Celebrity murderers, disembodied voices and huge expense: A Sydney landmark’s uncertain future

Kayne Moreton is standing in wing three of Parramatta Gaol, one of his favourite parts of the prison, when a door slams shut, the noise echoing down the dark hallway.

He ignores it, instead pointing to a cell on his left: “That was where the last female gangster of The Rocks was housed in right there … this is where the celebrities, [and] what I mean by celebrities, this is where the high-profile murder cases [were imprisoned],” the senior conservation and cultural heritage officer for Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council said.

The history of what was once Australia’s oldest active prison is something Parramatta resident Jonathan Zhao knows well: he and the other members of APPI Ghost Hunts and Tours used to run ghost tours at the site, which has been described as “extremely haunted”.

But between seeing “full-body apparitions” haunt the halls and hearing disembodied voices, it was talking about the prison’s past that Zhao loved the most.

“To walk the walls of the jail and feel the stones and touch the walls that the inmates have touched, it’s a real thrilling experience. You kind of ask yourself, ‘if these walls could speak, what stories would they tell?’ and we try to invoke that sense of feeling on our tours by telling the history,” he said.

APPI also held events at the North Parramatta facility, including a psychic fair called the OZ Para Expo. But in September 2024, one month before the event was scheduled, Zhao said the company was informed it would no longer be able to host the event, or any other ghost tours at the jail for the forseeable future.

The news came after Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council, the owners of the heritage-listed jail, entered into administration.

But while Parramatta Gaol may sit dormant, land surrounding the North Parramatta facility has been slated for upzoning. The potential growth of the precinct has led to questions about the future of the jail: what could it become? And what does it look like today?

The past and present of Parramatta Gaol

Opening in 1842, the medium-security prison was home to some of Australia’s most notorious criminals including escapee artist Darcy Dugan and underworld figure Arthur Stanley “Neddy” Smith before it was decommissioned by the state government in 2011.

In 2015, Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council won ownership of the jail. Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, Crown land can be claimed if it is “not lawfully used or occupied” or is not needed for an “essential public purpose” or residential housing.

In August 2024, the land council was placed into administration. RSM Australia’s Tim Gumbleton, who has been appointed the administrator, says the land council has faced significant maintenance costs since becoming the owner of Parramatta Gaol, which spans over four hectares.

“That’s perhaps the Achilles heel: it is massive, it’s expensive and who’s got that financial capacity to support [it]?” he said.

A NSW Aboriginal Land Council spokesperson said such councils across the state were receiving land and assets that were “disused” and required a significant amount of funding to deem them as fit for repurpose. “This is funding that does not come with the return of the land and must be generated through the [local Aboriginal land council] itself”.

Deerubbin has also experienced a number of roadblocks to develop the former prison: in 2021, the land council lodged a development application with City of Parramatta Council to convert the site into a community facility that would host markets, weddings and music festivals. It was refused in 2023 due to a “lack of sufficient information and [the] potential impacts the proposed use may have on the site”.

Today, the former prison continues to pay homage to its history: shivs found buried in the ground are on display in the common area, and former inmates’ artwork remains on the walls.

Hopes for the future

Even though Deerubbin is in administration, Gumbleton said it would not impede the vision for Parramatta Gaol, which he believed had the potential to become anything – as long as there was communication between the jail’s stakeholders and the land council.

“If we can collaborate with government and other stakeholders to drive the commercial opportunities but also maintain the cultural heritage opportunities and history, it’ll be a win-win for North Parramatta, but also all Aboriginal people,” he said.

Previously, buildings in the prison were used to film television shows, outdoor space was hired for car shows and on separate occasions the chapel held two weddings as well as a breakdancing competition.

“You’ve got film, you’ve got art, you’ve got education, you’ve got health, you’ve got retail, commercial [and] hotel options. There’s just so much,” Gumbleton said.

APPI Ghost Hunts and Tours is also determined to return to the prison – a petition calling for the continuation of the events was started by founder Peta Banks in 2024. The media this year reported heritage advocates wanted the site to be converted into a hostel, similar to what was done at Pentridge Prison.

Questions surrounding the jail’s future come at a critical time: in January, the NSW Government released an indicative masterplan to rezone 42 hectares of land in North Parramatta. It would separate the site into different zones and allow for taller buildings up to 24 storeys around the light-rail stops and health precinct, as well as residential blocks to the north.

A spokesperson for the Minister for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure said the rezoning is “crucial to unlocking the full potential of the precinct, delivering jobs, housing and open space”.

A portion of land owned by Deerubbin, which doesn’t include Parramatta Gaol, has been included in the masterplan and is expected to make up almost 10 per cent of the precinct.

The jail’s future may be unknown, but Gumbleton said Deerubbin remained open to collaboration with stakeholders for a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to optimise the facility.

The Sydney Morning Herald has opened a bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email parramatta@smh.com.au with news tips.