Inside Out

Inside Out: A Social History of Fannie Bay Gaol

Mickey Dewar

In September 1883 notorious Fannie Bay Gaol opened its doors with thirty-one inmates. For the next ninety-six years, Fannie Bay Gaol housed those elements of Northern Territory society who transgressed the law of the northern frontier including killers, drug dealers, bushrangers, cattle-rustlers and thieves. Fannie Bay Gaol was home also to the innocent offenders whose only crimes were to be vulnerable to colonial law: Chinese and Aboriginal prisoners, the poor, the insane and the children convicted of crimes. Some prisoners were incarcerated, never to return to free society again, dead by execution or disease. The Gaol was eventually closed in 1979.

For the first time the history of this strange but fascinating place is revealed by an award winning Territory author.

At the time of publication, Mickey Dewar was employed as Curator Territory History/Regional Museums by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory who manage the Fannie Bay Gaol heritage site which is open daily to the public. In 1995/1996 Mickey accepted a year's post-doctoral fellowship at the Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University) to research the history of the gaol site. 'Inside Out: A Social History of Fannie Bay Gaol' is the result of that research.