J Ward facts for kids
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| Location | 1-7 Girdlestone Street Ararat, Victoria |
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| Status | closed as a prison, open for tours |
| Security class | high security criminally insane |
| Capacity | 52 |
| Opened | 10 October 1861 |
| Closed | January 1991 as a prison, Reopened as a museum in 1993. |
| Former name | Ararat County Gaol |
| Governor | Samuel Walker (original), John Gray (second governor), Henry Pinniger (third governor), George Fiddimont (fourth governor) |
J Ward, originally called the Ararat County Gaol, was a special building in Ararat, Victoria, Australia. It started as a prison, a place where people who broke the law were kept. Later, it became a hospital for people with mental health issues who had also committed crimes.
Building the prison began in 1859. It opened its doors in October 1861. In 1887, it changed into a high-security hospital ward for people who were both mentally ill and had committed serious crimes. J Ward stopped being a hospital in January 1991. In 1993, it reopened as a museum, offering tours to visitors.
The Story of J Ward
Building for the original prison started in 1859. It was designed to be a prison for the goldfields area. The design was similar to the Pentonville prison in England. Workers built it using strong blue stone.
The prison officially opened on October 10, 1861. At first, it held 21 prisoners. The first person in charge was Samuel Walker. He had previously managed the Portland Gaol.
By 1864, the prison held 40 prisoners. In 1867, John Gray became the second person in charge. He held this job for ten years.
Over the years, some executions happened at the prison. Andrew Vere was hanged in 1870. Robert Francis Burns was hanged in 1883. Henry Morgan was hanged in 1884.
In 1877, Henry Pinniger became the third person in charge. George Fiddimont became the fourth in 1884. He sadly passed away at the prison in 1886.
From Prison to Hospital
After the Victorian gold rush ended, the prison was no longer needed as much. So, in December 1886, the building changed its purpose. It became known as 'J Ward'. This new J Ward was part of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum.
J Ward was a place for people who were considered "criminally insane." This meant they had mental health problems and had also committed crimes. It was a high-security ward.
Interestingly, J Ward also housed people who were considered "insane" but had not committed any crimes. These people were later moved to a different facility that was better suited for their needs.
J Ward Today
Today, J Ward is a museum. It is open to the public for tours. You can visit almost any day, except on public holidays. Tours usually run at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm.
Visitors can see amazing artwork on the walls. These were done by prisoners in their outdoor area. The place still makes you feel like it was once a working facility. The attention to detail in the building is impressive.
See also
In Spanish: J Ward para niños
