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J Ward, Ararat’s Old Gaol and Lunatic Asylum

Girdlestone Street
Ararat Victoria 3377
History & Heritage
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Take a guided tour of J Ward, Ararat’s Old Gaol and Lunatic Asylum. Hear stories of murderers, ghosts and mistreatment of mental illness.

J Ward is two and a half hours from Melbourne, close to the Grampians and open daily for tours by passionate Friends of J Ward volunteers. More than 10,000 people visit each year.

J Ward started its life as a goldfields prison in 1859. When the gold ran out in the mid 1880s the prison buildings were acquired by the Lunacy Department as a temporary housing for the Criminally Insane. The County Gaol then became a ward (J Ward) of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum where the most depraved and most dangerous men in Victoria were housed in horrific conditions under the highest security.

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Girdlestone Street
Ararat Victoria 3377
www.jward.org.au
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Let’s Go Victoria acknowledges the First Peoples throughout Victoria and their ongoing connection to the land and waters.

For over 60,000 years they have cared for Country and preserved our beautiful landscapes. We pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We are grateful for their custodianship, their knowledge and their resilience.

We would also like to acknowledge our First Peoples as Australia’s original storytellers. Their rich storytelling inspires us to share how special Melbourne and Victoria is with the world.

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