J Ward originally the Ararat County Gaol, was an Australian prison, of the latter a psychiatric facility to house the

criminally insane The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to a psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act ...

, located in

Ararat, Victoria Ararat () is a town in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands region in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway, Victoria, Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills ...

, Australia. Construction of the gaol commenced in 1859 and the facility was opened in October 1861. In 1887, it was converted for use as a maximum security psychiatric ward for the criminally insane. J Ward officially closed in January 1991, and in 1993, it was re-opened as a museum providing tours.

History

Construction of original building commenced in 1859, as a goldfields prison, based on the

Pentonville Pentonville is an area in North London, located in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the London Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient p ...

concept, by the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

. They were built out of blue stone. On 10 October 1861, the gaol was opened, with a total of 21 prisoners incarcerated. The first

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

was Samuel Walker (previously the Governor of Portland Gaol). In 1864, the gaol housed 40 prisoners, and in 1867, John Gray became the gaol's second Governor, a position that he held for ten years. On 15 August 1870, the first execution was conducted at the gaol, when Andrew Vere was hanged for the murder of Amos Cheale in January 1869. The second execution at the gaol was held on 25 September 1883, when Robert Francis Burns was hanged for the murder of Michael Quinlivan. In 1877, Henry Pinniger was appointed as the gaol's third Governor. On 6 June 1884, the gaol held its third execution, with Henry Morgan being hanged for the murder of Margaret Nolan in November 1883. In 1884, George Fiddimont became the gaol's fourth Governor, he died of a heart attack at the gaol on 14 September 1886. In the aftermath of the

Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia, approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony and an influx of population growth and financial capi ...

the gaol was no longer required and in December 1886 the gaol building was proclaimed as the 'J Ward', part of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum. J Ward is now a museum open to the public.

Notable patients

* Charles Fossard – admitted in 1903 at age 21 and died in custody in 1974 at age 92, he was the longest serving patient at the facility as well as the longest serving prisoner in the entire world (he was incarcerated for nearly 71 years) * Garry David – also known as Garry Webb, said to have served more time in prison than any other person in the history of the State of Victoria. David spent a total of 33 years in various institutions * Bill Wallace – admitted in 1926 at age 44 remaining in custody until his death in 1989 at age 107, he was both the oldest patient at the facility and the oldest prisoner in world history (he was incarcerated for 64 years), and a record that earned him a place in

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

* Mark "Chopper" Read – was transferred from

Pentridge Prison HM Prison Pentridge, better known as Pentridge Prison, was an Australian prison established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria. The first convicts arrived at the gaol in 1851. The facility closed on 1 May 1997, although some of the heritage-listed buil ...

in late 1978 after arranging for a fellow inmate to cut off both his ears. Read only remained in J Ward for a few months before being transferred back to Pentridge

Executions

References

External links

{{coord, 37.2788, S, 142.9303, E, type:landmark_region:AU, display=title Government buildings completed in 1861 Defunct prisons in Victoria (state) Prison museums in Australia Museums in Victoria (state) Ararat, Victoria Hospitals established in 1859 1991 disestablishments in Australia Maximum security prisons in Australia Psychiatric hospitals in Australia Defunct hospitals in Victoria (state) 1859 establishments in Australia