Geelong Prison was a maximum security prison located on the corner of Myers Street and Swanston Street in Geelong. It was built in several phases between 1849 and 1864. Its design - a circular prison with a room for the keeper in the centre - was based on a prison building in the town of Pentonville in England. The prison was officially closed in 1991 and the inmates were transferred to a new prison in the town of Lara.
Geelong Prison was built by prisoners who, during construction, lived on on guarded barges in Corio Bay during construction. The three-storey central block is cruciform in shape, with the east and west wings serving as cells, the north wing was used as administrative offices, and the south wing housed the kitchen, hospital and sewing room. The Australian Army used the prison as a disciplinary barracks as a disciplinary barracks during the Second World War and for a few several years afterwards. From 1958 to 1991 it housed a penal colony.
In 1991, the government decided to close the prison, and today the building houses the public organization Rotary Club. The building itself, which has retained its original appearance, is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as during school holidays and festivals. Inside there is an exhibition about the execution by hanging of James Murphy, who beat PC Daniel Constable Daniel O'Boyle to death in 1863. He was the last prisoner hanged in the prison. Cell 47 is of particular interest, as it contains has preserved wall paintings called the "Liberty Window".
Today, the prison is known as the Old Geelong Prison. Some people believe it is still haunted by the spirits of former inmates, and there are already several groups involved in paranormal research groups have conducted their searches on the grounds.
