Full description
The Kirkconnell Afforestation Camp was established as a prison under the Prisons Act 1952 by the Governor's proclamation from 26 November 1958. It covered an area of 1,340 acres (approximately 542 hectares) forming part of the Sunny Corner State Forest No. 806 No. 1 Extension. (1)
The purpose of the Afforestation camps was to provide prisoners with a modified form of prison life and the opportunity to acquire skills which could be used on release. Prisoners carried out tree-planting and related activities. The first camp (Tuncurry) was established in 1913. (2)
In 1979 the camp was one of five afforestation camps in NSW and 11 prisoners of the "C2" category were in detention. (3)
The Kirkconnell Afforestation Camp was stated in the Department's Annual Report to have closed on 12 September 1983. (4) However, this was temporary as the Camp continued to be named in Gazette notices. (5)
From 1990 it was regularly referred to as Kirkconnell Correctional Centre [I]. (6)
On 19 October 2001 Kirkconnell Afforestation Camp was formally renamed as Kirkconnell Correctional Centre [I] under the Correctional Centres Act 1952 (formerly the Prisons Act 1952) or the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (Act No.93, 1999). (7)
On 24 June 2005 an area of about 26.77 hectares within the Sunny Corner State Forest was declared to be Kirkconnell Correctional Complex under section 224 of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999. At the same time 15.52 hectares within the Sunny Corner State Forest was declared to be Kirkconnell Correctional Centre [II] under section 225 of the 1999 Act. (8)
An unprecedented drop in the inmate population in 2011 resulted in the closure of some prisons and in December 2011 the Centre became inactive. On 10 February 2012 the proclamation of the Kirkconnell Correctional Complex and of the Kirkconnell Correctional Centre [I] was revoked. (9)
Endnotes
1. New South Wales Government Gazette No.119, 28 November 1958, p.3643.
2. Official Yearbook of New South Wales, 1914, p.487.
3. New South Wales Department of Corrective Services, Annual Report, 1978/79, p.36.
4. New South Wales Department of Corrective Services, Annual Report, 1983, p.69.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.73, 2 May 1986, p.1957 (tender for Kirkconnell Afforestation Camp).
6. NRS-21502-2-4-HI/3754; NSW Government Gazette No.115, 11 September 1992, p.6826 (appointment to Kirkconnell Correctional Centre).
7. NSW Government Gazette No.158, 19 October 2001, pp.8694-8695.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.24 June 2005, pp.3133-3134.
9. Corrective Services NSW website, CSNSW history, https://correctiveservices.dcj.nsw.gov.au/csnsw-home/about-us/csnsw-history.html (accessed 14 February 2023); NSW Government Gazette No.18, 10 February 2012, p.404.
References
- New South Wales Government Gazette. Sydney, Government Printer. 1832.
- Official Yearbook of New South Wales, 1904/5 - 1988. Sydney, Government Printer, 1906-1988.
- New South Wales Department of Corrective Services, Annual Reports, 1978-1983.
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