Hay Gaol initially operated under the control of the police.  On 17 March 1882, however, the gaol was placed under the administration of its first gaoler, Ghiblim Everett. Everett's wife, Mary Ann, was the matron at the gaol; the remainder of the staff comprised a senior warden and four other wardens. Ghiblim and Mary Ann Everett were at Berrima before coming to Hay, where Ghiblim was chief warder at Berrima Gaol.  The Hay Gaol facility continued mainly to be used to incarcerate comparatively short-term offenders from the surrounding districts.  Ghiblim Everett was an active gardener and during his period as gaoler “he created a garden there which was one of the beauty spots of Hay”.  A vegetable garden at the gaol, maintained by the inmates, supplied fresh produce for prisoners’ meals.