A somber sandstone building, the Richmond Gaol is the oldest remaining jail in Australia. Its exterior reveals little; a simple compound consisting of a central courtyard and four wings arranged in a square around it. Its plain features are distinctly Georgian and could easily be mistaken for a family dwelling till you take the first steps inside. Shadowy corridors with flagstones that have yet to see the light of day in the past two hundred years lead visitors along the isolated cells of inmates. The flaking white wash often reveals faded red bricks, the grimy mortar rough to the touch. Rusted iron shackles often remain nailed to the walls, giving an indication to the extent to which the inmates were restricted and stepped on. Each brick that you see holding up the building from collapse was set by the inmates, who were contracted to construct their own prison from scratch. Walking into the open yard, crosses can be seen marked across the walls. The open space visible from all wings made it the ideal flogging grounds, the whip lash controlled by another appointed convict himself. The screams of pain and terror were meant to act as psychological deterrence, to scar but not maim, but these inhuman screams can still be heard echoing against the towering walls today. The various sites within Richmond Gaol each have their own tales about what justice meant to the people of the past. Understanding how we have developed as a society in treating criminals won’t be possible without exploring its origins at the Gaol.