Richmond Gaol:

Richmond Gaol isn’t the biggest or flashiest convict site, but it’s the oldest intact gaol, and you can feel it. Step inside and you’ll walk the same stone corridors where convicts shuffled in irons, felt the lash, and dreamed of escape.

It’s a small site, but punches way above its weight in atmosphere. 

•   Drive:
  • Just 30 minutes from Hobart, a quick run into the heart of Tasmania’s convict Midlands.
  • The town of Richmond is the perfect stop: heritage pubs, antique stores, Tasmania’s oldest bridge, and classic Georgian streetscapes.

• The solitary cells:
  • Small, pitch-black rooms where convicts were thrown into darkness and silence for days.
• The flogging yard:
  • Yeah, the whipping post is still there, just standing quietly where men (and women) once took the cat-o’-nine-tails.
• The chain-gang holding rooms:
  • Convicts used to sleep here in irons before heading out to road gangs.
• The women’s quarters and cookhouse:
  • Not just a man’s world, female convicts worked and were punished here too.

• Convict Chains:
  • The gaol held convicts waiting to be sent out to work gangs, building roads, bridges, and infrastructure across the colony.
  • The chain-gang cells? Barely enough space to lie down.
• Escapes and punishments:
  • Not many got out, but the records show floggings, solitary confinement, and iron collars were common.
• The Ghost Factor:
  • Some say Richmond Gaol is haunted, cold spots, whispers, and the sound of irons clinking down empty hallways. Believe it or not, it adds to the mood.

• Perfect half-day trip:
  • Pair the gaol with Richmond Bridge and cafés for a full history hit without the tourist crush.
• Interactive exhibits:
  • The goal does a good job of bringing the convict experience to life, without feeling too polished.

If the sandstone walls of Richmond Gaol could talk, they’d tell stories that make your skin crawl. Built in 1825, this place isn’t just the oldest intact gaol in Australia, it’s a time capsule of punishment, standing almost untouched since the days when convicts were currency and fear kept the colony in line.

Richmond wasn’t some distant outpost like Port Arthur or Sarah Island. It sat right on the edge of the growing colony, watching over the roads, bridges, and farms the convicts built. And trust me, the authorities made sure everyone knew who held the power. Floggings weren’t some rare event, they were public spectacle, the crack of the lash echoing off stone walls. Solitary confinement cells, barely big enough to lie down, waited for those who dared step out of line.

But it wasn’t all hardened criminals. Richmond Gaol housed men, women, and even children, anyone the system wanted to punish or control. Some were waiting to be assigned out to settlers, others hauled back in for breaking curfew or daring to speak up.

And here’s the thing:

This wasn’t just a place for the worst offenders. Richmond was a nerve centre, a reminder that the colonial machine never slept. Convicts caught stealing food, getting drunk, or just walking the wrong way without a pass? Straight back to the cells.

Today, you can walk those same corridors, feel the chill in the solitary cells, stand in the flogging yard, and hear the stories of those locked behind bars. It’s eerie how little has changed.