I had heard of the Gladstone Gaol, but hadn't known where it was until yesterday, and surprised to find it not far from my Aunt and Uncle's home on the northern end of the town. It didn't open until 10 am so I took time to pack and get ready to depart.
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| Welcome to the Gladstone Gaol |
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| The Cells |
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| Heating not for the prisoners, but now is used as a residence for groups |
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| Huge walls - dry and desolate |
I was shown around the gaol by an indigenous man, whose great grandfather had been a prisoner there many years earlier. The Gaol closed in 1975, and the current caretaker is a man who served as a prison warder for 22 years.
My guide was full of great information, with great detail of his links to his people and their spirits. A bit spooky at times as he would not go places as he 'saw' ghosts, and had strange feelings in certain parts of the buildings.
My drive to
Port Pirie was uneventful - and I very quickly arrived in Pirie, and after getting the Mitsubishi folk to check out something on my car (not a problem, apparently), I set out to find my friend. She lives in a huge house which is over 100 years old. Cool, high ceilings. She has been a great hostess, and last night friends came for dinner, including her sister, whom I had not seen for over 50 years.
We have had a look around the Smelter, and a few other places, but I have not taken many photos.
The huge smelter which employs many people has a chimney stack that is very imposing - this photo was taken around the back of the smelter, where there are a lot of trees. We were looking for bamboo which is apparently being used to reduce the dust from the smelter, just like around the coal mines run by the Chinese operators in Queensland.
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