Our Exhibitions

Over the years we have used artefacts from the Queensland Prisons Collection to produce a number of exhibits and displays at various locations in and around Brisbane. We have also provided historical consultation on exhibitions at other places, such as the Queensland Supreme Court and the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.

We take pride in meticulous research, original artefacts, and using the skills of our team to repurpose materials to produce exhibitions well under budget.

Queensland Prisons Museum
Caboolture Historical Village, 2013-present
Situated inside the Old Police Station, this museum features a range of displays on historical prison life, with artefacts from the Queensland Prisons Collection.

The Gallows of Boggo Road
Gatehouse, Boggo Road, 2005
This capital punishment exhibition featured a series of large text boards with graphics and official records from the Qld State Archives outlining the execution process, along with photographs and biographical information about the 42 people hanged at the gaol. The BRGHS also arranged the loan of the original Boggo Road gallows beam from the Royal Historical Society of Queensland, and members of the exhibit team manufactured replica 'hanging hoods' and a 'washer-tightened noose' as used at the gaol during executions.

Gallery: Museum exhibitions by the BRGHS (click to enlarge images)

100 Not Out: A century of escapes from Boggo Road
D Wing cellblock, Boggo Road, 2003-05
Using escape implements from the museum collection, this exhibition told the story of a wide variety of escapes from the gaol. Installed for the 2003 Centenary Day of No.2 Division, '100 Not Out' featured text boards fixed on display stands in each cell, and seven display cases containing innovative arrangements of artefacts. This exhibition was viewed by over 20,000 museum visitors.

Clink Ink
University of Queensland, 2002
This display was part of the 'ID in 3D' exhibition, designed and installed by students at the Anthropology Museum at UQ in 2002. 'Clink Ink' was created by a BRGHS member and highlighted the improvised tattoo machines in the Boggo Road Gaol Museum collection. The display explained how prisoners could put together working (but illegal) tattoo machines using everyday bits and pieces in the strict environment of a prison. The popularity of this display was soon demonstrated when passing UQ students got out their writing pads and took notes! The basis of 'Clink Ink' was reproduced for similar exhibit cases at the prison museum.

Life in Boggo
D Wing cellblock, Boggo Road, 2005
For this exhibit we placed text stands and artefact displays in each of the 14 ground-floor cells of D Wing. Each cell highlighted a different aspect of prison life at Boggo Road since the 1880s, and we were able to re-present some of the material from previous exhibits in a fresh context.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
F Wing cellblock, Boggo Road, 2004
This featured the museum's collection of prisoner-made artefacts, including art, craftwork, and illegal items such as weapons, tattoo machines and drug paraphernalia confiscated from prisoners. These were presented in 14 themed display cases in F-Wing cellblock.

A Time to Build
F Wing, Boggo Road, 2005
This display was built in response to frequent questions from visitors about which-building-used-to-be-where on the prison reserve. It featured a series of chronologically-arranged photographs and plans displaying the different buildings on the Boggo Road site since 1883. These were fixed onto display stands constructed by our maintenance team.

Brisbane City Council library displays
Various libraries, 2003 - onward
The BRGHS installed a series of over 30 two-case displays in various Brisbane City Council libraries, featuring artefacts and photographs from the museum collection.

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