Geelong Gaol Museum

Geelong Gaol Museum A 19th century gaol which operated from 1853-1991 in the same conditions you see today. Open to the public everyday between 12-5pm.

Permanent Exhibitions include Saga Behind the Armour, Stitched Up and Capital Punishment. Customers are required to follow current Victorian Government guidelines for COVID-19

🥂 Have You Booked Yet? 🥂Velvet & Vice – A Prohibition Ball📍 Old Geelong Gaol🗓️ Saturday, 18 July✨ All-Inclusive Experien...
26/06/2026

🥂 Have You Booked Yet? 🥂

Velvet & Vice – A Prohibition Ball
đź“Ť Old Geelong Gaol
🗓️ Saturday, 18 July
✨ All-Inclusive Experience

Step back into the roaring 1920s for an unforgettable night of glamour, jazz, fine food, and hidden secrets behind the historic walls of the Old Geelong Gaol.

Your ticket includes:

🍸 Four hidden cocktail bars
🧀 Splatters’ famous cheese experience
🍹 Anther Gin
🍺 FarmDog Beer
🎷 Live music by The Des Camm Jazz Band
✨ And so much more!

Dress in your finest prohibition-era attire or working class gangsters and prepare for an evening of velvet, vice, and unforgettable memories.

🎟️ Book now: 1300 865 800

FROM THE COLLECTIONJohn Killick’s Shirt and JacketThis shirt and jacket were worn by notorious Australian bank robber Jo...
25/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

John Killick’s Shirt and Jacket

This shirt and jacket were worn by notorious Australian bank robber John Killick during his final armed robbery in 1999.

Known as the “Decimal Currency Bandit,” Killick first gained notoriety on 14 February 1966 when he robbed a Sydney bank on the day Australia introduced decimal currency. Over the following decades he became one of the country’s most recognised career criminals, serving lengthy prison sentences for armed robbery and other offences.

These garments are directly connected to the closing chapter of Killick’s bank-robbing career, which spanned more than three decades. Later that same year, Killick achieved further infamy when he became the only prisoner in Australian history to escape from custody by helicopter, fleeing Sydney’s Silverwater Correctional Centre with the assistance of his partner, Lucy Dudko.

Today, these items provide a tangible link to one of Australia’s most famous bank robbers and a remarkable chapter in the nation’s criminal history.

FROM THE COLLECTIONPatrick Kenniff’s Pocket KnifeThis pocket knife belonged to Queensland bushranger Patrick Kenniff, on...
24/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

Patrick Kenniff’s Pocket Knife

This pocket knife belonged to Queensland bushranger Patrick Kenniff, one of the last and most notorious outlaws of Australia’s bushranging era.

Patrick and his brother James Kenniff became the focus of one of Queensland’s most infamous criminal manhunts following the disappearance and murder of police constable George Doyle and station manager Albert Dahlke at Lethbridge’s Pocket in 1902. After a lengthy pursuit through the rugged Queensland bush, Patrick was captured, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death.

Simple and practical, this pocket knife is a tangible link to a turbulent period of frontier history when vast distances, isolated communities, and limited policing allowed bushrangers to evade authorities for extended periods. More than a personal possession, it represents the life of a man whose crimes shocked the nation and whose ex*****on in 1903 marked the end of one of Australia’s last great bushranger sagas.

FROM THE COLLECTIONPrison Shiv Made by Mark “Chopper” ReadThis improvised prison weapon, or “shiv,” was made by notoriou...
23/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

Prison Shiv Made by Mark “Chopper” Read

This improvised prison weapon, or “shiv,” was made by notorious criminal Mark Brandon Read during his time at the Old Geelong Gaol.

Read spent periods of his lengthy prison sentence in a number of Victorian prisons, including Geelong, where violence and the constant threat of assault were an accepted part of prison life. In such an environment, inmates often manufactured makeshift weapons from everyday materials for protection, intimidation, or use in prisoner disputes.

Handmade and easily concealed, prison shivs were strictly prohibited and routinely confiscated by prison officers during searches. Despite this, thousands were produced within Australian prisons over the decades.

This artefact provides a rare and confronting insight into the realities of life behind bars and the harsh prison culture that shaped many of Australia’s most notorious offenders. It also offers a direct connection to the turbulent prison career of Chopper Read, one of the country’s most infamous and controversial criminals.

FROM THE COLLECTIONReckless Kelly Coca-Cola Promotional CupThis souvenir Coca-Cola cup was produced to promote the 1993 ...
22/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

Reckless Kelly Coca-Cola Promotional Cup

This souvenir Coca-Cola cup was produced to promote the 1993 Australian comedy film Reckless Kelly, starring Yahoo Serious in the title role.

A parody of the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, Reckless Kelly follows a modern-day descendant of the Kelly family as he battles developers, corrupt politicians, and international villains in a uniquely Australian adventure. The film combined slapstick comedy, satire, and bushranger mythology, becoming one of the most recognisable Australian films of the 1990s.

Promotional items such as this cup were produced as part of the film’s marketing campaign and sold or distributed through participating outlets. Today, they serve as colourful reminders of an era when cinema promotions extended beyond the screen and into everyday life, preserving a piece of Australian film and popular culture history.

FROM THE COLLECTIONCaptain Moonlite’s Ex*****on Death MaskThis rare death mask was taken following the ex*****on of bush...
21/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

Captain Moonlite’s Ex*****on Death Mask

This rare death mask was taken following the ex*****on of bushranger and outlaw Captain Moonlite at Darlinghurst Gaol on 20 January 1880.

Born Andrew George Scott, Captain Moonlite became one of Australia’s most infamous bushrangers. After a series of robberies and his dramatic final siege at Wantabadgery Station in New South Wales, Moonlite was captured, tried, and sentenced to death for the murder of a police constable.

In the 19th century, it was common practice to create death masks of executed prisoners. Made by taking a plaster cast of the face shortly after death, these masks were used for identification, medical study, and the now-discredited science of phrenology, which claimed a person’s character and criminal tendencies could be determined by the shape of their skull.

Today, Moonlite’s death mask provides a haunting and deeply personal connection to one of Australia’s most colourful and tragic bushranger stories, preserving the final likeness of a man whose life became part of Australian folklore.

FROM THE COLLECTIONIvan Milat LetterAmong the more unusual items in the National Crime & Justice Museum collection are a...
21/06/2026

FROM THE COLLECTION

Ivan Milat Letter

Among the more unusual items in the National Crime & Justice Museum collection are a series of handwritten letters sent by notorious serial killer Ivan Milat.

Written from Goulburn Correctional Centre, the letters provide a rare and personal glimpse into the world of two of Australia’s most infamous prisoners. Far removed from newspaper headlines and courtrooms, the correspondence reveals the relationships, conversations, and prison culture that existed behind the walls of one of Australia’s most secure correctional facilities.

These remarkable documents offer an insight into the daily lives of long-term prisoners and serve as a tangible reminder that some of Australia’s most notorious criminals shared the same prison yards, cells, and experiences. Today, they remain an important part of the museum’s collection, helping preserve a unique chapter in Australia’s criminal history.

Looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon? The National Crime & Justice Museum in the Old Geelong Gaol opens at ...
20/06/2026

Looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon? The National Crime & Justice Museum in the Old Geelong Gaol opens at 12pm through to 5pm.

Exhibits include Saga Behind the Armour, Capital Punishment, Stitched Up amongst others with temporary displays looking at the 120th anniversary of the first Ned Kelly movie, Governors and the Art of Confinement.

Pick up a fingerprint card for the kids and answer the question from within the museum.

Plenty of artefacts relating to our crime and justice system through the years.

Open 12pm everyday
Book online or pay at the door.

Geelong Gaol Ghost ToursTwisted History - Limelight Tours Locked Up With History

13/06/2026

Sometimes the most fascinating parts of history are not dramatic escapes or notorious criminals, but the ordinary details of daily life. Hidden within the former Ararat Gaol are original bluestone toilets that survived long after modern sewerage was installed. Preserved almost as a time capsule, they reveal the hygiene, routines, and living conditions endured by generations of prisoners, offering a rare and personal connection to the past.

12/06/2026

One of the most fascinating features of Victoria’s colonial lunatic asylums was the use of “ha-ha” walls. Found at institutions including Ararat, Kew and Beechworth, these ingenious structures provided security while avoiding the appearance of a prison. A ha-ha wall consisted of a deep trench with a vertical stone retaining wall on one side and a gently sloping grass bank on the other. From within the asylum grounds, patients faced what appeared to be an imposing barrier that discouraged escape. From outside, however, the wall was largely hidden, allowing the landscape to appear open and uninterrupted. The design reflected 19th-century beliefs that attractive surroundings, fresh air and open views could assist in treatment and recovery. Today, Aradale at Ararat retains the most intact and impressive surviving ha-ha walls in Victoria, offering a remarkable glimpse into colonial asylum design and the evolving attitudes toward mental health care.

Address

202 Myers Street
Geelong, VIC
3220

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 5pm
Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+611300865800

Website

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