Redruth Gaol erected in 1856 was the first gaol in South Australia outside of Adelaide.This gaol has an extensive collection of memorabilia depicting the kinds of prison conditions which existed in the 19th century.
Redruth Gaol erected at a cost of £3200 was closed in 1894 and the prisoners transferred to Gladstone Gaol. In 1897, the Gaol was restored and reopened as a girls reformatory but closed in 1922. The Gaol is famous for the filming of the 1979 movie Breaker Morant, and there is a room devoted to Breaker Morant with suitable memorabilia from the film.
The placards around the gaol offer a rare insight into the life of the prisoners. One recalls:
In 1902 on escaping two girls cut their hair, donned boys caps and breeches and roamed for ten days in the guise of two lads looking for work ... In 1919 three girls Violet Benson, Ada Newchurch and Ursula Cruse were on the roof, dancing, singing low songs, swearing downright insolence, destroying the government property and undressing and exposing themselves to all passers by in only their flannels and bloomers.
The Redruth area of the town was the home to most of the Cornish miners.