The gaol was designed by the NSW Colonial Architect's Office and was built from 1847 to 1945 by James Atkinson Jnr (1862–63) and William Bonython Moffatt (1871 and 1874).

In 1973 the building was transferred from the NSW Department for Corrections to the city council, with the intention of restoration and creation of a tourist attraction.

The buildings are mainly sandstone with hipped corrugated iron roofs, while the entrance, watchtower and women's cell block are of brick.

The infirmary and kitchen and the male exercise yard feature simple wooden brackets to the verandah posts.

[1] Modifications since initial construction are:[1] As at 24 July 2003, Old Dubbo Gaol is of State, regional and Local significance and is listed on the now defunct Register of the National Estate.

[6] The presence of the gaol is a significant reminder of the unusual origins of the City of Dubbo as a regional centre for the judiciary before it became a location of commerce and habitation.

[1] Old Dubbo Gaol also has social significance as a major tourist attraction in the city and is also seen as an underutilised civic amenity.

It is of social significance for the fact that it was saved from demolition by State government actions by a group of local citizens in 1974.

[1] The Old Dubbo Gaol has aesthetic significance as a group of well proportioned and well constructed buildings surrounded by grass lawns set within a brick walled compound.

[1] Old Dubbo Gaol was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 26 March 2004 having satisfied the following criteria.

Aboriginal association with the gaol, in terms of intercultural relations on the frontier of white settlement is exceptionally high.

While working as the Clerk of the Court in Dubbo, Rolf Boldrewood penned the Australian classic novel, Robbery under Arms.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

[1] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

A very large number of Aboriginal people from the region were incarcerated in the Gaol during the process of dispossession, and future research may reveal some interesting episodes in the history of inter-cultural relations in a "frontier" location.

[1] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[1] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Old Dubbo Gaol, entry number 01689 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.