Last week saw the announcement of the Leighton Properties proposal for the future of Boggo Road. The single most important thing to emerge from these plans is the revolutionary transformation of much of the space inside the old prison from ‘private’ to ‘communal’. The internal areas that were once locked away behind brick walls and iron gates will be integrated into the the surrounding community space and made accessible to all. The public will no longer have to pay to get inside Boggo Road, although it appears that a certain area will be set aside for guided tours.
This is a game-changing paradigm shift in how we think about this heritage site.
I will here look at claims made on the website for the redevelopmentin order to try and explain some of what is happening - as I see it.*
![]()
This is a game-changing paradigm shift in how we think about this heritage site.
I will here look at claims made on the website for the redevelopmentin order to try and explain some of what is happening - as I see it.*
1. THE TRANSFORMATION INTO PUBLIC SPACE
"Boggo Road will be unlocked for the first time in a century - opening it up to unprecedented historical interpretation and educational opportunities."(see here)
"The redevelopment will enhance and literally open up the Boggo Road Gaol to the broader community."(see here)
"The redevelopment will enhance and open Boggo Road to the broader community - inviting the public into the site to engage with and experience the site more freely."(see here)
Until now, the inside of the prison has been closed away behind impenetrable walls and doors.The physical space itself had been commodified, and private management effectively turned this public asset into private property. You have to pay high fees for the mere privilege of seeing it.
 |
| From next year, this area of Boggo Road will be accessible for free. (Image here) |
Under the proposal, the public will be able to simply stroll inside the internal prison space whenever it is open. The grassed area in front of the cellblocks - known as the 'Circle' - will become public park space. Small parts of Boggo Road will still be set aside just for historical tours etc., but generally speaking the old ways of keeping the heritage buildings hidden away will be gone.
2. A CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HUB
"On completion, Boggo Road is set to become a new destination known as much for its cultural amenities as its historical significance."(see here)
"Within the gaol buildings, a new historical and educational program, together with various cultural uses will be offered for locals and tourists to enjoy. As well as a museum and gaol tours, a rotating events calendar could include a mix of music and theatre performances, outdoor cinema and artisan markets. To provide activation, some original buildings are proposed to be sensitively readapted for the aforementioned uses, food and beverage offerings and function facilities."(see here)
It is important to remember that one aim of this wider redevelopment - which also includes nearly 500 residential units and retail facilities - is to create a successful and sustainable 'community' (always a nebulous concept). It is this thinking that has driven the reconceptualising of the heritage prison as open space, and it has also generated a new approach to how the prison buildings are utilised. Since its closure the place has been used primarily as a historical site, although during the Boggo Road Gaol Museum years we saw numerous functions (including weddings), live music and drama performances, and film shoots take place there.
 |
| The new plans would allow organisations like the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble to perform at Boggo Road. (QSE) |
No longer the kind of place you only need to see just the one time.
3. OUT WITH THE OLD
"Rejuvenation of a neglected and under-utilised public asset in the Gaol."(see here)
"this site has basically lain dormant other than for a few tours which take place during the week." (Public Works minister Tim Mander, 1 October 2014)
"Through the urban renewal process, Boggo Road will be unlocked for the first time in a century – opening it up to unprecedented historical interpretation and educational opportunities."(see here)
"Within the gaol buildings, a new historical and educational program, together with various cultural uses will be offered for locals and tourists to enjoy" (see here)
It is a bit of a stretch to say that Boggo Road has lain dormant for 20 years, but it can't be denied that the potential of this sleeping giant has never been realised. This is why the new plan - while being very positive - also carries an inherent rejection of the way Boggo Road has been managed until now. I have my own criticisms of much of what is happening there - including the teenage booze-ups and offensive 'ghost hunts', both of which had previously been prohibited by the state government as being too disrespectful - but there are other deep-rooted problems. One is the anti-community attitude of the interim private management that has seen the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society denied fair access to the place. The other is that the current historical interpretation is way too limited. This needs to change and the historical society is hopeful that it will. As is spelled out on the redevelopment's website, "a new historical and educational program... will be offered for locals and tourists to enjoy" (my emphasis).
I have always argued that this change needs to include allowing different voices to tell different stories about Boggo. As I see it, the major issue is in the significance of the place. What does it mean to people? The simple (but also not-so-simple) answer is that Boggo Road means a lot of different things to a lot of different people who were directly affected by it. The old prison has a history full of conflict and reconciliation, despair and hope, tragedy and survival, loss and rehabilitation. I know that some former inmates would like to see the place demolished and wiped from the collective memory. Others want it to stand as a reminder and testament to their suffering. Many former officers have a great sense of pride about their service and want that aspect of their lives to be shared. Then there are all the families and friends of all these people.
Right now, while the days of the working prison are well within living memory, these are the people we need to consider first and foremost when it comes to remembering Boggo Road. In my personal opinion Boggo needs to stand as a touchstone to its varied histories as told by all those different voices.
Right now, while the days of the working prison are well within living memory, these are the people we need to consider first and foremost when it comes to remembering Boggo Road. In my personal opinion Boggo needs to stand as a touchstone to its varied histories as told by all those different voices.
The good news is that it will stand, and there will still be the opportunity to tell all those stories, hopefully in an interesting and innovative variety of ways. Not just scripted tours. The public will be visiting in increased numbers and the history of Boggo Road will be shared more widely, and certainly in a much more engaged way than having it locked away for expensive private tours.
4. ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR SAY 'AYE'
The new plans are of great interest to groups like 'A Better Future for Boggo Road' and the 'Boggo Road Arts, Education& History Committee', who have argued for creating a multi-arts community-focussed venue at the old prison. In many ways, this plan would deliver on that.
Of course there will be opposition to this, as already seen in thisBrisbane Timesarticle. Cameron 'Jack' Sim (the ghost tour businessman who holds the interim license at Boggo Road) is opposed to opening the place up for the community, an attitude that perhaps demonstrates greater concern about what is good for himself rather than what is good for Boggo Road, the local community, and the taxpayers who own and pay for it. A case of "the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many"?
Others will have legitimate concerns about structural changes to the old prison. The place is heritage listedand any changes will have to meet strict heritage guidelines. We don't know the precise nature of any changes yet so that is something to be watched carefully.
A decade ago I would probably have opposed this proposal myself, and sought to retain as much of the existing prison fabric as possible. However, after years of delay, political interference and disrespectful treatment of the place, the strong community focus of the new plans come as a breath of fresh air.They are not perfect (I will explore issues of 'privatisation' in another article here) and there is still much to be done, but they are a great leap forward and have renewed hope that the right thing will finally be done at Boggo Road.
In the meantime...
Email info@boggoroadgaol.com.aufor membership details.
Like the BRGHS Facebook page to keep up to date with what is happening at Boggo Road.
You can give feedback about the proposals on this page here.
* The opinions expressed here my own and not necessarily indicative of the position of the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society.