My Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Phyllis Stone Essay
Imagine sitting in your living room on a regular, uneventful evening. The window is open, a cool breeze wafts into the room, and music is playing softly. Everything is calm. You get up from the couch to retrieve a book from your bedroom, and on the way pass by the five prisoners serving time from their cells in your hallway. It may seem surreal, but for the families of Governors that presided over the Victoria County Gaol, this was simply life behind thick concrete walls.
Phyllis Stone’s family was the last to live amongst the incarcerated at the Gaol. Her father, Henry William Stone (1888 - 1955) was appointed Governor in 1922 and remained until his passing in 1955. Her essay, My Twenty Years Behind Bars, was written in 1998 and reflects on her formative years living with her family in the Victoria County Gaol. Phyllis commends her parents for completing their duties with great respect and kindness for their prisoners, recalls the extraordinary circumstances of growing up with her three siblings, and the life lessons she learned from the men and women who served time under her father.
Phyllis Stone sitting on the steps outside the Victoria County Gaol
Phyllis (right) pictured with sisters Shirley (left) and Marilyn (centre)
It is important for the reader to remember that these are the recollections of a child, told many decades after the events unfolded. The day-to-day events may not have been as peaceful as Phyllis remembered. But her essay remains as a testament to a family who thrived in unusual circumstances, and dedicated their lives to rehabilitating the most destitute members of their community.
Read the full essay below:
Text and document recreation by Elaine Jones