Fremantle Prison in Western Australia opened in 1855 and closed on November 30, 1991. Its walls were built between 1853 and 1855, and convict labor did much of the work. The gatehouse was designed by the Royal Engineer Edmund Henderson, who based the prison on Britain's Pentonville Prison. The gatehouse resembles a thirteenth-century English castle, with two towers flanking a narrow gate.
The site covers about 36 acres, with a boundary wall 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall. The Main Cell Block has four stories and was designed for up to 1,000 prisoners. Its cells measure about 7 by 4 feet. The Main Cell Block was completed in 1859, and the New Division was built from 1904 to 1907.
A riot and fire in 1988 caused 1.8 million Australian dollars in damage. The prison is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Australian Convict Sites. It now offers guided and night tours, tunnel tours, a gallery and a café.
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