Dhurringile Prison

Car

Follow the Hume Highway until you reach the Shepparton exit (just north of Seymour). This exit is approximately 100km from the centre of Melbourne.

Take the Goulburn Valley Highway through to Nagambie and take the Murchison exit, which is approximately 45km along the highway.

Follow the highway a further 5km to Murchison East and turn left. Drive west for approximately 2km to Murchison.

Turn right off the Goulburn River Bridge, then drive through the town and follow the road to Tatura. The prison is approximately 10km from Murchison on the right. The main feature of the prison is the tower of the mansion, which can be seen approximately 2km before reaching the prison.

Turn right at the driveway and follow the signs.

Public transport

Trains travel to Murchison East on the Seymour Line. This is a V-Line service (External link)

To visit a prisoner, you must be on their approved list. Once you are on the list, you can book a visit according to the visit session times listed below. 

It is recommended that you phone the prison before visiting to check that there are no issues on the day of your booked visit.

Visitors must follow the COVIDSafe visiting procedures. 

Visiting times

No visitors will be permitted on prison grounds until 15 minutes before visit start times.

All visitors are to use the first car park designated for visitors.

For conditions of entry that apply to all prisons, such as COVIDSafe measures, general behaviour and the search process, refer to the general information for contacting and visiting prisoners. The following additional details are specific to Dhurringile Prison:

• Visitors are checked through the Visitors’ Reception Centre where names are taken, identification checked and any approved property booked in. The prisoner will then be called for a visit. No prisoner is permitted in the visit centre before their visitor.
• Lockers are available at the Visitors’ Reception Centre for the temporary storage of visitors’ personal items. Lockers are available for visitors using public transport only.
• At the end of the visit, visitors can collect any outgoing property from the Visitors’ Reception Centre and must sign out of the appropriate register.

Prisoners are encouraged to maintain contact with their family and friends and one way to do this, is via visits. As a visitor to a prison, you are required to follow prison rules, including complying with visitor dress standards, which assist in keeping prisons safe.

There are a range of factors that staff must consider when processing visitors, including the visitor’s clothing or items accompanying the visitor, and the suitability of these items for a prison environment.

Such considerations include clothing items that can be used to conceal contraband, conceal a person’s identity, or breach security, or clothing that could lead to unrest or cause incidents amongst prisoners.

Visitors are encouraged to refer to this list as a guide and to contact the prison directly where they are unsure if their attire will be suitable for a prison visit.

The following clothing items are not permitted for the purpose of a prison visit.

• Gang affiliated clothing, colours or patches
• Clothing displaying racist/derogatory/sexist or profane messaging, imagery or symbolism
• Clothing that is considered to be inappropriately revealing of private body parts or sexually provocative in nature. This may include clothing that is:
  • sheer or see through
  • low cut
  • very short e.g. high cut shorts that reveal upper thigh or buttocks, football shorts, miniskirts
  • exposing e.g. midriff or crop tops
• Gloves
• High visibility workwear due to similarity in attire with contracted workers
• Open-toed shoes
• Scarves (excluding for religious purposes)
• Watches including any type of smart watch or Fitbit activity device 

Visitors should also be mindful that the following items may pose a concern:

• Boots and thick sole shoes
• Hair pieces such as headbands, scrunchies etc
• Hooded tops or jumpers
• Jewellery, particularly where it is excessive
• Sleeveless or strapless clothing
• Windcheaters, track-pants or t-shirts that are bottle green (men’s prisons) or royal blue (woman’s prisons) due to similarity with prison issued clothing

Please note that there may be other circumstances where an item of clothing is considered to present a security risk or safety concern.

Staff may ask visitors to present an item to be searched, including the removal of hair pieces or jewellery where there are concerns that contraband may be concealed.

You may be asked to place any items of concern into a visitor locker for the duration of your visit. You may also be required to wear a prison issued T-shirt for visitors.

Failure to comply with prison rules, may result in sanctions, such as refusal of entry to the prison; a non-contact visit or even a visit ban.

All clothing and footwear that is handed in it must be new and in its original packaging.

The following items may dropped off at the prison for prisoners:

Clothing

• underpants, jocks, boxer shorts x 6
• white cotton t-shirts x 4 (new only)
• thermal tops, pants (white only - will be regarded as underwear) x 2
• socks x 6
• handkerchiefs x 6
• slippers or moccasins (low ankle, NO ugg boots) x 1 pair
• pyjamas (no motifs) x 2
• dressing gown (no motifs)
• sports shorts – black ( knee length, no cargo, pockets or zips, no high cut running shorts or with inner lining).

Miscellaneous

• family photos (non-offensive and no polaroids) x 1
• paperback books, magazines, newspapers x 6 in total. 

Dhurringile will not accept 'objectionable material' that describe, depict, express or otherwise deal will matters of sex, nudity, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in a manner that is likely to cause offence to any person.

All other property should be considered unauthorised unless prior approval has been given by the Operations Manager.

All property will be in accordance with the points system as outlined in Schedules 4.8(1) & 4.8(2) of the Deputy Commissioner's Instruction (DCI) 4.08.

Security level

Minimum

Restricted Minimum

Accommodation

• 50 x 2 man portable accommodation units
• 29 x 6 man self-catering units
• 13 x 6 man non self-catering units
• 1 x 12 man non self-catering unit
• 1 x 52 bed re-locatable cellular unit
• 1 x 6 bed disability unit

History

Dhurringile Prison was originally the 68-room homestead for a large farm and was completed in 1877. During the second World War it was used as an internment camp for 'alien civilians' and later for prisoners of war. After the war the Presbyterian Church used it as a training camp for English and Scottish orphans, until the Victorian Government purchased it in 1965 to use as a minimum-security prison. Over the years the grounds have been reduced to just over 100 hectares (one square mile). The prison is situated 160km north of Melbourne.