The Gallows – ‘Boggo’ Episode 2

Between 1883 and 1913, forty-two criminals comprised of thirty-nine men, one woman and two teenagers were executed at Boggo Road Gaol. All were hanged, the last in 1913.

Between 1883 and 1913, forty-two criminals comprised of thirty-nine men, one woman and two teenagers were executed at Boggo Road Gaol. All were hanged, the last in 1913.

The gallows were located in ‘A’ Wing, the original cellblock in the oldest section of the gaol built in 1883 – later known as No. 1 Division. The gallows consisted of three parts:

View of the trap – A Wing – 1 Division

1 The Beam – a strong timber beam running across the breadth of the cellblock under the upper floor gantry (walkway). Three hooks hung beneath the beam – to which the hangman’s rope could be attached.

2 The Scaffold: the platform that jutted out from the first floor gantry, directly below the beam.

3.The Trap: in the metal floor of the scaffold were two trap doors, located directly below the beam.

At eight o’clock Monday morning, the bell would toll to announce the grim act about to take place. Then the condemned person would be invited by an official to say their last words. The noose was then put around the condemned’s neck. At a signal from an official, the hangman would move a lever which opened the Trap and sent the prisoner to eternity. The body was lowered into a coffin and taken away for burial at South Brisbane Cemetery.

Public agitation for the abolition of capital punishment began in the 1890s. The last man hanged was Ernest Austin on 22 September 1913. In 1922 Queensland became the first state in the British Empire to legislate the end of capital punishment.

Listen to Episode #2 of “Boggo” – the official podcast for Boggo Road Gaol. Join Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue as they discuss a new exhibition – “The Gallows” – which explores the history of capital punishment, and punishment, behind the walls of Boggo Road Gaol.

The new exhibition is open everyday at 1pm following the daily History Tour at 11am, and is included in the Boggo Road Gaol Ghosts & Gallows Tour.