Wyndham Boab Prison Tree

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

There probably weren't too many white criminals in those areas and any individuals were probably taken to a station or straight through to the town. The aboriginals would have been rounded up in groups, perhaps for stealing a cow or threatening station owners. They would have been kept in chains, and were seen as uncivilised and dangerous.

2 people like this

PaintsOnSlate

@PainsOnSlate (21852)

• Canada

19 May 16

That is so interesting. I had no idea anything like this ever happened. Thank for the share.

2 people like this

PaintsOnSlate

@PainsOnSlate (21852)

• Canada

20 May 16

@JudyEv they were very creative.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

The prisoners would be being brought in from outlying areas. If they didn't fit in the tree they might be chained up outside. It was in the early 1900s. It's not something we are proud of but the tree served a purpose at the time.

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MsTickle

@MsTickle (25180)

• Australia

23 Jun 16

i love trees and don't have a single favourite but the baobab is ONE of my faves. I find them fascinating.

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MsTickle

@MsTickle (25180)

• Australia

25 Jun 16

@JudyEv On the East side they would simply have ripped it out like they often do to trees at least 100 yrs old.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 Jun 16

They transported one from the Kimberley down to Kings Park in Perth. It was in the way of a road. Why they couldn't have gone around it I have no idea.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jun 16

@MsTickle They have no idea of thinking long-term. Some of the oil companies too are so greedy, destroying everything in their paths.

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Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (51498)

• Canada

19 May 16

Wow, that is fascinating, I'd rather visit it on my own free will then to be held there.

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Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (51498)

• Canada

19 May 16

@JudyEv It reminds me of Winnie the Pooh.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

@Juliaacv Winnie the Pooh wasn't part of my childhood. Did he have a tree house? What part reminds you of the story?

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

Yes, I can't imagine it was very comfortable.

1 person likes this

Anna

@LadyDuck (472024)

• Switzerland

19 May 16

This is something I did not know, it's so interesting, I am going to search to know more about the Boab prison trees.

2 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (472024)

• Switzerland

19 May 16

@JudyEv I am saving the links, because I have little time for the computer in these days.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

There seems to be just the two that were called 'prison trees' and one of them wasn't used as a prison apparently. But you'll find all that out if you go searching.

2 people like this

Inlemay

@Inlemay (17713)

• South Africa

19 May 16

imagine that confined space - I would die of claustrophobia, it would be easy on the judge

2 people like this

Toni

@toniganzon (72516)

• Philippines

19 May 16

Prison tree...really interesting. And the shape is really interesting too.

1 person likes this

Toni

@toniganzon (72516)

• Philippines

19 May 16

@JudyEv Yes and i think I just saw it in a tv series Once Upon a Time. I saw a tree exactly like that.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

They are quite unique trees aren't they?

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

@toniganzon I haven't watched the show at all. Were they in Australia? Perhaps it was this tree.

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

19 May 16

amazing that a tree could be used as a prison - wow!

1 person likes this

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

23 May 16

@JudyEv easy to guard too with limited entrances and exits

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

It was way out in the middle of nowhere. I guess it gave a bit of shelter.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

@arthurchappell That's very true. Very much a one-way street.

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Wendy789

@Drosophila (16571)

• Ireland

19 May 16

good job they are now fenced off

1 person likes this

Wendy789

@Drosophila (16571)

• Ireland

23 May 16

@JudyEv hate people who do things like this

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

@Drosophila They are very thoughtless really, aren't they?

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

Yes, many many people have carved their initials on the tree so it's good they've fenced them off.

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (247186)

• United States

23 May 16

Wow! Those poor prisoners.

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DianneN

@DianneN (247186)

• United States

24 May 16

@JudyEv I know, especially from reading my wonderful book.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

24 May 16

Aborigines in those days were barely regarded as 'human'.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317249)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

19 May 16

Those are large trees to be able to hold that many people prisoner.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317249)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

23 May 16

@JudyEv I see that, giving them a very artsy look to them.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

The bottoms really swell out.

1 person likes this

Reine25

@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

19 May 16

They should be kept well

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

Do you mean the trees?

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Reine25

@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

19 May 16

@JudyEv yea ma'am. These.trees.has a part on history

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 May 16

@Lucky15 When one was due to be removed to make way for a road, they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and trucked it down to Perth. It is still growing so far.

1 person likes this

Sheila Brown

@sgbrown (1638)

• United States

23 May 16

I'm sure they used what was available back in those times. I would certainly hate to be stuck in that tree! Very interesting post, Judy!

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

Glad you enjoyed it. Wouldn't it be great to have one like that in your garden?

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Sheila Brown

@sgbrown (1638)

• United States

23 May 16

@JudyEv Yes! I could put hubby in there when he misbehaved!

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minisam

@miniam (9154)

• Bern, Switzerland

19 May 16

That`s some serious tree there. Never heard of prison trees,hope they never kept people there long enough becaus im sure they could in time dig their way out.Chipping little pieces at a time since they had time at thier hands.

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@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

I'm sure it was only ever overnight. The next day they'd head off for the town again.

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minisam

@miniam (9154)

• Bern, Switzerland

23 May 16

@JudyEv Thought it was for extended periods of time,then im sure they`d have dug their wayout.

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Glen

@glenniah (1197)

• Mandurah, Australia

19 May 16

I know about Boab trees but had no idea some were used as prisons. Wow. Thanks for the information Judy.

1 person likes this

slund2041

@slund2041 (3314)

• United States

19 May 16

Oh wow! I never seen a tree like that. I did not know they used trees like this as prison's. WOW! I learned something new today. It is amazing to me that the inner part of the tree was over 100 square feet, now that is a big tree.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

It is a massive tree isn't it? Very unusual.

Marie

@Tampa_girl7 (50614)

• United States

20 May 16

That is a really cool looking tree.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341824)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May 16

It's a bit different isn't it?

Deborah-Diane

@DeborahDiane (40317)

• Laguna Woods, California

23 May 16

How fascinating! So the tree was actually hollowed out by nature. That was very creative of them to use it as a temporary jail. Thanks for sharing this picture. Very cool.

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