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Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison Gate 1928 047529pd
Fremantle Prison Gate 1928

Work began on permanent buildings and facilities in 1851 and Fremantle Prison was first occupied in June 1855. It continued in use as a prison until 1991 when the last prisoners were transferred to the new prison at Casuarina.

The series of Fremantle Prison records are substantial and cannot be listed here (for a list of record series held, check AN 358 and AU WA A220 Agency 220). They cover from the convict period in 1850 up to the present day. As such they are a valuable source, not only for the genealogist, but also for the social researcher. Records relating to the convict period have been described in the section Convicts. Among the more valuable Fremantle Prison records are the Registers of Receipts and Discharges of Prisoners, Superintendents Order Books, Occurrence Books and Warder's Journals, Prisoners' Registers, Registers of Interviews and the various Correspondence Series. An index to male prisoners, an index to prisoner’s aliases 1888-1991 and an index to female prisoners 1897-1970 have been compiled by Fremantle Prison Museum and may be useful.