Jailhouse Rock; Bluestone College Coburg, Victoria, Australia
By n0w0rries on 10-Jul-19. Waypoint GA13873

Incarcerated in Bluestone College

Jailhouse Rock; Bluestone College

Her Majesty's Prison Pentridge was an Australian prison that was first established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria.
The first prisoners arrived in 1851. The prison officially closed on 1 May 1997.

Pentridge Prison Guard Tower 2014

Pentridge was often referred to as the "Bluestone College", "Coburg College" or "College of Knowledge". The grounds were originally landscaped by landscape gardener Hugh Linaker.

The site is currently split into two parts.

The northern part of the prison, referred to as the “Pentridge Coburg” or “Pentridge Piazza“ site, is bordered by Champ Street, Pentridge Boulevard, Murray Road and Stockade Avenue. 
It is currently under development by the developer Shayher Group, who has owned the site since 2013.
The southern part of the prison, referred to as the “Pentridge Village” site, is bordered by Pentridge Boulevard, Stockade Avenue, Wardens Walk and Urquhart Street.
It is currently owned by the developer Future Estate.

The prison was split into many divisions, named using letters of the alphabet.

• A – Short and long-term prisoners of good behaviour but during the late 1980s till its closure it became a scene of many monthly bashings, stabbings and bludgeonings.
• B – Long-term prisoners with behaviour problems
• C – Vagabonds and short term prisoners, where Ned Kelly was imprisoned (Demolished early 1970s)
• D – Remand prisoners
• E – The hospital, later turned into a dormitory division housing short term prisoners
• F – Remand and short-term
• G – Psychiatric problems
• H – High security, discipline and protection
• J – Young Offenders Group- Later for long-term with record of good behaviour
• Jika Jika – maximum security risk and for protection, later renamed K Division

Grave sites

Main article: Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly the day before his execution by hanging. His remains were buried at the former Pentridge Prison site.

The grave site of bushranger Ned Kelly formerly lay within the walls of Pentridge Prison while Ronald Ryan's remains have been returned to his family.
Kelly was executed by hanging at the Melbourne Gaol in 1880 and his remains moved to Pentridge Prison in 1929, after his skeleton was disturbed on 12 April 1929 by workmen constructing the present Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) building. Peter Norden, former prison chaplain at Pentridge Prison, has campaigned for the site's restoration.

As of 2011, most of the bodies have been exhumed by archaeologists and have either been re-interred in the original cemetery near D Division, are awaiting identification at the Melbourne morgue or have been returned to their families.

In 2011, Ned Kelly's remains were once again exhumed and returned to his surviving descendants for a proper family burial. 
The identified remains of Kelly did not include most of his skull. DNA testing also established another complete skull believed to be Kelly's was not in fact his.

An inmate has allegedly escaped from the prison.
The fugitive was last seen as he ran out the main gate and disappeared down the front of the prison to the west.
Witnesses claimed Murray was waiting for the Champ on the corner.
They say he can be found at S37° 44.(J-A)D(G-E) E144° 58.(F-D)(E+J)F

.Checksum added 21/09/2020: S=32 E=36

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Bibliography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Pentridge

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