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2 Division
Called '2 Gaol'
Built 1903

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2 Division August 2007

Boggo Road Gaol No 2 Division was opened in 1903 as the State Prison for Women at Boggo Road in South Brisbane.
It was built adjacent to a male prison, which was established on the site in 1883. The male prison was later to become No 1 Division. The female prison was constructed in response to a 1887 Parliamentary Inquiry, which recommended that the "separate system" be introduced, that is a separate cell for each prisoner. The Inquiry also recommended that a female section be established within the Brisbane Gaol.

The complex remained a female prison until 1921, when Brisbane Prison reorganised and divided into three divisions. No 2 Division, the former women's prison, was used for the detention of long term prisoners transferred from St Helena. The female prison was relocated to a building on the southern end of the prison reserve. No 2 Division was extended to include an extensive workshop block on the eastern wall, and a tunnel was constructed, connecting this to the original men's prison, which became No 1 Division.

In the mid 1970s No 2 Division became a maximum security prison, with No 1 Division mainly being used for lesser offenders, remand and holding cells. No 1 Division buildings were gradually demolished over a period of time, commencing in 1968. This included the demolition of all of the 1880s gaol and its replacement by a series of concrete wings which formed a large quadrangle. During the 1980s, No 2 Division became the centre of prisoner unrest, which included riots, hunger strikes and roof-top protests.

No 2 Division is a complex of brick buildings with corrugated iron roofs. The design of the prison has the cell blocks positioned according to a radiating plan and the complex is encircled by perimeter wall.
No 2 Division is enclosed by a 6 m high brick wall, which contains a main entrance gate, gatehouse and an observation tower in the south western corner. The north east part of the wall was demolished when the workshops were built and this was the connection point between No 2 Division and No 1 Division.

The original gatehouse was used as prisoner's accommodation and a Visitors Centre (1985-86).

Division 2 Gatehouse

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2 Division in 1929

In this old photo of 2 Division you can see the saw-top roofs of the workshops at the rear. They were added in 1930. Industries included mattress making, saddlery, tin shop, clothing, boots and furniture.
The cellblocks are (clockwise) D, E and F Wings with exercise yards and the sanitary yard located at the rear of F Wing.
The 'Circle' was the entrance to the 3 Wings (It was also known as B Block at night by the wardens)

The outer wall of the workshops was known as 'Halliday's Leap' after Boggo Road inmate Arthur 'slim' Halliday who jumped for freedom in the 1950's.
Slim lived in cell 9 at the entrance to D Wing for many years on 'Double Security'
 The three cellblocks housed a maximum of 126 prisoners who spent 18 hours a day in their cells.

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