Historical site of Île Nou - Nouville former prison

The Association Témoignage d’un Passé takes visitors on historical guided tours of the former prison at Nouville (bookings required), which held more than 22,000 convicts between 1864 and 1927. Tours can be arranged on request for groups of at least 10 people and for schoolchildren.
There is plenty to discover on this tour showing what prison life was like 150 years ago, including the prison buildings with the governor’s house, the convict bakery, the chapel and the workshops. As you wander through the ruins unearthed by archaeologists, you realise how difficult it was to shelter, feed and care for almost 1,000 men every day, how the convicts built the roads and buildings needed for the Europeans to settle New Caledonia and how the camp was partially destroyed.

A new tour itinerary immerses you in New Caledonian prison life, from the sentencing of prisoners through to their eventual settlement. You’ll gain an understanding of prison living conditions, how work was organised and how prisoners were disciplined. At the end of the tour, you get to see the other side: life after prison. Some prisoners were granted concessions and settled in New Caledonia, their families joined them and their descendants left their own legacy.

You can also book a guided tour of Nou Island by car, which is a fascinating and poignant way to learn about the island’s convict history. More than just a tour of its buildings, you gain a real insight into life as a prisoner or prison guard by listening to stories and seeing actual archival photographs.

Photos are permitted without flash.