The Terrace Gaol in Wellington was built in 1853 and demolished in 1927.
Life in The Terrace Gaol was hard labour, hard food, and hard beds for inmates, especially during Arthur Hume's years as inspector of prisons from 1881. Weak soup, bread and water made up a typical meal, eaten by the prisoners in their cells. Those doing manual work received more rations. The gardens provided food for the staff and inmates. Working in them was a reward for a prisoner's good behaviour, bringing respite from the prison's harsh regime. On Hume's orders, prisoners wore uniforms with a broad arrow, making them immediately recognisable when in working parties outside the grounds.
Lock and key, 1853, metal (painted steel, brass)
Rectangular metal door lock and associated key. Typewritten on green paper mounted on card "THE FIRST LOCK ON / THE FRONT DOOR OF THE TERRACE GOAL, WELLINGTON, / BUILT IN THE EARLY 1850'S (sic) BY WILSON CARTER, ARCHITECT"
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