Keeper of the keys: Meet the family who live and work at an old gaol

Just outside Mount Gambier in South Australia is the rather imposing home of the Stephenson family. A former gaol built in 1866, it closed its doors to inmates in 1994 before becoming a backpackers and a hostel for homeless men.

Melissa and James Stephenson took over the business in 2010 and moved into the old warden’s house while undertaking huge renovations to turn it into beautiful boutique accommodation and a function venue.

“We both loved the history embedded in the place and the quirkiness of the building,” says co-director and mum of three Melissa of their unusual home.

“The section we live in is part of the main gaol complex that comprises a large stone building surrounding a courtyard. Our living quarters have big rooms with high ceilings and arched windows. We have three bedrooms, a family room, kitchen and a small bathroom.

“Aside from the fact it is part of an old historical gaol, it took some getting used to living in a house with no modern luxuries such as open plan living space or ensuites, but the charm more than makes up for it and we love our home!”

The Stephensons successfully transformed the rest of the gaol into mixed accommodation including self-contained family and double rooms as well as single rooms and smart dormitories with communal kitchens and shared bathrooms. They also use their huge paddock and the converted mess hall for community functions, including local dinners, sporting events and concerts.

Their extraordinary home and business might run perfectly well now but back in 2010, the building was in a very bad way.

“When we first got the keys from the local council, who own the property, we moved into one of the cells with our eldest son who was just six years old. There were still seven homeless men living on site who had nowhere to go, so we had to co-habit while we worked with a local community agency to find them somewhere new to live.

“At the time the building was in a miserable state and had a terrible reputation involving assaults and bedbugs. We had our job cut out for us as we started the extensive renovations.”

The energy when they took over the building was, as Melissa describes, “dense” and they experienced a tough few months while adjusting to their new lives in Mount Gambier, after some years on the Gold Coast.

“James has always worked in hospitality and we were looking for an opportunity to return home, as we are both originally from Mount Gambier. He saw the gaol as a perfect business opportunity and we had some great ideas for how we could turn it into a healthy community-focused business as well as a wonderful place to live.”

Moving to the gaol might have originally been James’ idea, but in a spooky coincidence, Melissa discovered that she was historically linked to the place.

“Not long after we moved in we had a hole fixed in our master bedroom. In the process the builder removed some old skirting board and found a Christmas card from the 19th century that had been lodged there for decades. The sender of the card happened to be a girl with the same surname as mine. We traced back through the records and found that my great, great grandfather had actually been the third or fourth warden of the gaol!

“He, his wife and their 10 children lived in the house until his death at 58 years old from meningitis. It was jaw dropping to discover my family’s link to the house and I have since felt such a strong connection, as if our move here was meant to be.”

While Melissa is well aware of the atmosphere in the historical gaol, she is also keen to establish that they do not run ghost tours and do not wish to stir up any bad spirits or feelings on site by having ghost hunters visit with equipment.

“I can’t pretend that the gaol doesn’t have a unique vibe, it does and that is why many people come to visit. I have always been a spiritual person and so I was not surprised to see and feel unusual things. On one of our very first weeks here a man walked past me in dressy pants and a dark blue shirt. I said ‘good morning’ thinking he was one of the workmen only to watch him completely disappear!

“James has gone from being a non-believer to believing in spirits and our staff do report the occasional spooky incident but most of our visitors see and feel nothing at all.

“Nothing untoward has actually happened during our time here and while we have had an Indigenous smoking ceremony on site, we are very respectful of the gaol’s past inhabitants and so we have never asked anyone or anything to ‘move on’. Overall it really is a happy environment to live in.”

This year the gaol will turn 150 years old and after seven years living on site, the Stephenson family is now very much a part of its checkered history.

“We feel so proud that we have been able to revive and refresh this fantastic building so that we as a family, as well as people from all over the world, can visit it and enjoy its unique story.”

To find out more visit: www.theoldmountgambiergaol.com.au or follow on Facebook for regular updates, reviews and photos.