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Showing posts from May, 2021

The Mysteries of Saint Helena Island......

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 The Captain is calling, " All on board, Stop smiling prisoner 321, this is not a fun ride, get to work." The captain is assisting the passengers on board the Cat "O" nine tails, this is the boat that takes you out to the Island of Saint Helena.  Originally a Leper colony and used for Quarantine, then changed to a prison for men only when Boggo Road Prison became over crowded.  Peel Island became the place for Lepers.  The last leper left Peel Island in 1982 and was transferred to Princess Alexandra Hospital.  Prisoner 78 and 321 in front  Jetty and Guards swimming enclosure   Prisoners were only allowed 1 visitor every 8 weeks for a time period of 20 minutes.  Back in those days there was no motors on the boats to get out to the Island fast, so it was a long trip for a visit.  A guard was present at all times.  The visiting room, if you could call it that, had the visitors on one side and the prisoners on the other so that they could not touch or pass secret messag