Cleaner future for Boggo Road as BRGHS gets keys to the gaol

9 September 2011

The BRGHS has been granted permission to conduct a series of clean-ups inside the Boggo Road buildings. Secretary Chris Dawson received the keys from the Department of Public Works in early September, almost 6 years after the Boggo Road Gaol Museum closed its doors prior to construction work beginning on the surrounding development.

"This is an important moment for us as there has been a lot of concern within our group about the gaol being looked after properly", said Chris. "Now we can get in there on a regular basis and do it ourselves."

A recent BRGHS visit to Boggo Road with Public Works showed that the grounds were being well maintained by the state government, but the internal spaces of the cellblocks and offices were in need of a cleaning. Over the coming months the BRGHS members will be arming themselves with brooms, mops and buckets and returning to their old stomping ground. Chris spelled out the importance of this work, not just for the buildings themselves, but also for the BRGHS in general:

"With heritage buildings like this it is important to keep internal structures clean, as a build up of dust and dirt can affect paint and timber over a number of years. This work is also good for the BRGHS too, as it gives the members a chance to engage in some actual hands-on work at the gaol. It's been closed for quite a while now, and although our group has grown a lot in terms of numbers, people have been getting impatient about getting back inside the gaol. So although it's not opening for a few years yet, this is a great way of staying in touch with the place."

The clean-ups will conducted by BRGHS members, so any member of the public wanting to help out can join us here.