Gaols, Cells & Police Lock-ups - Victoria

Gaols, Cells & Police Lock-ups - Victoria Discover Gaols, cells, and lock-ups in every corner of our state. Learn about our penal history.

20+ years of research and day trips has helped me to find over 200 sites in Victoria alone. Many of these buildings are in very poor condition, and the majority of them have been sadly, neglected. That is why it is so important that more people take an interest in our Policing history and heritage, to preserve these fabulous buildings with many stories to tell - for future generations.

Next, on to Gunbower. This small town on the Murray is about 30 minutes from Echuca. The town has a new, single officer ...
22/05/2026

Next, on to Gunbower. This small town on the Murray is about 30 minutes from Echuca. The town has a new, single officer station, but the previous station is what I was here for. A typical regional brick station, 3 bedroom station/residence combo etc with a brick corner cell in yard. Station was decommissioned, and sold in around 2009.

17/05/2026

Happy 5th Birthday 🎉to the construction being completed (not decorated) on my very own cell.
You know what they say...if you can't buy one, build it! A good couple of months planning, and a lot of fingers being crossed, hoping that my vision and measurements married up with the work of the builder and metalsmith - Which thankfully they did!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18Rco5ehWm/

The old Tatura police cell had been on my list for some time, I just hadn't had a chance to go and see it. It is located...
16/05/2026

The old Tatura police cell had been on my list for some time, I just hadn't had a chance to go and see it. It is located in the carpark of the Great Aussie beer shed & heritage farm museum.
It's exterior is in a pretty weathered state, but the interior is in reasonable condition, a great example of a cell with the ventilation shafts in all four corners, as well as four windows - designed for the warmer temperatures in Northern Vic.
Used between approx 1892 - 1996, featuring all the mod cons, including a toilet bowl.
The town of Tatura, and the Greater Goulburn Valley region was pretty much the hub of camps for WWII internees and POW's for Australia, with several purpose built camps in the area.
The museum site itself is well worth a look too. There are even a few police cell doors in the carpark to take a look at.

Already knowing their was no cell to photograph, I had to drop into Elmore to sample a vanilla slice from the famous bak...
08/05/2026

Already knowing their was no cell to photograph, I had to drop into Elmore to sample a vanilla slice from the famous bakery (another obsession). The original police station has been updated, and next door the RSL branch is the former Court House, operating between 1965 and 1983. Closing due to lack of use. A very good slice might I add.

Malmsbury is a pretty little town, which I've always known to have a couple of old stations - but never had time to stop...
05/05/2026

Malmsbury is a pretty little town, which I've always known to have a couple of old stations - but never had time to stop and photograph. The older of the three is a lovely bluestone cottage (1860) the second, a weatherboard residence and tiny station which was sold into private hands, and for a time known as "The nick", and now their new, operational brick station. The town is also home to a youth justice centre, which has been in operation since the 1970s in many formats, and particularly in the last decade, drawing headlines for all the wrong reasons.

I'm interrupting my NSW posts to share photos from a flying visit I did up the Hwy yesterday. Checked in on some favouri...
03/05/2026

I'm interrupting my NSW posts to share photos from a flying visit I did up the Hwy yesterday. Checked in on some favourites, as well as finding a decent amount of new sites which I will share this coming week.
First stop Gisborne, with their solid bluestone cells (1861).
Then Kyneton's court house (1857) - famous for being the location a Mr Edward Kelly was charged with highway robbery in 1870, and their cells (1858).
A new state of the art station was completed in 2011, but I was lucky enough to get permission from builders on site one weekend in late 2009/10 to see inside the cells.

Next I arrived at the small rural town of Mendooran. A popular free camping stop over area, less than an hour from Dubbo...
01/05/2026

Next I arrived at the small rural town of Mendooran. A popular free camping stop over area, less than an hour from Dubbo. The operating police station here is a weatherboard structure, nothing significant architecturally - but it does have brick cells at the rear. In a paddock behind the station there is also some old stables. Could be connected to the police, but I am yet to confirm.

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Greater Geelong, VIC

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