In short:
Gladstone Gaol has officially reopened to the public after being closed for four years.
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Gaol → reopen → years
Locals are welcoming of the new operators, which they hope will bolster tourism to the town.
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they → hope → town
New licensee, Lantern Ghost Tours, has plans to expand use across the site, including the addition of a café and accommodation.
Following a period of closure, one of regional South Australia’s historic landmarks has reopened its doors to the public, with new caretakers leaning into the site’s dark heritage.
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caretakers → expand → heritage
This year Lantern Ghost Tours licensed the Gladstone Gaol site from the Department of Environment and Water.
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Tours → license → Environment
This weekend, just in time for Halloween, the company opened the doors to the public for the first time, with sold-out ghost tours welcoming thrill-seekers and history enthusiasts alike to the now 145-year-old facility.
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tours → open → facility
Naomi Bailey, the project coordinator for Gladstone Gaol, said it was exciting to have people back.
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it → say → people
"The community really wanted to be here as well, they were showing it through booking of the tours, and the takeaway was the interest.
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takeaway → want → tours
We sold out," Ms Bailey said.
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Bailey → sell → ?
"We had to open additional tours, and we've got really strong bookings every Saturday night."
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we → have → bookings
Local tourism asset
Locals also shared Ms Bailey’s excitement to have the Gladstone Gaol’s gates open once again.
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gates → share → excitement
Gladstone Community Development and Tourism Association president David Catford said it was a surprise when the previous operators retired in 2022.
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operators → say → 2022
"I think that the community has come to realise what it means not having it open," Mr Catford said.
"
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Catford → think → what
I have described it as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Southern Flinders tourism area because really, it's a unique site and it's an important part of getting people to come here and be tourists and see and enjoy our region.
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people → describe → region
A once-off open day in 2025 was attended by some 1,300 people, which Mr Catford said proved interest in the prison was still there.
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interest → attend → prison
Dark history to bright future
Sitting on the cusp of the Southern Flinders Ranges and Mid-North regions, authorities in 1879 at the time determined that Gladstone would become home to a new prison, aimed at taking pressure off jails at Port Augusta and in Adelaide.
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Gladstone → sit → Adelaide
The jail operated in its intended capacity for just shy of 100 years.
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jail → operate → years
Opening in 1881, its prisoner intake varied over the years, going from an all-gender prison to male-only, to a military prison during World War II, and later took on a focus more to reintegrate inmates back to society.
By 1975 – and still not having plumbing in the building – the government of the day closed the facility.
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government → open → facility
Gladstone local and tour guide Steve Schultz said the community acted quickly at the time to preserve the site and its history.
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community → say → site
"It's been a long battle ever since then to keep it open and at least have it accessible to the public basically," he said.
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he → keep → public
In the years since, the jail's uses have varied, from previous ghost tour iterations, to hosting accommodation and events.
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uses → vary → accommodation
Citing a downturn in volunteers after the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous caretakers hung up the keys in 2022.
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caretakers → cite → 2022
A spooky reopening
Lindi and Shelley made the trip from Clare on Friday night, with the hope of experiencing something paranormal.
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Lindi → make → something
Both having fond memories of visits to the jail in its time as accommodation and an events venue, Lindi said its return to the community was "awesome".
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return → have → community
"I think this is fantastic," she said.
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this → think → ?
Ms Bailey said the company planned to launch a café on the site, and restoration works that would allow for events and visitors’ further exploration of the site’s history.
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that → say → history
"We really want to balance the heritage nature of the site and really complement it with events and activities that are coming through," she said.
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she → want → events
Among the visitors on Friday was Anthony Van Zeventer, who stopped by while travelling from Philip Island to Darwin, without realising it was opening night.
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it → stop → Darwin
"I think it's great that the community's got behind it and that they're reopening it again," Mr Van Zeventer said.
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Zeventer → think → it
The Aporia