Politics and Prison Life at Pentridge Prison Tours
Established in 1851 and closing in 1997, Pentridge Prison is a heritage listed former state prison that has undergone adaptive reuse over the last decade.
Our education programs utilise the latest in immersive technologies, including soundscapes and audio-visual displays. Students will hear recorded interviews with past inmates, guards and lawyers and can observe artefacts dating from the early 1800s to late 1900s.
The Education programs at Pentridge Prison provide a unique opportunity to move beyond the theoretical approach to learning and gives the students the chance to experience the setting and implications of social, economic and environmental change borne from our evolving legal system.
About the Program
On this tour, students will make connections between laws and policies enacted and enforced, and how they affect prison populations. Discover the causes and consequences of the 1890s depression, which saw a third of Melbourne’s breadwinners out of work.
Curriculum Links
| Subject | Strand | Sub-strand | Content descriptions | Students will… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civics and Citizenship | Knowledge and Understanding | Laws and Citizens | the key features and jurisdictions of Australia’s court system; the operations of courts and tribunals, including the roles of courts, judges, lawyers and juries in trials; and the rights of the accused and the rights of victims | Examine how the courts apply and interpret criminal law. |
| VC2HC10K05 | ||||
| History | Historical Knowledge and Understanding | Australia (1750-1914) | significant events, ideas, people, groups and movements that contributed to continuity and change in Australian society between 1750 and 1914 | Explore the consequences of the 1890s depression, which led to incarceration for many. |
| VC2HH10K09 | ||||
| continuities and changes and their consequences on ways of life, living conditions, political and legal institutions and cultural expression around the turn of the 20th century | Hear a case study of what Pentridge Prison was like at the turn of the 20th century, including the intersection with politics, laws and society. | |||
| VC2HH10K11 |
Program Details
Monday to Friday during school terms
1.5 hours
15-30 students per session
Teacher/carer:student ratio: 1:12
$12 per student
Click here to access the Task Risk Assessment document.
Ramps can be used to access the airing yards.
To book, complete the Online Booking Form. For enquiries, email [email protected] or phone (03) 9656 9889.
Pentridge Prison Tours
1 Champ Street
Coburg VIC 3058
I highly recommend taking your students to Pentridge. The stories are gripping and to listen to them in such a historical place was a real treat.
Related Programs
-
3D Interactive Court Room
Try visiting the interactive Court Room to get an idea of how a court works.
-
Crime and Punishment
Uncover past punishments in this tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol. Discuss corporal punishments such as the cane and the infamous cat-o-nine-tails; solitary confinement, and capital punishment.
-
Crime and Punishment
Join your guide for a tour of the notorious H Division to learn about the “prison within a prison” which housed the most dangerous inmates at Pentridge from the 1950s through to the 1980s.