National Crime & Justice Museum - Geelong Gaol

24/10/2026

24th Oct 2022 - The “Alcatraz-style” escape – Blake Cavanough escaped Pardelup Prison Farm after stuffing clothing beneath his bedsheet to make guards believe he was asleep. He walked for kilometres, hitched a lift and was caught the next day sitting in a café.

23/10/2026

24th Oct 1867 - Beechworth Lunatic Asylum opens in North East Victoria. The 2nd of Victoria’s 3 large Asylums to open to hold criminally insane patients.

22/10/2026

23rd oct 1948 - Ferntree Gully bank burglary – thieves broke into the ES&A Bank over the weekend, using oxy-acetylene equipment to cut through the strongroom and safe. More than £2,139, fi****ms and securities were stolen.

21/10/2026

22nd Oct 1894 - Serial Killer Marta Needles was executed at Old Melb Gaol for killing her husband and 3 kids over 2 years. One of just 5 women executed in Australia.

21/10/2026

21st Oct 2002 – Monash University shooting - A student Huan Xiang opened fire in a tutorial room, killing two and injuring five.

20/10/2026

21st Oct 1869 - Cockatoo Island convict prison closes – all remaining prisoners were removed from Cockatoo Island and transferred to Darlinghurst Gaol, bringing its three-decade period as a convict penal establishment to an end.

20/10/2026

20th Oct 1858 - An elderly Geelong woman was granted permission by the Sheriff to have her hand rubbed over the hands of executed criminal Owen McQueeney at the Geelong Gaol.

20/10/2026

https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESYwHrOzAVh-_is4NS0sUp8C_88rgj7deY4LVCrbzeMT_ckVPhEBwh5iBVBKcLaqKqDp152OecAxjk3GvVXHpflxzgv09DisQurxgAJ3LqI1g-jqsGkYwrYx52n81WfiR2PenmIA

Australia’s first TV police show “Homicide”, aired on this dated in 1964.

The second version of the opening title sequence to Crawford Produc...

20/10/2026

20th Oct 2013 - Dhurringile escapee recaptured – Eray Aslan had escaped from Dhurringile Prison on 20 September. After 10 days on the run, he was arrested at a house in Footscray on 1 October.

20/10/2026

We will be open as normal for Geelong Cup Day tomorrow between 12-5pm for those looking for something to do!