“Snitch the Rat” has been set loose in the cells helping educate kids inside one of Maitland’s historic monuments.
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In a fun pitch to educate kids Maitland City Council and the state government launched a new audio tour of Maitland Gaol, featuring the rodent guide, yesterday.
Developed using state tourism and heritage funds, worth $67,000, kids eight and up are handed an iPod and headphones for an hour of learning.
The guide starts with the first boat load of prisoners in 1848, taking them through the cells and through the gaol’s history from the mouth of a ghost rat.
Why?
“Well, a regular rat doesn’t live 150-plus years,” council’s project manager Gordon Sauber said.
The gaol’s original audio guide was revamped for yesterday’s launch, beside the children’s guide, and an M-rated exposé on the gaol breaks completes the trifecta.
Minister for Tourism George Souris (formerly minister for racing) opened the new tours noting an unusual connection with one of the Maitland Gaol’s most notorious inmates, Ivan Milat, the film Wolf Creek and a greyhound.
“When I was minister for racing one of my first roles was to de-register the name Milat backwards, ‘Navitalim’, which a Singleton dog trainer had used,” he said, noting Navitalim was referenced in the feature film staring John Jarrett.
Minister for Environment and Heritage Robyn Parker was also on hand to open the tour beside mayor of Maitland Peter Blackmore.
Destination NSW provided $50,000 for the project under the Destination Tourism Product Development Program and $17,000 from the NSW Heritage Grants Program.
