The site at Kariong has a very interesting history. Prior to is belonging to the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation (formerly Festival Development Corporation), the site operated as the Mount Penang Juvenile Justice Centre and it was the largest centre of its type in the Southern Hemisphere, accommodating 170 male juvenile offenders.

The Centre was set out on an open plan, with the detainees housed in dormitories and attending schooling and vocational technical training on site during the week. The principle of rehabilitation through the combination of education and physical labour is a doctrine that the centre had adopted throughout its history. Indeed, the initial building phase between 1912 and 1922 relied on the physical labour of the inmates for the construction of the Centre's major buildings, many of which are still in use today.

The links below indicate the various themes and period of constructions during the site’s history as listed in the Conservation Management Plan, prepared by Godden Mackay Logon in 2000. The key periods are:

There is also reference to the period since the year 2000, which is when the Mt Penang site began to be managed by the Festival Development Corporation now the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation. This story is not about juvenile detention, but about an integrated approach to development which enhances the significant heritage nature of the site and looks at a mixture of public land use with commercial opportunities.

If you would like to know more about the history of Mt Penang, you might like to read:

Sent to the Mountain

Send to the Mountain
written by Valerie Rubie

This is an historical book written about the Mt Penang site when it was operating as a juvenile detention centre (1911 - 1999).

Written by local historian, Valerie Rubie, this book tells the story of this institution from its conception and establishment. Ms Rubie, draws on a range of primary sources, including oral history and the memoirs of detainees, staff and members of the community, to give readers a broad perspective on the history of this prominent institution.

Copies can be accessed via your local library (NSW only).