Full description
Fairlea Female Prison was proclaimed in March 1956 under the Gaols Act 1928. It was established as a replacement for the Female division of H.M. Prison, Pentridge (VA 863). The prison was located on the site of the former Yarra Bend Asylum (VA 2839) in Fairfield, which closed in 1925.The prison had two major fires in 1980 and 1982. The first was the result of a riot in the mess hall, the second was in apparently in response to an escape attempt. The second fire occurred in a dormitory and caused the death of three prisoners as well as injuries of two others. The prison was renamed Her Majesty's Prison, Fairlea under the Corrections Act 1986 in June 1986.
A number of prisoners were relocated to Pentridge 'B' Division during the rebuilding of the damaged dormitory. Many of these prisoners never returned and were instead transferred to H.M. Prison, Tarrengower (VA 5759) when it opened in January 1988. Fairlea closed in August 1996 and was replaced by the then privately operated Deer Park Metropolitan Women's Correctional Centre, later known as the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (VA 5755). Fairlea was demolished a the site became Fairlea Reserve of Yarra Bend Park.
Data time period:
[1956 TO 1996]
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