Uncover the hidden history of Melbourne’s prison burial sites in Bones & Burial Boxes: Digging Up the Past at Prison Burial Sites, a compelling exhibition that reveals the untold stories behind some of the city’s most infamous institutions. Through rare artefacts and groundbreaking archaeological discoveries, the exhibition illuminates a shadowy chapter of Melbourne’s past.

Far from being simple resting places, these burial sites offer a complex narrative of crime, punishment, and societal attitudes. The exhibition focuses on two of Melbourne’s most significant historic prisons: Pentridge Prison and the Old Melbourne Gaol. Central to the display are objects unearthed during Heritage Victoria’s landmark 2009 excavation of a mass grave at Pentridge, bringing to light the lives and deaths of those connected to these sites in unprecedented detail.

After the closure of the Old Melbourne Gaol in the 1920s, the remains of executed inmates were exhumed and transferred to Pentridge. This grim relocation is contextualised within the broader story of Melbourne’s penal system, exploring how archaeology can help us better understand the lives and legacies of both the notorious and the forgotten.

Visitors will encounter artefacts that breathe life into these stories, including burial boxes and coffin lids, a sack that once held bones, funerary items such as a mourning dress, and phrenological busts that reflect the period’s pseudoscientific practices. The exhibition also examines the infamous criminals interred at these sites, including Ned Kelly and others who shaped the city’s criminal folklore.

Presented in partnership with Heritage Victoria, Bones & Burial Boxes invites audiences to reflect on the darker threads of Melbourne’s history and consider how archaeology uncovers voices long silenced. This thought-provoking journey connects justice, history, and the enduring human desire to remember.

Opening April 5th , the exhibition will be on display in Warders Upstairs, located within the Pentridge Prison Tours Ticketing Office. It will be open Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. During the Victorian School Holidays, the exhibition will be open seven days a week. Tickets can be pre-purchased online individually or as an add-on to any Pentridge Prison Tour, or they can be purchased on-site.

Content Warning: This exhibition contains themes and displays that may be confronting to some visitors, including discussions of death, burial practices, and executions.