J Ward Gaol & Aradale Asylum

23/08/2026

It’s business as usual at J Ward!
The current closure at Aradale has not affected us & we are running our tours, as per usual. Hope to see you here soon!

21/08/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT: As of today due to safety concerns, our tours of the Aradale Asylum have been suspended by Melbourne Polytechnic (whom we lease from) until further notice.

We are all really saddened by this at JWard as our volunteers absolutely love taking our visitors through the site! These tours have been running for over 15 years and play a large role in contributing to our towns economy through tourism.

As soon as we have more information, we will post an update.

Thanks to all of you for your understanding ❤️‍🩹

05/07/2026

Wicket the service dog & Charlene were part of the 2 big groups today who braved the cold to see & hear the Awesomeness that is Aradale - day history tours, Ararat.

27/06/2026

J Ward were honoured to host the Cottage By The Sea Queenscliffe fund-raiser today.

It was a huge success with numerous local people being bailed out of lock-up and a huge amount raised to support the amazing work these guys do!

Well done to all involved, including the Ararat RSL, Anglican Church of Ararat, Ararat Rural City Council, Ararat Primary School, Foster's Menswear, Ararat Advocate, numerous committees and many others.

25/06/2026

You’ve seen this before - and now you know it’s more than just Maria being locked up in J Ward Gaol & Aradale Asylum … but we want to help her raise enough money to make bail so fast 😄🙌🏼

Scan the QR code, and let’s help her make this happen 😄👏🏼🥳

19/06/2026

🚨 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀! 🚨

Our General Manager Maria will be locked up in J Ward Gaol & Aradale Asylum on 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 ... and honestly, some of us reckon it's a pretty good spot for her! 😂

There she will stay unless she can raise enough bail money to secure her release.

The big question is ... 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞? 🤔🤣

All jokes aside, Maria has generously volunteered to take part in the Cottage by the Sea Jailbreak Fundraiser, helping raise vital funds for local children who are facing challenges and could benefit from the incredible Take a Break Program.

This fantastic initiative gives kids the opportunity to enjoy fun experiences, build confidence, make new friends and create memories that last a lifetime.

If Maria has ever:
✅ Helped you out
✅ Put up with your complaints
✅ Served you a drink with a smile
✅ Organised an event
✅ Or simply made you laugh ...

Now's your chance to return the favour and help get her out of jail! 😄

Every donation, big or small, will make a real difference to local children and help Maria earn her freedom.

🔓 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐑 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐥!

19/06/2026

05/06/2026

Two thumbs up by thoes who visit the J-Ward Gaol & Aradale Asylum Day History Tours. Come & visit the lovely town of Ararat this weekend with plenty of nice restaurants & nice places to stay, then experience the Awesomeness & the history of the J-ward Gaol or the Aradale Asylum by day, or come & do both !
Image by Jon Steele.
www.jward.org.au

24/05/2026

This week's newspaper

22/05/2026

VISITORS to Ararat’s historical Aradale mental asylum now have access to updated displays and historical information following a major revamp. The Friends of J Ward embarked on a project last year to refresh the displays available to the public, with most of the work carried out by volunteer Jon.....