AGY-3133 | Cooma Prison Camp (1953-1957) / Cooma Prison (1957-1992) / Cooma Correctional Centre [I] (1992-1998)

Full description

The Cooma Gaol (II) was established under section 5 of the Prisons Act 1952 from 4 August 1953 by a Governor's proclamation. (1) The Proclamation, which took effect from 10 August 1953, declared that three acres, 12 perches of land in the Municipality of Cooma with all existing buildings, or premises later erected on the site was to be dedicated for gaol site in January 1899. The prison was known, during the period of the work on reconstruction, as the Cooma Prison Camp (2)

The prison property was apparently extended by a further proclamation from 16 April 1956 declaring that the whole of allotment 12, section 50, town of Cooma (an area of 36.75 perches) should be a prison forming part of existing Cooma Prison Camp. (3)

Cooma Prison Camp was re-named Cooma Prison from 18 March 1957 by proclamation advising that the areas of land referred to in proclamations of 1953 and 1956 would form the prison. (4)

Initially the Gaol was designed principally for special purposes, but later it served as a reception prison for South East District of the State and housed remediable and recidivist prisoners. (5)

Cooma Prison was a medium security prison with accommodation for 84 'B' category prisoners and 34 'C' category prisoners. The daily average number of prisoners 1978/79 was 99 or an annual total of 383. The average daily number of prisoners gradually increased and 1994/95 this figure was 147 prisoners. (6)

During 1992 the Cooma prison was re-named The Cooma Correctional Centre. (7)

The Cooma Correctional Centre was closed on 10 July 1998 when final inmates were transferred from the Centre. (8)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No. 140, 1953, p. 2536
2. Ibid.
3. NSW Government Gazette No. 47, 1956, p. 1126.
4. NSW Government Gazette No. 36, 1956, p. 876.
5. NSW Government Directory 1979, p.118.
6. Reports of the Department of Corrective services for 1978/79, p.11-37 and 1994/95 p.104.
7. NSW Government Directory 1992 first and second edition.
8. Report of the Department of Corrective services for 1997/98, p.12.