Visitors will be able to hear the sounds of a lunatic laughing or see the original parts of the gallows now the first phase of upgrades at Old Dubbo Gaol is complete.
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Stage one of the gaol's upgrades, included in a $1.39 million redevelopment to create a more modern experience for visitors, was revealed on Tuesday.
NSW Minister for Arts, Don Harwin helped unveil the new redevelopments which included new interactive media displays, and an upgrade to the exhibition space to showcase the extensive collection of historical artefacts.
"It's a heritage precinct that's truly been transformed and today we're opening another section of the redevelopment and celebrating another chapter," he said.
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"It's so important to invest in regional communities and to foster a love of heritage and a love of our history."
Dubbo Regional Council mayor Ben Shields said the refurbishment project is expected to improve visitor experience, which hadn't been updated for more than 20 years.
"This Old Dubbo Gaol facility has a very, very special part in a lot of peoples hearts in this community," he said.
"The enhancements we're making today is all about bringing to life what used to be.
"This isn't about buildings, its going to show what life in the jail was about, and what the jail can do to educate our community. And how we educate the community is by showing the community what used to be.
"So this is not going to be just a great tourist attraction, but it's going to be a great educational tool."
Dubbo Regional Council contributed $809,725 towards the work while the other $600,000 came from the NSW government. The project is one of 136 across the state funded by the Regional Cultural Fund.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the upgrades to the heritage site were expected to "reactivate" the Dubbo city.
"The Old Dubbo Gaol is one of the premier and most unique tourist attractions we have in Dubbo," he said.
"These upgrades allow the gaol to move with the times when it comes to tourism offerings, while maintaining the heritage feel that befits a site of such historical significance to the city."
The Old Dubbo Gaol attracts more than 50,000 visitors per year and provides education opportunities for up to 3000 students from NSW, ACT, VIC and QLD.