South West Rocks and Trial Bay Gaol

Trial Bay Gaol was built between 1877 and 1886 on a headland above the beach, an unusual public works prison whose inmates were to construct a breakwater making Trial Bay a harbour of refuge. The breakwater kept washing away, the scheme was abandoned, and the gaol closed in 1903. During the First World War it was reopened to intern about five hundred men of German background, some of whom built a memorial on the hill above. What survives is a shell of pink granite walls and cell blocks in a spectacular position, with a museum inside and kangaroos grazing the grounds. The village of South West Rocks alongside has beaches and the Smoky Cape lighthouse nearby.

What you actually see

• The granite gaol - roofless cell blocks and walls above the beach.
• The internment history - the First World War camp and the memorial on the hill.
• Smoky Cape Lighthouse - the 1891 tower on the headland north of town.
• The beaches - Trial Bay, Front Beach and the Macleay River mouth.

When to go

September to May for swimming and warm weather; the gaol is open year-round with daily hours. School holidays fill the village and its campgrounds. Whales pass offshore from May to November.

Honest expectations

The gaol is a ruin rather than a restored building, and interpretation is modest. Entry is charged and the site takes about an hour. Accommodation in the village is limited and books out in summer.

Nearby

Hat Head National Park lies south; Port Macquarie is further down the coast.