iron staircase, which is still in place today. Running around the inside of the wall is the 'Track' or Sterile Zone - a 4 metre wide space that prisoners were forbidden to enter. The inner edge of the Track was separated from the yards by a 3 metre high timber fence.

 

QUADRANGLE AREA: The quadrangle was originally asphalt, but later featured grass beds and decorative plants. The two-storey building to the west had a warder's room, a debtor's room, a dispensary and the visiting justice's room. The yard behind this was the photographic studio. Upstairs was originally a hospital.

The building on the east of the quadrangle housed the receiving room, bathroom, storeroom and fumigating room, which were all used upon the arrival of new prisoners. The rest of the building was taken up by the kitchen and laundry. The verandah on this side was used to house visiting bands, such as the Salvation Army, who would perform concerts for the prisoners.

 

PARADE GROUND AND CELLBLOCKS AREA: The parade ground, later to be known as the Circle, had a gas lamp in the center. The post is still standing today. The grassed quarters of the area later had garden beds of varying designs within them. In the 1980s, for example, each quarter had a flowerbed in the shape of one of the suits in a pack of cards.

 

There were two cellblocks facing this central ground, each containing 40 regular cells and one punishment cell. The cells in B Block (now called E Wing) had canvas hammocks, while those in C Block (now F Wing) had plank bedsteads and fibre mattresses.

 

The main exercise areas were located between the cellblocks and each of these six yards was accessed through one gate opening onto the parade ground. Each yard had a bathroom and shelter shed. The yard behind C Block was the sanitary yard, and the original copper tub used for disinfecting the toilet tubs is still in place.

 

THE WORKSHOPS BLOCK: This block has been renamed and is now D wing. It had three enclosed levels, with the upper two having timber floors, and there were two fireplaces on each level. The top floor was used for religious services.

 

No.2 Division after the saw-tooth roofed workshops (top) were added (sketch by Max Brewer)

 

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(JOL #65253). Labelling by Dave Cox

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One of a series of aerial shots taken circa 1985. The new womens' prison can be seen to the right, and No.2 Division is top left.

(Image: Queensland Prisons Collection)

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By the time No.2 Division closed in 1989, it had changed considerably since 1903, although the original red-bricked structures still dominated the prison.

1 – gatehouse	10 – circle
2 – non-contact visits area	11 – yards
3 – contact visits area	12 – C Tower
4 – trustees dormitory (upstairs)	13 – the Track
5 – quadrangle	14 – sanitary yard
6 – mess hall and trustees dormitory	15 – perimeter track
7 – offices and officers mess	16 – detention unit, I Division remnants
8 – shelter	17 – 7 Tower
9 – cell blocks	18 – visiting cubicles
	Y – exercise yards

 

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This 'Google Earth' image was labelled by Dave Cox and reproduced here with his permission.

 

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© BRGHS 2010