So - while I am taking a much-needed break from those sickening, dreaded exams - I decided to pop by and post some pictures of the Great Escape Tour. I honestly cannot wait for exams to be over. And I cannot wait till July before I can FINALLY have my break.
So anyway, here we go - the Great Escapes Tour!
Passed through the main courtyard of the Prison - and met up with our guide for this tour. Our guide was a small-ish old man with a very interesting moustache which curled at the ends. He was very experienced, and since my friend and I were the only ones on this tour, we had really good rapport with him. He had so many stories to tell - of which some have been quoted here.
We first entered the women's wing. Women were treated way worse than men. They were forced to bathe in cold water (because there was no hot water tap!) even in the middle of winter. When outdoors, they had to face demanding labour (including washing those dreaded buckets). And they were disciplined very strictly by a matron who lived on the Prison grounds. Many women tried to escape too - one of them was kinda silly enough to escape in prison garb...and ended up getting drunk at the nearby bar, where she was immediately busted and sent back. Unfortunate!! Well I won't be surprised - considering that women were treated so badly.
Of course - nowadays prisoners have other privileges - for good behaviour. Movies aren't the only ones.
Also passed through the Catholic chapel along the way.
Drawings on the wall by one of the notable prisoners. Some were allowed to draw, others weren't. Drawing mainly served as art therapy. These drawings were by James Walsh, a forger.
Another cell featured Aboriginal art by Jimmy Pike (another notable prisoner).
Passed through one of the Prison blocks and some walkways. The Prison block looked like the ones I saw in the "Doing Time" tour. Except that this one featured lots of interesting cells - even Moondyne Joe's cell.
Moondyne Joe was a bushranger who got arrested for stealing, and got sent to the Prison. Because he was trained in mining, he somehow used his tools to hack through the walls (limestone walls!) of the Prison to escape each time. One of his escape attempts was pretty hilarious. Once he was sent to work - breaking stone. The stones weren't removed promptly enough and so Moondyne Joe was partially obscured. He took that opportunity to hack through the wall of the Prison and was on the run for a while...until he was busted for stealing wine.
So - to prevent him from escaping, the guards custom-made his cell. They lined it with millions of nails and jarrah sleepers, so that he couldn't hack through. Well - he was eventually released (they didn't want to keep him indefinitely!), and he died at the age of 75 due to dementia. He was an interesting guy indeed!
Our next destination - the guardhouse. But first, we were brought around this area, where the water pumps were, and where we could see the back of the Prison.
The guide told us a number of escape stories here. One of them was pretty silly:
"One of the prisoners was about to be released in two days' time. He happened to be assigned a job - painting the walls on the guard posts. He climbed up...and fell over onto the other side! So he went all the way back to the main gates, banged on the door and the guards ignored him, thinking that he was just trying to be silly. But he banged on the door again...and the guard noticed he was in prison uniform. So they asked him why he was outside...and he said he fell over the walls. They immediately opened the doors and let him back in."
We're not entirely sure what happened to this prisoner. But I doubt his sentence was extended. There were other prisoners who were due to be released...but ended up escaping...and had their sentences extended.
Climbed 30 steps (spiral staircase) up to the guard house, and we had a really good view of the Prison and its exercise yards. This is the back of the Prison. The sun was just setting too - and the clouds were gorgeous!
So the guide quipped, "Well, the prison was built way before those properties were built. And since they still used those waste buckets for their waste, there would inevitably be a stench. Even if the 'neighbours' loathed the stench, their complaints were invalid. Because they chose to live next to a prison!"
Walked down this pathway, back to the main complex. Lots of warning signs here!
Lots and lots of barbed wire - to keep prisoners from escaping of course! Many still took the risk.
Ended up in another exercise yard. If I'm not wrong this is one of the "newer" Prison blocks. Well - considered "new" because they were built in the 1900s. The rest of the Prison was built in the 1850s.
Passing through one of the narrow walkways of the "new" part. The sun had just set, so it was getting dark pretty quickly.
As we were passing through this area here, our guide stopped and told us the story of Brendan Abbott - the Postcard Bandit. He ended with this paragraph (not quoted directly but the gist is there): "Brendan Abbott, the Postcard Bandit, is around 52 years old now, and will be 87 by the time he is released. He has hidden a stash of cash worth millions, but no one knows where it is. And because the cash was stolen back before polymer notes were made, these constituted paper money. And each PIECE of paper money costs a fortune now! Well - it is highly likely that someone else will find it before Abbott does. Moral of the story? Crime doesn't pay!"
Poor Brendan Abbott. He won't be able to access his stash of cash. Well - it is unlikely that he will still be alive then! I wonder if he will survive that long. He is now locked up in a prison in Queensland.
Went out through one of the side doors at the end of our tour, and caught a glimpse of the imposing facade of the Prison...and the watchtowers, which were lit already. The Prison actually looks pretty haunted at night. Which is why I won't ever go for the night tours...I don't want to see anything that I'm not supposed to see. The gallows already creeps me out in the day. Imagine being in the Prison at night. I just don't have the guts to go at night.
Ended up at the Fremantle Markets, where we took our bus home.
On a side note - I went to visit my friend's cat the other day...and did a mini photoshoot for her. She is just like Aggie - fluffy, adorable and full of love and affection. She isn't as large as Aggie though! She's still a bit of a baby. But she is absolutely gorgeous and irresistable. Look at how cute she is...I couldn't even resist her. I just had to give her lots of cuddles.
According to my friend, the cat was grumpy because my friend adopted a new puppy who kept bugging her. And when I came over, the cat was in need of LOTS of attention - so I gave her lots of cuddles, scratches behind the ears and under the chin...and she was so happy! She didn't purr much, but she looked really satisfied. She even fell asleep at some points.
The cat reciprocated by posing happily in front of the camera. Till today, I just cannot believe how adorable she is. I always go "awwwww" whenever I see her pictures. Should really go visit her again someday!
And that's it for now!
Unfortunately I have to get back to studying - it's taking a toll on my mental wellbeing because of the stress. I can't wait for it to be over before I can finally toss the books and notes aside...for now...
Till then - see you in the near future!