Redruth Gaol

Redruth Gaol is a former colonial prison located in Burra, South Australia, within the Regional Council of Goyder. Built in 1856, it was the first gaol constructed outside Adelaide to serve the Burra copper mining community. Now preserved as a museum and part of the Burra State Heritage Area, it displays original cells, exercise yards and interpretive exhibits illustrating 19th-century prison life and Cornish mining heritage.

Visitors can explore the bluestone gaol building with its original cells, thick stone walls, exercise yards and watchtower. The interior contains interpretive displays, historic artefacts and information panels about prisoners, warders and daily life in the 1850s-1890s. The site is part of the Burra Heritage Passport trail and is accessed via a key from the Burra Visitor Centre. The setting is a quiet historic precinct near the Burra Creek with open grounds suitable for self-guided exploration and photography.

Constructed in 1856 to serve the Burra Burra copper mine community during the mining boom, Redruth Gaol was the first gaol built outside Adelaide in South Australia. It operated as a prison until 1894, housing male and female prisoners, and later served as a girls' reformatory and police station. It reflects colonial penal administration and the rapid growth of Burra as a major 19th-century mining town.

The gaol is a key component of the Burra State Heritage Area, recognised for its Cornish mining heritage and colonial history. It illustrates the social history of the Burra mines, early South Australian settlement, and is maintained as a heritage museum by the National Trust of South Australia and local community.