{"product_id":"the-round-house-and-its-inmates-1831-1856","title":"The Round House and Its Inmates 1831-1856.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFremantle Gaol, better known as the Round House, was built in 1830, was nearly demolished in 1922 but one hundred years later survives as an iconic Fremantle building and a popular tourist attraction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDr Steve Errington, one of its volunteer guides and himself a past president of the Royal WA Historical Society, has now completed a three-year investigation of its construction and a detailed study of the 2400+ individual inmates responsible for 3600+ incarcerations. The former relied on two key documents held by the State Records Office, the second revealed an unexpected range of inmates, some of whom were not actually prisoners.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt confirmed a world of universal hard labour, severe punishments for small offences but few deaths in custody.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough not built with WA’s original inhabitants in mind, before it was abolished as a gaol in 1856 it housed 400+ Aboriginals, generally for short terms. These numbers would have been higher but for the erection in 1848 of a ‘Native Prison’ in St Georges Terrace, Perth – one of many surprising revelations of the study.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe final chapter – the longest – combines an investigation of the post-1856 uses of the building with a report of the struggle for its survival and recognition of key players in the battle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe book is generously illustrated in colour and is thoroughly referenced and indexed. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hesperian Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46844657172677,"sku":"9780859059459","price":35.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0790\/3343\/4309\/files\/the_round_house.jpg?v=1788322588","url":"https:\/\/maritimeandtravelbookshop.com.au\/products\/the-round-house-and-its-inmates-1831-1856","provider":"MARITIME \u0026 TRAVEL BOOKSHOP","version":"1.0","type":"link"}