Cooma Correctional Centre has been honoured with an official plaque to recognise its inclusion on the NSW State Heritage Register.
The plaque was unveiled today by NSW Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong, who attended the Correctional Centre for a formal ceremony.
Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Gary McCahon also attended the event, which recognised the challenging past of Cooma Gaol, a correctional facility used exclusively between 1957 and 1984 to imprison people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Over these decades, gay men, transwomen, and non-binary people were incarcerated at Cooma Gaol for the crime of homosexuality, a crime that remained illegal in NSW until it was decriminalised in 1984.
“It’s a momentous occasion to see Cooma Correctional Centre acknowledged by the NSW State Heritage Register,” said Commissioner McCahon.
“It’s a prison with a varied and at times dark past that must be protected for future generations.
“It is both distressing – and perhaps almost unbelievable – that such archaic attitudes could have existed as recently as 1984, when homosexuality was decriminalised in NSW.
“I am pleased to say that in 2025, it’s a past that’s long behind us.
“Discrimination and the persecution of others for their sexuality, race, religion or any other quality, has no place in society today.
“I’m honoured to see Cooma Correctional Centre receive recognition on the NSW State Heritage Register and look forward to seeing its history protected as it continues to thrive, as a valuable and dynamic part of the Snowy-Monaro region into the future.”
The inclusion of Cooma Correctional Centre on the NSW State Heritage Register acknowledges the Gaol’s challenging history and will ensure the physical site is preserved for generations to come, said Minister Chanthivong.
“The inclusion of Cooma Gaol on the State Heritage Register is important because it acknowledges and preserves the history of those who were unjustly treated, for generations to come,” he said.
“On behalf of the Minns Government I reiterate our apology to those who were incarcerated unjustly due to discriminatory laws for homosexual acts.
“I am pleased to see Cooma Correctional Centre acknowledged by the NSW State Heritage Register for the unique and challenging role it played in our state’s history.
“In the interests of not ignoring history lest we be doomed to repeat it, let us also be clear that the history of Cooma Gaol should serve as a stark warning of the perils of discrimination.”
Cooma Gaol Historian and journalist, Patrick Abboud said the practices that led to inmates being incarcerated at Cooma Gaol, and the treatment they received while they were there, had lifelong impacts for all involved.
“Along with the Minns Government’s formal apology for the criminalisation of homosexual acts, the NSW State Heritage acknowledgement of Cooma Gaol as a place of incarceration for gay men, transwomen, and non-binary people is a step toward healing for those former inmates still living with past traumas, and the redemption of the memory of those we have lost,” said Mr Abboud.
