A visit to Melbourne on a typical Melbourne day, with rain on and off, led myself and the family to the old gaol which is famous for housing, and hanging Australia's most (in)famous bushranger, Ned Kelly . His armour takes pride of place in the gaol, on display for everyone to check out. It is a bullet proof suit made from old farming ploughs, and would have been extremely heavy (and hot) to wear.
The gaol is also where a lot of prisoners were taken and hung over a period of many years.
Various people (other prisoners, victims families, police officers and other "special visitors") would watch from the ground floor as the person being hung would fall through the trapdoor.
Looking up from this spot to the roof.
This shows how the person being hung was secured and made ready. Their hands were tied behind their back, and their feet also secured. There was also a weight attached to their feet. The leather around the rope (introduced quite late, in 1939) around the neck area was waxed which helped stop cuts and bruises around the neck area.
We were there on a rainy and overcast day which only added to the oppressive feeling inside.
The display on the ground floor is a map of the whole gaol. The women's prison was next door, but they were brought across to the same area for hanging.
Of course, the cells were tiny.
We spent a couple of hours there and was quite interesting. I wouldn't say "enjoyable" but certainly educational and recommended.