The rows of cells are unroofed,a flute for the wind's mouth,who comes with a breath of icefrom the blue caves of the south.
O dark and fierce day:the wind like an angry beehunts for the black honeyin the pits of the hollow sea.
Waves of shadow washthe empty shell bone-bare,and like a bone it singsa bitter song of air.
Who built and laboured here?
The wind and the sea say-Their cold nest is brokenand they are blown away-They did not breed nor love,each in his cell alonecried as the wind now criesthrough this flute of stone.
The old prison referred to is the ruin at Trial Bay, near the now seaside resort of South West Rocks,
Kempsey,
New South Wales.
In 1816 the brig 'Trial' was seized by some of the convicts aboard.
In January 1817 it's wreck was located in a wide, deep bay near the mouth of the Macleay River.
The bay was then named after the wrecked ship. It became a place of shelter for coastal shipping and prison labour was brought in to enlarge the area with a breakwater.
Work began on the construction of a prison, the first wing completed in 1879 but the first prisoners did not move in until 1886.
The prison was closed in 1903 but re-opened during the 1914-1918 war.
Over 500 German prisoners of war were held there but the building was once again closed after
W1.
Many years later due to the ravages of war and vandals the ruin is but a shell of it's former self but the atmosphere within the remaining walls is tangible.~Von~
