Pentridge Prison in Melbourne’s north once housed some of the state’s worst criminals – now it’s a tourist attraction, and in limited numbers, its cells are being sold off as storage facilities.
Officially called Her Majesty’s Prison Pentridge and shuttered in 1997, it once housed a ‘who’s who’ of infamous Victorians including Ned Kelly, Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, and Ronald Ryan – the last man executed in Australia – just to name a select few.
Today 4120/4 Wardens Walk, Coburg is being offered for sale by Raphael Calik-Houston of Ray White Coburg for use as a storage facility.
Cell(ar) 12D is for sale and is promoted as a self-storage facility for wine. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
Mr Houston said it was the first time a Pentridge cell has been listed for sale through online portals such as realcommercial.com.au and that the vendor owns quite a few, marketing them as wine cellar packages.
“It’s targeted at wine enthusiasts and is zoned as wine storage – it can be used for general storage, too,” he said.
Situated in what was formerly D Division for on-remand prisoners, Wardens Walk provides the perfect storage environment.
The bluestone, dry and chilly interior likely caused prisoners to suffer, but goods such as wine can thrive and experience an elongated shelf life.
D Division once housed on-remand prisoners waiting for trial and whose bail was denied. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
Keeping wine ‘on remand’ in the facility comes with 24/7 CCTV security throughout the complex along with private swipe card access.
That should make it hard for the bordello to escape – or for others to get in and nick the stash.
Mr Calik-Houston said buyers could use it as an office setup if they really wanted to.
“It would be a bit spooky I guess – there’s a lounge, toilets, and shared spaces, though,” he said.
Pentridge shuttered in 1997 and today it’s a tourist attraction. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
In D Division, more than 200 cells are situated over three levels.
Cell(ar) 12D is 6 sqm, and while that might only house a couple of prisoners, it can hold a lot of wine.
It’s currently going to auction on 23 May with price expectations of $85,000-$90,000.
This gives it a price per sqm of more than $14,000 ‘on the bottom’ and $15,000 ‘on the top’.
Curiously, it’s also listed on realestate.com.au, and while buyers wouldn’t live in the cell willingly, the price far outpaces the price-per-sqm of most inner-city apartments.
Pentridge’s D Block housed more than 200 prisoners across three levels. Picture: realcommmercial.com.au
While its colourful days of yore as a prison still permeate through the area, Pentridge Prison has transformed along with the area of Coburg.
“Coburg is very much an inner city suburb – it’s very quirky with lots of coffee shops and bakeries, yet still has the jewellery and kebab shops. It’s gentrified a lot,” Mr Calik-Houston said.
The prison is now a tourist attraction with regular tours – including spooky nighttime ones – and has been transformed into a lifestyle precinct with an IGA, shops, cafes, and even a cinema.
“It’s cool because for a law abiding citizen you’d never expect to be near a prison cell – now it’s open to the public and gives people an opportunity and insight into a lifestyle they’d never expect themselves to be in,” Mr Calik-Houston said.