Lost in Translation

George and I are constantly amused at the Aussie pronunciations and expressions but the intrigue works both ways. I guess it's a to-may-toe to-mah-toe sort of thing. We giggle every time they say debut day-boo. When KFC advertises their fillets of chicken, they're fill-its. HBF, our health insurance company, is Haitch Bee Ef. I often find George chuckling over something he heard at work like madder than a cut snake or chuna-fish (tuna fish).

However, people will ask me questions that make perfect sense from their perspectives. Why does lucked out mean lucky? Where did phat come from and how can it mean something good? The list is probably endless. I guess the lesson is not to be concerned when one doesn't understand but to ask, learn and enjoy!

Jailhouse Rocks

The Fremantle Prison is blocks from our house, not cell blocks, but blocks nevertheless. It boasts a wealth of stories, from daring escape attempts to haunted corridors. After completing two of the four tours, I am fascinated with its history.

The prison was erected with local limestone by convicts starting in 1852, completed in 1860, and utilized until 1991. About 9,500 prisoners were shipped to Fremantle from the UK over the years with the last ship arriving in 1868. Others were incarcerated there including local and military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war.

Although there were some hardened criminals imprisoned at Fremantle Prison, many of the early convicts were sentenced to hard labor for minor offenses like stealing food; 33% were convicted for simple larceny. The local colony requested convicts for many building projects like roads.

This ship model was erected by one of the convicts in
secrecy using porridge to construct most of the parts.

Nancie and Kyra are having too much fun with
their prison visit to be a believable reenactment.

This gigantic clock was installed in 1896 and still works!

Guards spent 12-hour shifts in this tiny guard tower,
suffering extreme temperatures. They spent most
of their time in the hut because of the dangers
of being shot from nearby Hampton Road.

The razor wire acts as a lethal Slinky, cocooning the escapee
with severe cuts and preventing him from movement.

The faint image of a woman is seen from this chapel window
sometimes. I looked at the other side of the window when
we toured the chapel and you can't see it. It's supposed to be
the image of Martha Rendell, the only woman to be executed there.

It's amazing that anyone managed to escape these walls!

Throughout its long history, Fremantle Prison only allowed nine individuals to escape without recapture. The first, JB O'Reilly, an Irish political prisoner, escaped on a whaling boat to the US, where he became a prominent journalist. He enlisted the aid of Irish sympathizers in Australia and the US to fund a rescue operation and managed to free eight of his fellow Fenians. All of them immigrated to the US.

Moondyne Joe is the champion escape artist of Fremantle Prison with ballad written about him and pubs named after him. Although originally imprisoned for stealing food in England, he was arrested numerous times for other infractions; my favorite charge is killing an ox with felonious intent. During his most famous escape, he built a tunnel while outside working and used his pickaxe and shirt as a decoy to look like he was hard at work. Joe was excellent at escaping but not smart enough to leave the island and, like most other escapees, was usually caught drinking at a pub within hours. He once managed to stay free for two years until he was found at a vineyard in nearby Swan Valley.

Another notorious inmate is Brendan Abbott, the infamous postcard bandit who sent postcards to the police of himself in front of the banks he robbed during the 1980s and early 1990s. He is believed to have stolen over $5 millionAU and none of the money has ever been recovered. He successfully escaped from Fremantle prision with another convict by making three extra prison guard uniforms and walking out before the other guard figured out something was wrong. Whether he's overly-confident or just cheeky, he had the nerve to visit Fremantle Prison on a tour, sign the guestbook and then send a postcard of himself in front of the prison. Brendan is now serving time in Queensland but is supposed to return to Western Australia to finish his sentences here. A movie was produced about his life for television.

From 1888 to 1964, Fremantle Prison was the only place
in Australia for executions. Eric Edward Cooke, a convicted
serial killer, was the last of the 44 murderers to be hanged.

There are worse things than hanging. Prisoners were often flogged
with the cat-of-nine-tails, resulting in common expressions
today. Here's a few examples: Cat got your tongue? There's
room enough to swing a cat. Don't let the cat out of the bag.

Definitely a no frills cell!

This refuse pail shows the primitive conditions, worse for women
than for men due to cold food and less frequent bathing.

Poor living conditions cause inmates to rebel, inciting a riot and fire
in 1988 and resulting in relocation to a brand new prison in 1991.


There were a few talented artists imprisoned here. Some wonderful art was found hidden under layers of porridge in later years. Here is some of the art found on the walls of one cell.