Gaols

In this episode we show you the very popular Gaol Photo Description Books. The photos (or mugshots) of prisoners are from gaols right across NSW and date from 1870-1930.

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Cecil Pierpont, a 37 year old musician from England, was photographed at Parramatta Gaol on 20 October 1903 while serving a twelve month sentence for false pretences.

Jim Skidmore, a 34 year old station hand from Sydney, was photographed at Broken Hill Gaol on 31 May 1927 while serving a sentence of six months hard labour for the illegal use of a motor car.

Skidmore and his co-accused, Roy Davidson, aged 39—also a station hand—...

Pier McDhoon, born in New Caledonia or India c. 1872, was convicted of multiple horse stealing offences between 1887 and 1913, and was photographed on at least six occasions at Darlinghurst and Parramatta gaols.

William Plummer, a 66 year old whitesmith (metal worker) originally from England, was photographed at Parramatta Gaol on 26 March 1884 while serving a sentence of four years hard labour for burglary.

The half blind, elderly man with flagellation scars and arms tattooed with...

Arthur Astill, a 16 year old labourer from Orange in central west NSW, was photographed at Dubbo Gaol on 24 January 1893 while awaiting trial for murder.

In the digitised NSW Gaol Photos (1870-1930) we found a James Pearce in three separate photos that show him grow from boy to man.

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The photographing of prisoners was introduced into New South Wales gaols in 1871. This 1875...

The major sources from our collection relating to gaol staff employed by the NSW Department of Corrective Services and its predecessors.

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These photos of prisoners were accompanied by the following details: name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, arrived in colony - ship and year, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of...