Oatlands Gaol - Tasmania

The largest building remaining in the former Oatlands Military Precinct, the Oatlands Gaol opened in 1837.[1] The gaol was built to hold 300 inmates and was the ‘only regional gaol in the colony where executions were commonplace.’[2] Oatlands Gaol was designed by Colonial Architect, John Lee Archer and was erected between 1834 and 1836.[3]

The gaol held female and male prisoners and was the largest gaol complex outside of Hobart and Launceston.[4] It was the only regional gaol in Tasmania to have its own Supreme Court House attached.[5]

The Oatlands Gaol operated for 26 years, being decommissioned in 1863. It then became a municipal gaol.

18 men were hung at Oatlands Gaol between 1844 and 1860.

Alexander Reid - 24 April 1844 – Hanged at Oatlands for shooting and wounding Constable Murray.[6]
Thomas Marshall – 24 April 1844 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of Ben Smith.[7]
Richard Jackson - 1 May 1845 - Hanged at Oatlands for the rape of Elizabeth Davis.[8]
John Phillips – 4 February 1846 – Hanged at Oatlands for setting fire to the magistrate's oat stacks following a conviction for sly grog selling.[9]
James Sullivan – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston, near Andover.[10]
Patrick Shea – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston.[11]
James McGough – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston.[12]
John Shale – 9 May 1848 - Hanged at Oatlands for wounding John Connell with intent to murder.[13]
Thomas Smith – 4 August 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for stabbing with intent to murder Constable Clough at Jericho.[14]
Jeremiah Maher – 4 August 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for stabbing with intent to murder Constable Clough at Jericho.[15]
William Henry Stevens - 25 April 1851 - Convict. Hanged at Oatlands for Assaulting James Moore, being armed with a gun on the high road between Antill Ponds
and Tunbridge.[16]
George Mackie – 21 July 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of Thomas Gilbert at Waters Meeting, near Cranbrook.[17]
John Crisp – 27 October 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for Wounding with Intent Constable William Donohoo at Swansea.[18]
William Henry Stephens – 25 April 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Thomas Moore at Antill Ponds.
Patrick McMahon – 28 October 1852 – Hanged at Oatlands for rape of a child.
Michael Casey – 5 August 1856 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of John Hewitt at Falmouth.
Abraham Munday – 27 October 1857 – Hanged at Oatlands for attempted murder by poison of George White at Courland Bay.
Richard "Long Mick" Ennis – 27 October 1857 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of George Sturgeon at Kitty's Corner, near Antill Ponds.
John Vigors – 31 January 1860 – Hanged at Oatlands for Shooting with Intent at John Baker at Ellerslie.[19]

For more information on Oatlands please visit Southern Midlands Council's website here: https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/oatlands-gaol/

[1] Brad Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Historical Study and Archaeological Survey’, Southern Midlands Council, (2004), p. 9, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_williams_arch_survey_2004.pdf.

[2] Ibid., p. 2.

[3] Barry and Eleanor Bjorksten, ‘Oatlands Gaol Remedial Works Report.’, Southern Midlands Council, (2004), p. 11, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_bjorksten_2004.pdf.

[4] Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Historical Study and Archaeological Survey’, p. 9.

[5] Brad Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Interpretation Plan.’, Southern Midlands Council, (2011), p. 4, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_gaol_interps_plan.pdf.

[6] 'Execution at Oatlands.’, The Courier, (26 April 1844), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2951132.

[7] Ibid.

[8] 'Oatlands Assizes.', The Courier, (8 April 1845), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2948998.

[9] 'Oatlands Assizes.', The Courier, (17 January 1846), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2946459.

[10] 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times, (12 May 1848), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8762811.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times, (8 August 1848), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8763241.

[15] Ibid.

[16] 'Oatlands.', The Courier, (30 April 1851), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article296097.

[17] 'Execution at Oatlands.', The Cornwall Chronicle, (26 July 1851), p. 468., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65574090.

[18] 'Executions.', The Tasmanian Colonist, (27 October 1851), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226525096.

[19] 'Execution and Confession of Vigors at Oatlands.', Launceston Examiner, (2 February 1860), p. 3. (AFTERNOON), http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38999069.

The Haunting of Kelly's Steps - Battery Point -

Tasmania

Kelly's Steps - Salamanca Place
Photo Allen Tiller 2022

Constructed in 1840 by the adventurer James Kelly, these steps were carved from the cliff face to allow workers to get to Salamanca Place and the wharf faster. [1]

Captain Kelly circumnavigated Tasmania (then Van Diemen’s Land) in a whaleboat and discovered Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour. He was a well-respected whaler in Tasmania and became incredibly wealthy through his whaling activities. By 1842, Kelly was bankrupt, his wife and seven of his 10 children were dead. He later was employed by Tasmanian Port Authorities. He died aged 67 in 1859. Ironically, Kelly's eldest son was killed by a whale![2]

Kelly’s Steps were notorious for assaults and other nefarious activities, hidden away from prying eyes. Jan Scott who grew up on Kelly Street in the 1950s stated,

“Kelly’s Steps were spooky to us at nighttime. We would go down in the dark. We would run up there and shout “Let’s go!”. There was always blood there – a lot got assaulted there.… You had to learn to run fast if you were going up there…that’s how we learnt to run I think – Kelly’s Steps and St David’s Park!” (– Jan Scott talking about her childhood in the 1950s and 60s)

On 31 October 1863, labourer, John Dunn fell down the steps and died ten days later in the local hospital.[3] In 1926 Hannah Mollross, aged 41, who lived at 35 Kelly Street, allegedly had an accident on Kelly’s Steps that led to her having a miscarriage. She was taken to hospital and had surgery but died the following day.[4]
It was discovered during her autopsy that she had had an illegal abortion and that the accident on the steps was a cover-up to hide the crime. The abortion had been botched, and Mollross died from blood poisoning.

Kelly’s steps are alleged to be haunted by numerous ghosts, of which no one knows their identities. Shadow people have been seen here, and the ghosts of wharfies!

[1] ‘Kelly’s Steps’, Battery Point Community Association Inc, (2021), https://www.batterypointwalk.com.au/locations/kelly-street/

[2] 'CAPTAIN KELLY', World, (1 November 1922), p. 6. , viewed 27 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article190273194

[3] 'THE REGATTA.', The Mercury, (14 December 1863), p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8823154

[4] 'MARRIED WOMAN'S DEATH', The Mercury, (28 June 1926) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29449270

Eidolon Online

Sunday, 3 December 2023