Deep in the valley lies the historic city of Maitland, home to some of the first wineries and one of the oldest prisons in Australia.Maitland Gaol (pronounced ‘jail’) opened in 1848 and held prisoners until its closure in 1998, making it the longest continuously operating correctional facility in the country.The stark stone monolith stands out against the open beauty of the Hunter Valley landscape, and is one of the region’s key attractions.Today the gaol is the tourist hub of Maitland, its museum drawing tourists into the city from the nearby wineries.In its 150 years of use, the gaol held some of Australia’s most hardened criminals.It was notorious for being a harsh and ruthless prison, where only the worst offenders were held.Building started in the 1830s, with convicts from Sydney sent to clear the area east of Maitland, and construct the prison.
Inmates were put to work too, employed in every aspect of the day to day running of the prison, from repair work to cleaning and cooking.Maitland Gaol was known as an ‘industrial prison’, part of the Corrective Services Industry, with inmates making goods for sale, such as furniture, clothing and tools.Harsh punishments were imposed on the prisoners, with flogging being a regular occurrence for badly behaved prisoners.Hangings continued well up to the end of the 19th century and executions were open to the public until 1861, drawing large crowds.The gaol was closed at the end of the 20th century as part of an upgrade to New South Wales’s prison system.Maitland Gaol was considered to be in too bad a condition to house prisoners, having held well over its capacity since it opened.The gaol is now a tourist attraction for visitors the Hunter Valley, revealing the region’s historic past amongst the vineyards.