PRISONER LOCATIONS

Welcome to the alternative tourist guide to Melbourne and Sydney. Below is a list of locations used to shoot scenes for Prisoner, or connected with the show in some way. Many thanks to Robert <fangora@ozemail.com.au> for supplying the list of locations and the photographs of 'Greg's surgery' and the courthouse. Be sure to take a look at his great Australian soap website at www.ozemail.com.au/~fangora/. If anyone has any more to add to this list, pleasee-mail me.

Happy sightseeing!


Melbourne

photo of Channel Ten StudiosChannel Ten Studios (pictured right) - This is the studio in which Prisoner was filmed, with the back of the studio building being used as the exterior of Wentworth Detention Centre. It is situated on Hawthorn Road (between Springvale and Mahoneys Roads) in Forest Hill (sometimes known as Nunawading). Note that Channel Ten also has offices in South Yarra but Prisoner was never filmed there. Forest Hill is about 20 kms from the city centre, so a taxi there would be quite expensive. Public transport to that area is not too good. The only option seems to be catching a tram along Burwood Highway to the end of the line and then getting a taxi from there to the studios. It is possible to get fairly close to the building and you can see the front view as seen in Prisoner. Those barred 'windows' are still there. Many of the generic street and shop scenes were filmed around this same area.
Read about my tour of the studios.

Porter Street, Prahran - In an area known for trendy cafes, clothes shops and gay cafes and clubs, you will find the original Halfway House that was run by Karen Travers (unless it has now been demolished). It is on the Sandringham railway line - just catch the train to Prahran Station. The actual house is/was somewhere on Porter Street while nearby Commercial Road and Greville Street are good spots to visit as well.
photo of the courthouse used in Prisoner
Courthouse, Prahran (pictured left) - Both the interior and exterior of this building have featured frequently in Prisoner. It was used for the trials of numerous Wentworth inmates, including Pat O'Connell, Sharon Gilmour and Lizzie and Doreen, and was the scene of Ros Coulson's fatal shooting of Toni McNally. It was also here that Meg and Jim appeared as witnesses at Geoff Butler's trial, following which Michael Simpson approached Geoff in the street outside and made a deal to get revenge on Jim. The courthouse, which still looks exactly the same, is on Greville Street in Prahran. The side street with the actual entrance to the court (the prisoners' entrance, as opposed to the main foyer at the front of the building) is called Macquarie Street. Most of the exterior filming was conducted in Macquarie Street.

The Hilton Hotel - The expensive bar were Wayne and Margo went to celebrate her release is in the Hilton Hotel, 198 Wellington Parade (corner Clarendon Street), East Melbourne. Very close to the city. The Hotel is not too impressive but the adjacent Fitzroy Gardens are beautiful. East Melbourne is a suburb primarily known for grand old Victorian terrace houses and formal, tree-lined avenues. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is also close by.
'Greg Miller's surgery', Fitzroy
Spring Street, Fitzroy - Just a few doors up from Johnston Street you'll find the white, two-storey Victorian Terrace house (pictured right) which was used as Greg Miller's surgery in Prisoner.

Flinders Street Railway Station - A bit of a cliché, used in nearly every Melbourne production, including Prisoner (used in the opening shot of episode one with Karen Travers walking past). It's at the corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street in the city. You can't miss it.

Pentridge Prison - Never shown in Prisoner but certainly mentioned and certainly an impressive building. It's on Champ Street, Coburg, in Melbourne's inner north. Either get the train to Coburg station or the tram along Royal Parade/Sydney Road and get off at Champ Street. At certain times the now-closed Pentridge has been open to the public.

Collins Street - The section of Collins Street between Spring and Exhibition Streets in the city was used for location shooting in episode two where Bea is released, has her hair done and calls Val.


Sydney

Watson's Bay area - When Bea escaped and headed to Sydney, this is the location of the home where she worked as a servant. A beautiful spot to visit. During that same Prisoner storyline we saw a bit of Doreen's flat. That would have been somewhere in Kirribilli.

Kings Cross - This was where Bobbie worked as a prostitute after being 'escaped' from Wentworth along with Sonia. The Darlinghurst Road/MacLeay Street areas of Kings Cross and the Fitzroy Gardens, just off MacLeay Street, were used.


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