Napier Prison
{{Short description|Former prison in New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
File:Entrance of Napier historic prison.jpg
Napier Prison is a visitor attraction and former prison in Napier, New Zealand. Built in 1862 and decommissioned as a prison in 1993, it is the country's oldest prison complex.
History
Napier Prison was constructed on Napier Hill in 1862 and was used until the early 1990s, being officially decommissioned in 1993. In addition to being a prison, the location was also used as an orphanage and a psychiatric unit. During the 19th century, four hangings were conducted at the prison.[http://nzghosts.co.nz/Waikato.htm Waikato - NZ Ghosts.co.nz] Retrieved January 2012 John Purcell was superintendent of the prison in its latter years.{{cite web |title=Two Navy vets given rare Napier civic award |website=The New Zealand Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122040310/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/two-navy-veterans-given-rare-napier-civic-award/54CMQACRTZXB3ZVR4E6ZVC7PNY/ |archive-date=2021-11-22 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/two-navy-veterans-given-rare-napier-civic-award/54CMQACRTZXB3ZVR4E6ZVC7PNY/}}
Tourist attraction
In 2002, it was opened as a historical tourist attraction[http://www.nzonline.org.nz/nzo/business/napier-prison-tours-hawkes-bay-prison-history-tours Napier Prison Tours Hawkes Bay - NZ Online] Retrieved January 2012 and has been open for entertainment and tours.{{cite book|isbn=9781869664640|title=Haunted New Zealand Road Trip|author=Mark Wallbank|year=2017|publisher=Upstart Press }} It offers guided day and night tours by appointment and self-guided audio tours all day. It is the only building where it is possible to see the original path of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.[https://napierprison.com/the-prison/ Napier Prison]. Napier Prison Tours. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
The prison was used as the venue for the filming of the 2006 television show Redemption Hill.[http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/413551/652500 About The Show | TV2 | tvnz.co.nz] Retrieved January 2012 It is also featured in the "Off the Rails" TV series.
There have been many reports of ghostly occurrences at the site such as unexplained footsteps, disembodied faces, doors opening and closing on their own, and the ghost of a murderer on the anniversary of his execution. The best-known former prisoner is Roland Edwards, a mass murderer whose spirit is said to haunt the area. He died on July 15 and paranormal activity is reputedly more prevalent around the anniversary of his death.{{cite book|author1=Julie Miller|author2=Grant Osborn|title=Unexplained New Zealand: Ghosts, UFOs and Mysterious Creatures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zj3CHgAACAAJ|access-date=9 January 2012|date=October 2007|publisher=Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd|isbn=978-0-7900-1176-9}} Prolific New Zealand-based paranormal research team Haunted Auckland have made a few visits to the prison, conducting detailed overnight investigations, in the hopes of documenting evidence to back up some of the reports.
In 2011, a team from the television series Ghost Hunters International spent four days filming at the prison, which was criticized as "the lowest common denominator of a reality TV show".[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11029730 Maori slam Ghost Hunters International as 'gauche']. Hawke's Bay Today. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
References
{{reflist}}
{{coord|-39.4847|176.9188|region:NZ-HKB|display=title}}
{{Prisons in New Zealand}}
Category:Prisons in New Zealand
Category:Orphanages in Oceania
Category:Reportedly haunted locations in New Zealand
Category:Buildings and structures in Napier, New Zealand
Category:Museums in Hawke's Bay
Category:Prison museums in New Zealand
Category:History museums in New Zealand