Erected in 1837, it included several cells and a police lock-up. There were four cells, measuring 10 feet by 10 feet by 7 feet.

These were intended for short-sentence local offenders or people awaiting transfer to Goulburn in cases of more serious offences.

Local police were also the gaolers, receiving a small salary from the prisons department for their work in addition to their police salaries.

By 1850, these arrangements were overstretched trying to manage the numbers of prisoners, given the increasing Yass population.

There were stories of overcrowding. It was reported in the Yass Courier, May 22, 1861, that at one point there were 23 prisoners crowded into the four cells.

That same year it was decided to allocate £2,000 to build a new prison.

The new prison was completed in 1863. It was two storey and had six cells, a guard’s room, gaoler’s sitting room and kitchen on the ground floor, and six cells and two bedrooms on the first floor.

On September 8, 1863 the Colonial Secretary’s Office announced that Mr James Fitzgerald had been appointed gaoler at Yass Prison, and his wife a matron of Yass Gaol.

In 1866, Colonial Secretary, Henry Parkes visited Yass to inspect the place, before inspecting other local institutions. 

The Governor Lord Belmore and Lady Belmore, on a much celebrated visit to Yass in July 1868, also included Yass Gaol and Courthouse in their itinerary.

One infamous prisoner held in Yass Gaol in 1868 was John Munday or Collins. He was a ticket of leave man in the employ of John Conroy, about 16 miles south of Yass, who was charged, then later convicted and hanged in Goulburn for the murders of John Conroy, his wife and three others.

Sadly, an 1867 Prison Record Book showed the names of children aged between one and 12who had been imprisoned with their parents.

And the Statistical Register of NSW 1881 showed that there was one child under 10 years who had been imprisoned in Yass Gaol.

The Yass Courier October 18, 1872 reported a 13 year-old boy was sent to Yass Gaol for a month for having no means of support and later died there.

In 1896, Yass Gaol was classified as a short- term lockup.

By 1933, the old Yass Gaol was quite derelict and eventually demolished.

Several surviving pieces such as cell keys, a cell door bolt, a table and iron bedstead can now be found in Yass & District Museum.