NOODLE JAIL

James Paddon settled on Nou Island in 1851 and established the first commercial infrastructure in New Caledonia. France, wishing to regain control of the site in order to build a penal colony, offered him to exchange his property for large tracts of land located in the commune of Païta. Paddon accepted and finally died in 1861. In 1863, construction of the prison buildings began. The first prisoners disembarked aboard the Iphigénie in 1864 at Port-de-France, which was renamed Nouméa in 1866. Numerous buildings scattered all over the peninsula still bear witness to this penitentiary past.

Visit. After crossing the sea, leave the city behind and connect to the island by the dike (built in 1972), follow the road on the left that leads to the old penitentiary. Ironically, or simply for historical purposes, the prison only disappeared to make way for the East Camp prison, the country's main detention center. During your visit, you will see one architectural testimony after another. If you follow James Cook Avenue westwards, once you have passed the University of New Caledonia, you will see the former house of the prison director on the sea side. Not far away, you will discover the nicely restored prison workshop. You then pass in front of the chapel, built in 1882. A little further on you will find the convicts' dormitories and their alley, nicknamed the Boulevard of Crime. It was at the end of this alley that the scaffold was erected for the capital executions. The only guillotine in the territory, it was moved around the Caillou as needed and was used for all criminals. Higher up, the dwellings of the military supervisors still seem to watch over the site. Continue to the cathedral, built in 1875 but never consecrated. Once used as a prison administration warehouse, it has been home to the superb Théâtre de l'île since 1972, which has made full use of this past with a remarkable enhancement. The road bends to the left and leads to the ruins of the garden warden's house, located just a few steps from a flamboyant tree. Further on stands the old hospital of the Marais, built in 1870 and whose portal was only completed in 1885. It is now a specialized hospital. Before arriving there, take the small road to reach the convicts' cells. The visit is truly fascinating!