Fremantle Prison, WA: tunnels, toilets and torture!
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Having spent two uncomfortable afternoons in San Francisco’s Alcatraz in the past, I had a preconceived notion of what Fremantle Prison would be like. But I’m glad to say I was wrong.
Whereas Alcatraz is creepy enough, the thrill and suspense have been removed from the place by too many crowds, irritating audio guides and tacky, tourist-proof barriers between visitors and the actual stuff they came to see. Fremantle Prison on the other hand, is brand spanking new compared to Alcatraz. And they’ve got their tours just right.
In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a better prison to explore on this planet, than the one at Fremantle. Because the last inmates only marched out in 1991, the residue of evil, terror and torture is as fresh as the grass that’s only just started to grow back in its gardens. You can almost hear the convicts bashing cutlery on plates in the dining hall. We’re told the smell of bucket toilets has only just disappeared from some cellblocks. You can even see the paintings drawn by prisoners in the cells and yard, all depictions of the freedom they craved; landscapes and wide open spaces. These are close enough to touch and aren’t even protected, which of course means you’re trusted just to look (this ain’t America!)
Paul and I stayed most of the day, wandering round taking photos, trying to catch orbs on film in the solitary confinement area and around the gallows. Unfortunately there were no ghosts willing to be caught on our visit … perhaps those are reserved for the eerie, torchlight tours, which take place on Wednesday and Friday evenings. There was however, a great photography exhibition of ex, aged prisoners from the USA on display near the entrance, which was an interesting way to fill the gap between our two tours.
Our second tour was an exploration deep underground, to the maze of tunnels once constructed by the prisoners in the 1890s. These tunnels supplied the prison and the city with water, and once we’d covered up in fetching disposable boiler suits, we lowered ourselves rung by rung into the darkness for a taste of what it must have been like to work there by the light of an oil lamp. Our guide Ben made the whole thing even spookier by ordering ‘lights out’ at regular intervals. You’ve never seen pitch black till you’ve been down here!
We loved the boat ride through the water. Don’t go expecting a fairground ride, though – this is proper work! We had to push ourselves along, one boat behind the other, bouncing off the walls with our hands in order to make it through. Doing so gave us a true taste of the horror these prisoners must have endured on a daily basis, getting along in the system. They didn’t even have boats.
Fremantle Prison is quickly turning into a must-have experience and it’s well worth a day out to see. Even half a day will give you a pretty special insight into prison life. Let’s hope it stays as magical and spooky as the years pass. Compared to commercial Alcatraz with its eternal gaggle of bum-bag toting Americans, this is the real deal.
Also, if you're at a loose end for Halloween, how does a night in the prison sound?
Tours start from A$18.50 per adult, but we highly recommend going for the Prison Day Tour Package (A$25) or the Tunnels Tour (A$59). For true prison fanatics, get the All Tour Pass for A$99 and drag your mates along for the ride. In handcuffs if you have to...
Check out our suggestions for other stuff to do in Perth
Contact tel: (08) 9336 9200
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