Bendigo Prison (established as H.M. Gaol, Sandhurst)

Full description

Records in the custody of the Public Record Office would suggest that H.M. Gaol, Sandhurst was established by January 1851. Although there is no indication of the existence of the gaol in the 1851 Civil Establishment, the Civil Establishment of the Colony of Victoria for the year 1856 lists a gaoler, matron and staff employed at Sandhurst.

On 22 October 1877 the gaol at Sandhurst was formally proclaimed as the 'Sandhurst Gaol' under the statute of Goals Act 1864. On 26 October 1891 the name was changed by proclamation to 'Bendigo Gaol' under the Gaols Act 1890. This proclamation was subsequently revoked on 27 November 1939. It is evident that at this time the gaol was transferred to the Commonwealth Government for use as a Military Gaol.

The establishment was re-proclaimed as 'Bendigo Gaol' on 25 March 1952. By 6 October 1954 the establishment was being referred to as 'Bendigo Training Prison' within the Victorian Government Gazette. On 26 April 1972 the institution was officially proclaimed as 'Bendigo Prison' under provisions within part IV of the Social Welfare Act 1970.

Under section 114(3) of the Community Welfare Services Act 1970, Bendigo Prison was renamed Her Majesty's Prison, Bendigo. This was published in the Government Gazette on 6 May 1981.

The prison continued to operate as a medium security prison until 2006, when it closed. Under section 10(3A) of the Corrections Act 1986 (No. 117/1986), the appointment of Her Majesty's Prison, Bendigo as a prison, was revoked. This revocation was published in the Government Gazette no. G 14 on 6 April 2006. The buildings and grounds making up the prison were registered on the Victoria Heritage Register under the provisions of the Heritage Act 1995 (No. 93/1995) on 9 February 2006 (published in the Government Gazette no. G 6, 9 February 2006).