Yatala Labour Prison facts for kids
Rear of the prison complex
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| Location | Peter Brown Drive, Northfield, South Australia |
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| Coordinates | 34°50′40″S 138°37′43″E / 34.84444°S 138.62861°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Maximum security |
| Capacity | 468 |
| Opened | 1854 |
| Closed | Currently active |
| Managed by | South Australian, Department for Correctional Services |
Yatala Labour Prison is a prison for men located in the northern part of Northfield, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1854. The prison's main purpose was to allow prisoners to work at Dry Creek, digging up rocks for roads and buildings.
At first, it was called The Stockade of Dry Creek or just The Stockade. Later, it got its current name, Yatala, from a local Kaurna word. This word describes an area that often gets flooded. Even though the prison was planned to close by 2011, it is still open today. This is because there wasn't enough money to build a new prison during a big economic problem.
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What is Yatala Labour Prison?
Yatala Labour Prison is a very old prison that has been expanded many times. Some of its buildings are still used today and date back to the 1850s. It is the main prison for men in Adelaide. The prison is known as a "labour prison" because it has many workshops and industries where prisoners work.
Where is Yatala Prison Located?
Yatala Prison is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Adelaide's city center. It sits on a high area of land that looks over the Adelaide plains. A waterway called Dry Creek flows just north of the prison. This creek is usually dry in summer.
How the Prison Got its Name
When it was first built in 1854, Yatala Prison was known as "The Stockade" or "The Stockade of Dry Creek". It was named after an area called the Hundred of Yatala. The word "Yatala" comes from the Kaurna language. It is thought to describe how the land around Dry Creek would flood after heavy rain. The prison was renamed Yatala Labour Prison sometime before 1860.
Images for kids
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Rear of the prison complex
