[1][5] The prison saw a significant industrial dispute regarding sacked warders in 1921, which saw the involvement of future MP Frank Nieass as the secretary of their union.

In 1924, a released prisoner told The News that "any man who has served six months in Gladstone Gaol has been through hell".

[8] In 1925, Chief Secretary James Jelley inspected the jail to investigate issues around the "harshness of confinement".

[10] Its use as an internment camp was not long lived; it was used as a military detention barracks for a period, but spent much of the next fifteen years in a state of disuse.

[4][15] The prison was opened to visitors in 1978, though closed in June 2022 for repairs, following the previous caretakers surrendering their licence to operate the gaol as a tourist attraction.