In colonial times, the area known today as Prince Alfred Park contained the colony's gaol and was known as 'the Gaol Green' and 'the Hanging Green.' Regular public punishments occurred there until the 1840s when the gaol moved to a new location and the area became a public reserve. A visit by the Duke of Edinburgh in the 1860s saw the area renamed Alfred Square. The park took on grander elements in the twentieth century, eventually transforming into the vibrant civic space it is today.
