Castlereagh Street and Park Streets, North-Western Corner
The Barley Mow Hotel
The Barley Mow Hotel Holds The Oldest Continuous License In Sydney, Dating From 1830, But The Building Has Been Reconstructed. Earlier (1804) This Was The Site Of The Public Gallows.
Joseph Fowles In "Sydney 1848" Tells Us
"That The First Place Of Execution Was In The Vicinity Of What Is Now Occupied By The St James Watch-House, Others That It Was On The Opposite Side of Elizabeth Street. Where Hendersons Buildings Now Stand.
But By A Chart In A French Work, Published By The Authority Of Napoleon 1803, It Appears To Have Been Near The Site Of The Old Court House; On One Point; There Is No Difference Of Opinion; That The Exact Spot Later Formed Part Of A Garden That Extended Up King Street, Embracing Part Of The Site Of the New South Wales Supreme Court
Back To Joseph Fowles From "Sydney 1848"
- " About The Year 1804 The Gallows Was Removed To The Corner Of Park And Castlereagh Streets, Where The Barley Mow Public House Now Stands.
THE SYDNEY GAZETTE OF NOVEMBER. 25TH 1804 Describes A Trip To The Gallows When John Green, A Black Man Charged With Rape, Was Sentenced To Death. After Being Consoled By The Reverend Samuel Marsden "He Kneeled And Received With Some Visible Emotions The Last Offerings Of Piety. Yielding To His Fate He Expressed Concern At His Condition And Lamented That He Could No More Indulge A Hope Of Ever Beholding His Ancient Parents; He Declared The Province Of Pennsylvania To Be That Of His Nativity.
While The Work Of Death Was Under Preparation He Took Leave Of The Populace In A Short Harangue, Warning Against A Life Of Dissipation - And Then Departed For An Unknown Region."
"The Gallows Was Again Erected Near The Site Of Barkers Mills, In Sussex Street, It Was Afterwards Removed To The East Corner Of What Is now The Protestant Burial Ground, Near Strawberry Hill; Again Over The Sand Hills To The Back Of The New Military Barracks (In York Street)"
Fowles Neglected To State That The Gallows Was Also Erected Outside The Jail At Essex And George Streets, Until It Was Removed To Darlinghurst Jail In 1841. The Most Important Public Hanging Here was Of The Murderer John Knatchbull, executed On 13th Feb 1844