Governor and staff at the Adelaide Gaol |
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| Title : | Governor and staff at the Adelaide Gaol |
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| Creator : | Glover, Henry Heath, artist | ||
| Source : | B 17790 | ||
| Date of creation : | 1850 | ||
| Format : | Artwork | ||
| Dimensions : | 380 x 460 mm | ||
| Contributor : | State Library of South Australia | ||
| Catalogue record | |||
| The State Library of South Australia is keen to find out more about SA Memory items. We encourage you to contact the Library if you have additional information about any of these items. | |||
| Copyright : | Reproduction rights are owned by State Library of South Australia. This image may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires permission from the State Library of South Australia. To request approval, complete the Permission to publish form. |
| Description : |
An illustration of the Adelaide Gaol, with Governor W.B. Ashton and his staff. His son A.J. Ashton is also pictured, as a boy. The watercolour gives an insight into the interior of the old Adelaide Gaol beyond the exterior wall. Early prison accommodation in South Australia was firstly comprised of onboard detention on the Buffalo ship. The prison moved on land to tents, followed by a wooden building. Several escapes and the poor conditions of these various gaols prompted the construction of a fortified stone building. Situated in the Adelaide parklands near the corner of North and West Terraces, Adelaide Gaol was designed by George Strickland Kingston. Building began in 1840 while Governor Gawler was in office. Gawler promoted several public works like the building of the Gaol, in order to provide employment during difficult economic times and encourage development in the colony. The original design for Adelaide Gaol included two towers, but only one was completed. Castellation was due to Governor Grey's reduction of construction funds in 1841. Gawler was later dismissed, largely due to the excessive cost of the Gaol which had critical repercussions in the new colony. Adelaide Gaol was known as 'Ashton's Hotel', with reference to its Governor, William Baker Ashton. Henry Heath Glover's art work of 1850 depicts Ashton, his young son Albert, and staff at the entrance to the Gaol. In that year the second stage of the Gaol was completed, and a matron appointed to oversee female prisoners. Hangings took place at the Gaol until 1964. |
| Subjects | |
| Related names : | Ashton, A. J. Ashton, William Baker, 1800-1854 Kingston, George Strickland, 1807-1880 |
| Coverage year : | 1850 |
| Period : | 1836-1851 |
| Place : | Adelaide city |
| Region : | Adelaide city |
| Further reading : | Adelaide Gaol: visitors guide , Adelaide: State Heritage Branch, 1990 Colwell, M and Alan Naylor. Adelaide: an illustrated history, [Joslin, S. Aust.]: McP, 1981 Johnston, Malcolm David. A governor, aye every inch a governor: a biography of William Baker Ashton, the first governor of the Adelaide gaol, Blair Athol, S. Aust.: M. Johnston, [1990] Lock-Weir, Tracey Visions of Adelaide, 1836-1886 Adelaide : Art Gallery of South Australia, 2005 Scheiffers, Sue. Inside: a brief history of the Adelaide Gaol, [Strathalbyn, S. Aust.: S. Scheiffers], 2002 Heritage of the city of Adelaide: an illustrated guide, editors: Susan Marsden, Paul Stark and Patricia Sumerling, Adelaide: Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1990 Langmead, Donald, Accidental architect, Darlinghurst, N.S.W.: Crossing Press, 1994 |
| Internet links : | The Adelaide Gaol website State Library of South Australia, General Information Factsheets Online: Houses and buildings in South Australia National Library of Australia. Pictures catalogue |
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