The lock-up at John W Gardner Reserve in Beech Forest is a fine example of a single cell lock-up found in many Australia country towns. They were typically used as a temporary holding place and defined as "Any building or structure that was used to confine or restrain temporarily those accused of committing a criminal act or apprehended for drunken disorderly or riotous behaviour."
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| Beech Forest lock up - exterior and interior |
Beech Forest is likely to have had its fair share of disorderly behaviour, however the lock-up was rarely used and only twice for more serious criminal offences with two murders recorded.
There have been three different locations for the lock-up. The first was behind the first police station on Gardner Hill. This area was where the first selection was issued to John W Gardner who went on to establish many services and shops to support the growing population. The station was first opened in 1907 and the building was constructed in 1903, still standing today. It was leased by the Police Department for Mounted Constable Albert Olney's appointment and was used for short-term imprisonment, typically holding drunks overnight and detaining alleged offenders for offences such as larrikinism on the train, insurance fraud, rowdyism and forgery, while awaiting court appearance.
A new station was built in 1912 on Dehnerts Track when many of the services and shops moved from Gardner Hill to the new Main Road and Southorn Street central business area. It remained there when the station was replaced with a new improved building in 1960. The 1960 building remains today as a private residence. The police desk storage unit is housed in the ODHS History Rooms and contains some very interesting original police documents.
Lock-up (right) at Dehnerts Track Police Station (2nd location)The lock-up was then moved to Gardner Reserve by the Beech Forest Progress Association in November 2009 and remains there today. It is constructed of timber with a roof of corrugated iron and features high windows with bars for ventilation. The Beech Forest police archives describe the lock up as "This wooden lockup, 3.05 x 3.05 metres was located at the rear of the Beech Forest Police Station on Dehnert's Track. There are no actual figures on how many people were "locked up" in the cell. "
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| Log lock up with outer protection,Trentham, Vic |
The very early lock-ups differed from this weatherboard style and were typically made of logs and bark, and were - not surprisingly – very secure. With growing populations, for example in the goldfields area across Victoria, and an increase in arrests, better infrastructure was needed.
While permanent lock-ups were being built, the Public Works Department provided portable structures as an interim measure. These cells were based on an English design and built by the maintenance and construction section of Victoria Police. This area was staffed with skilled tradesmen who were tasked with construction and repairs of police infrastructure.
The police station in Beech Forest was closed in 2003 and moved to nearby Lavers Hill.