Convict Australia

A podcast about the convicts that were transported to Australia. Each episode offers a glimpse into life as a convict and a broader insight into the convict system. Presented by Jennifer Twemlow, author of 'Convict Sydney: the real-life stories of 32 prisoners'.

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Episodes

Parramatta Female Factory with Gay Hendriksen

Historian Gay Hendriksen joins us to talk about the Parramatta Female Factory. The Parramatta Female Factory was one of thirteen factories around Australia that housed convict women. Between 1821 and 1848 it was a penitentiary, a hospital for women, a workplace, a marriage bureau and a refuge for women, children, and the sick and elderly women of the colony. It was designed by Francis Greenway and built by convict men. Gay takes us through the various uses of the Factory, how it was run, the rou...

Apr 05, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 6

The Surry

This is the story of the Surry - a ship that transported convicts to Port Jackson in 1814. During the voyage, there was an outbreak of Typhus that devastated the people on board. SOURCES The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868 , by Charles Bateson Netweather Community, 1814: A cold year with a severe winter. https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/33631-1814-a-cold-year-with-a-severe-winter/ The Free Dictionary, Typhus https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Gaol-fever BBC, Gaol fever - typhus or ...

Mar 22, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Convict Documentation

Convict Indents, Surgeon Journals, Tickets of Leave, Certificates of Freedom and Pardons are some of the primary sources available when researching convicts. In this episode, we explore these documents - what they are, what they can tell us and where we can find them. We explore the different types of Indents and Pardons and the abbreviations used. SOURCES Convicts and Convict Administration Guide , State Archives & Records of NSW https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-resea...

Mar 08, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 4

William Gow - Convict Schoolmaster

Stephen Gow, author of 'From Distress to Deliverance, the life and times of William Gow; convict, schoolmaster, farmer', talks about his research and shines a light on the education system for the children of convicts and free settlers. We learn about the remarkable story of William Gow who was convicted of burglary and sentenced to hang at the Old Bailey in 1816 and somehow escaped the noose to become a well-respected schoolmaster in the Hawkesbury Valley. LINKS You can purchase your copy of St...

Feb 21, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Secondary Punishments

In this episode, we explore common types of punishments that convict men could receive if they stepped out of line - flogging, the treadmill, leg irons, solitary confinement and banishment to penal settlements. SOURCES · ‘ Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners’ by Jennifer Twemlow · ‘ Convicts & The Colonies, A study of Penal Transportation from Great Britain & Ireland to Australia & other parts of the British Empire' by A G L Shaw. · ‘A – Z of convicts in Van Diemen’...

Feb 08, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Amphitrite

This episode is about a convict transportation ship named the Amphitrite that was shipwrecked on its journey out to Australia. We delve into what life was like on the voyage and how it all went horribly wrong. SOURCES The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868, by Charles Bateson Most Perfectly Safe: the convict shipwreck disasters of 1833-42 by G.A. Mawer Music by Ahjay Stelino LINKS Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustr...

Jan 25, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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