Langi Kal Kal history in brief
Langi Kal Kal in the early years
Langi Kal Kal is located in Trawalla, near Beaufort, on Victoria’s Western Highway, about two hours’ drive from Melbourne.
In 1838, the site was a 70,000-acre farm with a substantial farmhouse. It was named Langi Kal Kal, the Aboriginal name for ‘resting place for the singing cicada’.
In 1948, the Penal Department bought 5000 acres of the subdivided property including the homestead for £63,000, and in May 1950 established the Langi Kal Kal Reformatory Prison for Male Persons on indeterminate sentences.
At any one time, Langi Kal Kal housed between 50 and 120 young people. In its more than 45-year history, a total of about 5500 young people passed through.
Langi Kal Kal in the 1950s and ‘60s
In September 1950, Langi Kal Kal received its first 12 young prisoners. In April 1951, Langi Kal Kal was prescribed as a place for the Children’s Court to commit children, and detained:
- young people from 17 years-of-age who were convicted of an offence and sentenced to detention, and
- children and young people 15 to 17 years-of-age, convicted in the Children’s Court and ordered to be detained at Langi Kal Kal.
The Penal Reform Act 1956 abolished the system of indeterminate sentences. In 1958, Langi Kal Kal became a Training Centre (‘public gaol, prison, house of correction, and penal establishment’) where people received basic education and training (numeracy, literacy and work skills).
In 1965, under the Social Welfare Act 1960, Langi Kal Kal Training Centre became specifically for young offenders with custodial orders. Young offenders were placed into different sections depending on a number of factors, including their age, and were offered skills training and education programs.
Closure
In December 1992, the closure of Langi Kal Kal was announced and the 40-or-so remaining trainees were progressively released.
In March 1993, when the Langi Kal Kal Youth Training Centre closed, Malmsbury became Victoria's main youth training centre for 17 to 20-year-old people.
In June 1993, Langi Kal Kal became an adult prison. As of 2016, the site remains an operational adult minimum-security prison with a capacity of 450.
Warning about distressing information
This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.
Disclaimer
Please note that the content of this administrative history is provided for general information only and does not purport to be comprehensive. The department does not guarantee the accuracy of this administrative history.
See Find & Connect for more detail on the history of child welfare in
Sources
- Archival Services agency information compiled in 1993.
- Board of Inquiry into Langi Kal Kal Training Centre Report, presented to both Houses of Parliament of Victoria, 1956-57.
- Guide to out-of-home care services 1940–2000: volume one – agency descriptions, compiled by James Jenkinson Consulting North Melbourne, November 2001.
- Victorian Government Directory, no. 480, May 31 1950, page 3235 [area at Lang Kal Kal set apart to be a reformatory prison for male prisoners].
- Victorian Government Gazette, no. 362, April 4 1951, page 2478 [Children’s Court Regulations permitting the Children’s Court to commit a child over 15 years of age to Langi Kal Kal Reformatory Prison for males].
- Victorian Government Gazette, no.4, January 22 1958, page 135 [revoked order of 1950 for Langi Kal Kal to be a reform prison for males, and proclaimed Langi Kal Kal Training Centre to be a public gaol, prison, house of correction and penal establishment].
- Victorian Government Gazette, no. 50, June 30 1965, page 2017 [revoked Langi Kal Kal Training Centre to be a public gaol, prison, house of correction and penal establishment].
- Victorian Government Gazette, no. 50, June 30 1965, page 2017 [appointed Langi Kal Kal to be a youth training centre].
- Victorian Government Gazette, no. G 15, 22 April 1993, page 889 [abolished Langi Kal Kal Youth Training Centre].
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Reviewed 24 April 2019