Lying in Sydney Bay in Australia, at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, close to a modern, vibrant metropolis, a small piece of land called Kokatu Island looks completely insignificant.
It seems to be just a lifeless rock containing the ruins of old buildings. But this place has a long and colorful, albeit dark, history.
Between 1839 and 1869, it was a prison for the most violent criminals. It contained those who were sentenced to “secondary punishment”, that is, they were released from ordinary prisons and returned to criminal activity. The prisoners worked to build the largest shipyards in the country. Their living conditions were appalling. Today, the ruins on the island have become part of the national heritage. They are considered to be a place where strange events and phenomena often occur. It is said that the ghosts of prisoners still roam here.
Considering that it was a prison for the most inveterate criminals, for the worst of the worst, the lowest dregs, no one bothered in those days about the conditions of their detention. For the slightest offense, the prisoners received monstrous punishments, little different from torture. They were beaten, tortured, placed in tiny cells a little larger than a coffin. The deaths of prisoners due to the actions of the guards occurred constantly. At a time when there were shipyards on the island, there was no question of any safety precautions. Many died while working, while others simply disappeared, and their fate remains unknown.
When the prison was closed, the premises were given over to contain "lost" Aboriginal girls between the ages of 8 and 18. The strict discipline of the institution also meant the strictest punishments for children, who often did not even understand what the harsh educators required of them. The walls of the prison had little room for organizing a full-fledged learning process.
All of this resulted in the place getting a bad name. Many strange things have been observed in the abandoned ruins. Dark, obscure figures appeared and disappeared, Guests and employees often said that someone pushed or kicked them. They felt invisible hands on them. Electronic devices refused to work properly or simply failed. Visitors also talk about the smells of cigarette smoke, voices, footsteps and screams appearing from nowhere. Ghosts of little girls were seen, dressed in dresses of the old days, running and laughing. Sometimes the people who found themselves on the island suddenly found a sense of threat and impending suffering. One of the ghosts is the daughter of the former superintendent, who appears dressed in a white dress and asks to play with her.
The island remains a strange and attractive destination for those seeking mystical and enigmatic experiences, as well as for history buffs, anyone who finds themselves in Sydney is encouraged to visit it.
GUSAKOVA IRINA YURIEVN
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