Parramatta Gaol to host weddings, markets, art gallery

A $1.5 million plan to transform Parramatta Gaol into a community venue could see the facility host markets, music gigs and more. And it might happen sooner than you may think.

Historic Parramatta Gaol. Picture: David Swift

Weddings, markets and an art gallery — a $1.5 million plan to convert Parramatta Gaol into a community venue is gathering pace and could happen as early as August 2021.

The prison’s owners, the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council, will soon lodge a development application with Parramatta Council which would allow the jail to switch from being a corrections facility to a community venue, bumping up its capacity from 500 to 2000.

The privately-run Deerubbin is partnering with the Powerhouse Museum to display exhibits in the former stores building at the O’Connell St site before the museum opens at Phillip St along the banks of the Parramatta River.

Parramatta Gaol chapel. A development application will be lodged to switch its use from a corrections to community facility.

Wedding ceremonies would be held in the chapel while receptions could be hosted in the quadrangle and field under marquees.

The site, which has hosted sports fixtures, could also be used to train security guards and SES volunteers.

Art and craft activities, conferences, sports events and tours would be used on the ground floor of the jail, which was completed in 1842 and stopped housing inmates in 2011.

Under the plan, markets selling Aboriginal wares would be held weekly and large music gigs would be hosted on the sports field and quadrangle, while smaller performances would be held in the chapel.

The jail’s warehouse would be transformed into a gymnasium and the sports field would play host to sports clubs.

Parramatta Gaol’s Dunlop St entrance. The sandstone walls will remain.

The only structural construction would be carving out four arches where the field wall is and provide widows on to the site where Willow Grove could stand after it is demolished and “relocated” from Phillip St to make way for the Powerhouse Museum.

“There’s a lot of demand from people in Parramatta for this,’’ Deerubbin Land Council’s chief operating officer Steven Wright said.

“People are asking for it. All the businesses we deal with constantly tell us there are little opportunities for these sort of things.’’

Outside of the prison walls, the privately-run Deerubbin is supporting the State Government’s plan to open a Sydney University campus in the neighbouring Westmead health and education precinct.

Parramatta Gaol leading into the quadrangle.

Deerubbin, which owns five hectares of land in the North Parramatta precinct bordering the jail, is considering developing services, such as research facilities and low-density student housing to service the university, along with sound stages for many film crews who already use the site as a dramatic backdrop.

Opponents have questioned if developing the land is a rehash of the government's now-canned UrbanGrowth project to rezone North Parramatta Heritage Precinct for 3900 units, first proposed in 2015.

Mr Wright has slammed suggestions it would use the site to develop apartments and said it would be sympathetic to Parramatta’s heritage.

“I think the whole agenda for units is gone,’’ he said.

“There’s a real big push for the university to come to this site.

“We think it’s an appropriate land use and if it happens we can work with it. We think it’s a very limited use given the university doesn’t destroy heritage, they preserve it.’’

“We’re trying to be sympathetic and caring about the heritage.”

Parramatta Gaol site manager Peter Brown at the quadrangle, where several events, including weddings, could be held.

Parramatta Labor councillor Donna Davis welcomed the proposal to use the jail for community space.

“This glimpse at the proposal appears to be a good concept and an effective way of revitalising the jail that makes it accessible to the public,’’ she said.

“Making a place like this, that has such an air of mystery about it, into a public events space has the potential to be great for Parramatta.”

“I can see the jail providing regular events and employment, attracting tourists and finally embracing the Cumberland heritage precinct as a place of arts and culture that is rich in history.”

Artists DJ Nicole Tania and DJ Olivia Suleimon promote a gig at Parramatta Gaol in 2018. Plans would allow the site to accommodate 2000 people. Picture: Angelo Velardo)

A development application is expected to be lodged the week before Christmas.

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