AmiexExchange 05: Perth Day 1 - Fremantle Prison (Western Australia)

The Fremantle Prison was thoroughly fascinating as I had no similar experiences of visiting jails. I have always been curious about what it is like in a jail, and with this visit, I can find out without committing any crimes. It also deterred me from any activities that may potentially land me in a prison cell.

2. Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison is no longer in official use for the detention of criminals since November 1991. Now, it is opened to the public and utilized as a tourist attraction. There is a chapel at the back of the prison used for wedding services if anybody is interested... don't laugh, our tour guide said it's actually quite popular!

This is the chapel where you can apply to hold your wedding at. The whole chapel is quite enormous, with tall ceilings... it's not magnificent, but definitely functional.

Important notes for travellers

- 5 Prison Tours available: Doing Time Tour, Great Escapes Tour, Tunnels Tour, Torchlight Tour, Fremantle Prison Art Tour

- Tours are subjected to different fees as stated below:

- If you are on a tight budget, don't give this place a miss yet. You can still browse the Visitor Centre, Prisoner Gallery, Gift Shop and the Convict Cafe for free.

These pictures you see above are taken in the areas where everyone can browse for free. That's what we did while waiting for our Doing Time Tour to start. The aim of prisons is to strip the convicts of their identity and to give them time to reflect on their mistakes with a punishing, simple, banal life.

During the Doing Times Tour, our tour guide explained to us the process of how a criminal is brought into the premises, then briefed, checked, and cleaned. We were brought to the different sections of the prison (which was really very huge), and introduced the functions of each section. The kitchens, the courtyards, and the prison cells were individually explained. We could feel the solemnness of the circumstances, and it was as depressing as it was enlightening. 

The haunting and enchanting memory that stuck with me long after I left: the beautiful prisoner art that was drawn within the four walls of the prison cell. Painting was allowed as part of rehabilitation during the last six months of the prison's operation. I wonder what this particular prisoner was thinking when he drew these images of the outside world... and he chose to use such vibrant colours despite facing greys and blacks all day long.

In the final part of the tour, our tour guide showed us the locations of where the executions were done, and how it was for the prisoners. It was really an eye-opener for me to see everything in real life. It feels surreal how there were people who died on the very ground that I was standing. The people who were executed by hanging committed really atrocious crimes like serial murders. The whole tour was very informative and taught me a lot about what prison life was like for most of Western Australia before 1991. I would have never imagined it in so much detail if not for going through the tour, and now I am interested in going for the Tunnels Tour if I have the chance to return to Perth again.