It was first planned in 1862, but saw extended delays in construction, and was finally completed on 8 January 1866, four years after initially planned, opening on 4 April 1866. An extension for a women's section was added in 1873.[3] The gaol closed in 1995, when the new Mount Gambier Prison opened on a different site.[4] It later operated as a backpackers hostel for several years.[5]
In 2010, it was taken over and thoroughly restored as a hotel and a wedding and events venue, transforming former cells into rooms for guests to stay in.[6][7]
^O'Connor, Pam; Mount Gambier (S.A.). Corporation; Old Mount Gambier Gaol History Project Group (1999), H.M. Gaol Mount Gambier, 1866–1995, South East Book Promotions for the City of Mount Gambier, ISBN978-0-646-37585-4
^"From depths to dizzy heights". The Advertiser. 31 March 2000.
^"What We Do". The Old Mount Gambier Gaol. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
^"It was always going to take something". Stock Journal. 7 July 2011.