Convict Australia

In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow continues her conversation with historian Cathy Dunn, this time turning to the second phase of Norfolk Island’s convict history — the notorious Penal Settlement (1825–1855). Often described as “hell on earth,” this period saw the island transformed into one of the harshest and most feared places of punishment in the British Empire. Cathy shares the stories of brutality, survival, and resistance that defined life on the island. LINKSWant to learn more about Norfolk Island? Then click on the link:https://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find Convict Australia on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow speaks with historian Cathy Dunn about the early convict history of Norfolk Island, known as the Colonial Settlement (1788-1814). Cathy shares compelling stories of the island’s early days—of survival, punishment, and resilience in one of the most isolated places in the British Empire. Listeners will hear about the devastating wreck of the Sirius, the harsh realities faced by male and female convicts, surprising opportunities for them, and the unique role Norfolk Island played in Australia’s convict era.LINKSWant to learn more about Norfolk Island? Then click on the link:https://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠Find Convict Australia on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In January 1859, five convicts escaped from a Fremantle work party and vanished into the bush, launching one of the most dramatic manhunts in Western Australian history. Stealing boats and navigating treacherous coastal waters, they fled north in a desperate bid for freedom. But as the weeks wore on and survival became a struggle, tensions within the group turned deadly. What followed was a brutal journey marked by pursuit, hardship, and murder — and by the time authorities caught up, only four men remained to tell the tale.SOURCES1859 'Domestic Sayings and Doings.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 28 January, p. 2. , viewed 19 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29313021859 'THE INDEPENDENT JOURNAL,', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 4 February, p. 2. , viewed 25 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29313131859 'Local and Domestic Intelligence.', The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 - 1901), 23 February, p. 2. , viewed 02 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article660082141859 'Recapture of the Escaped Convicts.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 4 March, p. 2. , viewed 08 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29313711859 'Quarter Sessions.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 8 July, p. 2. , viewed 26 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29316571859 'Thursday, July 7.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 8 July, p. 3. , viewed 02 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931659Convicts in Western Australia 1850 – 1887, Dictionary of Western Australians, Volumes IX, viewed 13 March 2025 https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/convictsinwesternaustralia LINKSGet your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠Find Convict Australia on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In February 1821, two convicts, Peter Penney and William White, embark on a daring escape from the Australian colony. Stowing away on the ship Dromedary, they endure a perilous journey across the ocean, hiding in the ship’s hold while struggling with hunger, thirst, and the constant threat of discovery. SOURCESMacquarie, Lachlan. Memoranda & Related Papers. 22December 1808-14 July 1823. Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. ML Ref: A772 75-77 ff. [Microfilm Reel CY301 Frames #81-83]. Viewed 1 Nov 2024, https://www.mq.edu.au/macquarie-archive/lema/1821/1821feb.html#feb81821, The Morning Post, Tues, Jul 10, 1821 Page 3, viewed14/11/2024, hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/396900044/?match=1&terms=dromedary%20convict1821 The Bristol Mirror, Bristol, Avon, England, Saturday,14 July 1821, viewed 14 NOV 2024 hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/970365575/?match=1&terms=dromedary%20convict1821 The Exeter Flying Post or, Trewman's Plymouth andCornish Adverfiser. Thu, Nov 01, 1821 ·Page 4 , Viewed 14/11/2024, hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/393165112/?match=1&terms=william%20white%20peter%20penny1822 'BRITISH EXTRACTS DOWN TO OCTOBER.', Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser (Tas. : 1821 - 1825), 2 March, p. 2. , viewed 11 Feb 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10896511824 'MAGISTRATE FOR THE ENSUING WEEK, JAMES BOWMAN, ESQUIRE.', The Sydney Gazette andNew South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 7 October, p. 2. , viewed 13 February 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21832761824 'THE ISABELLA.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 14 October, p. 4. , viewed 13 February 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article370740051824 ‘Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825’, Ship: Per"Tottenham" 4/1815], pp.441-3 | Reel No: 6068 | Start Date:29/09/1824, viewed 13 February 2025, https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA⟨=en_US&docid=INDEX2478835  LINKSGet your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠Find Convict Australia on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In May 1814, Sydney’s bustling Port Jackson faced terror as the convict ship The Three Bees went up in flames. Loaded with gunpowder and cannons, the burning vessel drifted perilously toward the town, spreading panic and chaos. Discover the explosive story that nearly devastated early Sydney in this unmissable episode! SOURCES 1813-1814 Lloyd's list. Westmead, Gt. Brit.: Gregg International. 14 October, p407., viewed 31 Oct 2024, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005785830&seq=407&q1=three+bees 1814 'SYDNEY.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 21 May, p. 2. , viewed 29 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article628916 Macquarie, Lachlan. Memoranda & Related Papers. 22 December 1808-14 July 1823. Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. ML Ref: A772 75-77 ff. [Microfilm Reel CY301 Frames #81-83]. Viewed 1 Nov 2024, https://www.mq.edu.au/macquarie-archive/lema/1814/1814may.html#18 Watson, Frederick & Chapman, Peter & Australia. Parliament. Library Committee. 1914, Historical records of Australia Library Committee of the Commonwealth Parliament, Sydney viewed 5 November 2024 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-483306922 ‘Three Bees’,  State of New South Wales (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water).  Viewed 5 Nov 2024, https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/maritimeheritageapp/ViewSiteDetail.aspx?siteid=361 LINKS Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.  https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners. https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠ Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠ Find Convict Australia on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In this episode, we dive into one of the darkest chapters of convict transportation to Australia: the voyage of the Neptune, the notorious ship of the Second Fleet. This 1790 journey was marked by unprecedented cruelty, neglect, and tragedy, with the highest death toll in the history of convict transportation. We explore the harsh conditions aboard the Neptune, where over 500 convicts were packed into overcrowded, disease-ridden holds, with little food, water, or medical care. SOURCES Collins, D. (1975) An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, with Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners, etc., of the Native Inhabitants of that Country. Vol. 1, edited by B.H. Fletcher. Terrey Hills, NSW: A.H. and A.W. Reed, in association with the Royal Australian Historical Society. (Originally published 1798–1802 by T. Cadell & W. Davis, London), p. 366. Edwell, P. (2016) 'Neptune', Dictionary of Sydney. Available at: ttps://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/neptune (Accessed: 31 August 2024). Flynn, M. (1993) The Second Fleet: Britain's Grim Convict Armada of 1790. Sydney: Library of Australian History. Hill, D. (2008) 1788: The Brutal Truth of the First Fleet. Sydney: Random House Australia. State Library of New South Wales (2017) Elizabeth Macarthur: Letter to her mother, 1789-1790. Available at: https://archival-classic.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2017/D37898/c05322.html (Accessed: 26 September 2024). State Library of New South Wales (2017) Letter from William Hill to Jonathan Wathen, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, 26 July 1790 (copy made in 1791). Available at: https://archival-classic.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2017/D00007/a136.html (Accessed: 26 September 2024). LINKS Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.  https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners. https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠ Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠ Find Convict Australia on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In the thrilling second episode of Season 4 of the Convict Australia Podcast, we journey back to 1825 to a stormy night in Tasmania as Matthew Brady and his infamous gang of bushrangers lay siege to the small town of Sorell. As the rain poured and the night deepened, Brady knocked on the door of Robert Bethune’s estate, launching a daring raid that spiralled into a full-scale takeover. Hear the gripping tale of how these outlaws, driven by desperation and cunning, outwitted local authorities and took control of the town. Feel the tension as they ambush unsuspecting soldiers and confront Lieutenant William Gunn, leading to a brutal injury and a race against time. Will Brady's luck hold out, or will justice finally catch up to him? Dive into this gripping tale of audacity, survival, and the relentless pursuit of freedom in the wild heart of Tasmania. SOURCES 1825 'POLICE OFFICE, HOBART TOWN, February 23d, 1825.', Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser (Tas. : 1821 - 1825), 4 March, p. 1. (Supplement to the Hobart Town Gazette), viewed 05 Jun 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1090576 1825 'THE BUSHRANGERS.', The Hobart Town Gazette (Tas. : 1825 - 1833), 26 November, p. 2. , viewed 05 Jun 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8791594 1825 'THE BUSH-RANGERS.', Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1825 - 1827), 2 December, p. 3. , viewed 02 Jul 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2446676 1825 'STATE OF THE WEATHER.', The Hobart Town Gazette (Tas. : 1825 - 1833), 3 December, p. 2. , viewed 05 Jun 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8790870 1825 'VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 29 December, p. 4. , viewed 30 Jun 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37072554 1826 'VAN DIEMEN'S LAND NEWS.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 25 March, p. 2. , viewed 19 Jul 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37072668 1826 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', The Hobart Town Gazette (Tas. : 1825 - 1833), 15 April, p. 2. , viewed 19 Jul 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8791180 1826 'The late Bushrangers.&c.', Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1825 - 1827), 5 May, p. 3. , viewed 03 Jul 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2447678 L. L. Robson, 1966, Brady, Matthew (c. 1799–1826), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, viewed on 12 June 2024, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brady-matthew-1822/text2089 LINKS Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.  https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners. https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠ Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Find Convict Australia on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

On 21 March 1823, four convict men left Sydney in a 29ft open boat heading for the Five Islands to collect cedar. On the way, they encountered a fierce storm that pushed them out to sea and hundreds of miles north. This is the story of their remarkable fight for survival. LINKS Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.  https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819 Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners. https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en SOURCES Pamphlet T & Uniacke, J. 1823 Narrative of Thomas Pamphlet, aged thirty-four years, who was with two other men wrecked on the coast of New Holland in April, 1823, and lived among the natives for seven months. Taken down by John Uniacke, Esq. viewed 25 October 2023 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-62201287 1823 MAGISTRATE FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. EDWARD WOLLSTONECRAFT, ESQUIRE., The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 18 December, p. 2. , viewed 04 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2182462 1824 CURIOUS CASE OF SHIPWRECK., The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 21 October, p. 2. , viewed 04 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37072074 1826 REVIEW., The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 29 March, p. 4. , viewed 22 Oct 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2185549

Ralph Entwhistle, a convict with a life sentence, stripped off for a quick dip in the Macquarie River in 1829.  This innocent act got him into a lot of trouble!  Join me as I tell the story of how one little swim on a beautiful spring day led to a high-stakes battle in Bathurst, NSW. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1830 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 12 October, p. 4. , viewed 24 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196245 1830 'THE BUSHRANGERS AT BATHURST.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 21 October, p. 3. , viewed 03 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196308 BATHURST. (1830, October 21). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 2. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196311 1830 'Supreme Court.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 11 November, p. 3. , viewed 01 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196480 1830 'The Courier.', The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), 27 November, p. 2. , viewed 07 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4206106 1830 'The Bathurst Insurgents.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 3 December, p. 4. , viewed 08 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36866853 1930 'The RIBBON BOYS', The World's News (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 1955), 13 August, p. 9. , viewed 08 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136306522 1998, “Bushrangers at Abercrombie caves” Abercrombie Caves, by Barry Cubitt, viewed 3 October 2022, http://www.abercrombiecaves.com/bushrangers/ 2019, “The Bathurst Rebellion: Inside Australia’s strangest convict uprising”, M. Adams, NewsComAu, viewed 30 May 2022, https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/the-bathurst-rebellion-inside-australias-biggest-convict-uprising/news-story/eaa006a6530a1b66ae128af86ddf7753 THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed. Music by Ahjay Stelino

In 1834, ten convicts seized the Frederick and made their daring escape from the penal settlement on Sarah Island in Tasmania to the Port of Valdivia in Chile. The journey took about 7 weeks.  They travelled 6 thousand nautical miles with a skeletal mostly inexperienced crew using a leaky boat.  This is their incredible story. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1834 'ANOTHER GOVERNMENT VESSEL TAKEN BY HER GOVERNMENT CREW! ANOTHER SPECIMEN OF COLONEL ARTHUR'S PRISON DISCIPLINE.', The Colonist and Van Diemen's Land Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Hobart Town, Tas. : 1832 - 1834), 11 February, p. 2. , viewed 11 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201158097 1834 'THE CONVICT SYSTEM. DARING ACT OF PIRACY.', The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), 6 March, p. 2. , viewed 10 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12848817 1837 'SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL SITTINGS.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 2 May, p. 5. , viewed 16 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8650013 2018, ‘The Ship That Never Was.’, by A. Courtenay, Harper Collins Publishers Australia Pty Limited THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed. Music by Ahjay Stelino

When word reached England that the colony of NSW was in dire need of food King George III immediately dispatched HMS Guardian to come to their rescue.  The Guardian was packed with everything the First Fleeters desperately needed, but along the way, the 140ft ship ran into trouble.  Join me as I describe its harrowing journey.  LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1790, ‘Fortunate Escape of the Guardian Man of War, In her Voyage to Botany-Bay’, The Derby Mercury, Thursday, 29 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/394415900 1790, ‘The Guardian’, The Public Advertiser, London, Friday, 30 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415081 1790, ‘Guardian’, The Public Advertiser, London, Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415103 1790, Jacksons Oxford Journal, Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/396531048 1790, Ipswich Journal (Ipswich, Suffolk, England), Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022 www.newspapers.com/image/396394146 & www.newspapers.com/image/396394185 1790, ‘The Guardian’, The Public Advertiser (London, Greater London, England), Friday, 30 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415081 1808, ‘Melancholy Disaster of His Majesty's Ship The Guardian, Bound to Botany Bay with Stores and Convicts’, by Lieut. Riou, Commander, London. 2010 ‘1788: The brutal truth of the First Fleet.’, by David Hill, Random House Australia, North Sydney. THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed. Music by Ahjay Stelino

In 1828, 14,000 pounds was stolen from the Bank of Australia – that’s about 20 million dollars by today’s standards AND most of the money has never been found! Join me as I retell this incredible story of a group of convicts who tunnelled their way into the bank and pulled off such a huge heist. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych SOURCES 1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 17 September, p. 1. , viewed 15 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191066 1828 'EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT THE BANK OF AUSTRALIA.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 17 September, p. 2. , viewed 15 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191067 1828 '(Domestic Intelligence continued.)', The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), 20 September, p. 4. (AFTERNOON), viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31760702 1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 22 September, p. 1. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191083 1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 24 September, p. 3. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191099 1828 'Advertising', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 24 September, p. 2. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36865088 1828 'No title', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 26 September, p. 2. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36867843 1831 'Supreme Court.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 14 June, p. 3. , viewed 25 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201024 1833 'Government Gazette Notices', New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), 7 August, p. 302. , viewed 27 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230390571 2017 ‘Robbing the Bank: Australia’s First Bank Robbery’, Radford, Neil, Dictionary of Sydney, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/robbing_the_bank_australias_first_bank_robbery, viewed 09 Aug 2022 2008, ‘Breaking the Bank, an extraordinary colonial robbery’, Baxter, Carol, Allen & Unwin Music by Ahjay Stelino

Historian Solomon Stanton shares his research on his ancestor John Matthew Richardson. John was a convict who was sentenced to 7 years transportation and had an incredible life as a gardener and botanical collector for the colony. Solomon describes some of the highlights of John’s life which include his time working in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, his stint on Melville Island, various expeditions both in and out of Australia, and the discovery of new plants. Two plants were named after John - the Hibiscus Richardsonii and Alyxia Richardsonii. FURTHER READING 'Richardson, John Matthew (1797–1882)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/richardson-john-matthew-2588/text3549, published first in hardcopy 1967. 'Richardson, John Matthew (c.1797–1882)', Global Plants, JSTOR, https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.person.bm000391636 ‘Newsletter, No. 112 September 2002’, Australian Systematic Botany Society, https://asbs.org.au/newsletter/pdf/02-sept-112.pdf, page 3. ‘Flora of Australia, Volume 1, Introduction 2ndEdition’, Australian Biological Resources Study, CSIRO Publishing, https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/5822457a-1744-4aaa-a5e0-74dc485f825d/files/flora-australia-01-introduction-second-edition-2.pdf, page 66. ‘The British in North Australia 1824-29 : Fort Dundas’ by Derek Pugh, Published by Derek Pugh 2017, https://www.booktopia.com.au/fort-dundas-derek-pugh/book/9780992355869.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8uOWBhDXARIsAOxKJ2EAYmo5lKChSbwJWPm5XWxCCcElEoclB0ltLE9rGnpsVidZ6ZjpkCQaAoL1EALw_wcB ‘Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia; with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix and the present colony of New South Wales’, by Major T.L. Mitchell, F.G.S and M.R.G.S. Surveyor General, Second Edition, Volume 2, London, T. and W.Boone, New Bond Street, https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00036.html LINKS Grab a copy of 'Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners': www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 THANK YOU Special thanks to Solomon Staunton. Music by Ahjay Stelino

The Neva was a three-masted barque carrying hundreds of female convicts and their children from Ireland to Port Jackson.  In 1835 it stuck the Harbinger Reefs near King Island in the treacherous waters of the Bass Strait.  Join me as I recount this tragic story. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1835 'MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.', Launceston Advertiser (Tas. : 1829 - 1846), 2 July, p. 4. , viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84777543 1835 'PARTICULARS OF THE WRECK OF THE Prison Ship "NEVA."', The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), 18 July, p. 2. (MORNING), viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32149374 1835 'Van Dieman's Land News.', The Colonist (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840), 23 July, p. 5. , viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31716763 1959, ‘The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868’, by Charles Bateson.,Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd., Glasgow 1997, ‘Most Perfectly Safe: the convict shipwreck disasters of 1833-42’ by G.A. Mawer, Allen & Unwin ‘View Shipwreck – Neva’, Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database, viewed 18 June 2022, http://www.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=7542 2013, ‘The Wreck of the Neva’, by K. Todd, Mercier Press THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed, Mark Blakey & Cameron Stops. Music by Ahjay Stelino

What happened when the convicts on Norfolk Island were stripped of their cooking pots? A bloodthirsty riot! Join me as I retell this gruesome true story about Alexander Maconochie’s ‘Mark System’, William Westwood better known as ‘Jackey Jackey the gentleman bushranger’ and his fight to be treated humanely. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1846 'NORFOLK ISLAND.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 8 August, p. 2. , viewed 11 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12889016 1846 'DISTURBANCES AT NORFOLK ISLAND.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 8 August, p. 3. , viewed 11 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37156047 1846 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 25 August, p. 3. , viewed 11 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8759148 1846 'NORFOLK ISLAND.', The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859), 2 September, p. 2. , viewed 28 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2944991 1846 'No Title', The Hobart Town Advertiser (Tas. : 1839 - 1861), 4 September, p. 2. , viewed 25 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264517227 1846 'NORFOLK ISLAND.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 14 November, p. 3. , viewed 28 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37127840 1888 'CHAPTER OF OLD TIMES.', Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), 12 June, p. 3. , viewed 28 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38316723 2005, 'Westwood, William (1820–1846)', M. Rutledge, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, viewed 29 May 2022, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/westwood-william-13246/text6635 2011, ‘Alexander Maconochie’s ‘mark system.’, J. Moore, CORE: three access levels to underpin open access. D-Lib Magazine, viewed 28 May 2022, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/323897824.pdf 2021, ‘The Norfolk Island Penal Station, the Panopticon, and Alexander Maconochie’s and Jeremy Bentham’s Theories of Punishment’, T. Causer, Revue d’études benthamiennes [Online], viewed 28 May 2022, http://journals.openedition.org/etudes-benthamiennes/838 THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed. Music by Ahjay Stelino

This is the true story of convict First Fleeter, Mary Bryant.  In March 1791 Mary, her husband, their two infant children and 6 other convicts made a daring escape from the fledgling colony of NSW.  In a tiny boat, they managed to make it all the way to Timor. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1910 'An Account of the English colony in New South Wales by David Collins 1756 - 1810'. Edited, with an introduction, and notes by James Collier, https://archive.org/details/b1182480/page/112/mode/2up, viewed 2 April 2022 1963 ‘The Transportation, Escape and Pardoning of Mary Bryant (Nee Broad)’, by C. H. Currey, Angus & Robertson Ltd 2000 ‘Two Classic Tales of Australian exploration: 1788, by Watkin Tench; Life and Adventures, by John Nicol’, edited & introduced by Tim Flannery, Text Publishing Company, Melbourne 2015 ‘Charlotte’, Dictionary of Sydney, Cameron, Michaela Ann, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/charlotte, viewed 19 May 2022 2015-2016, ‘Convict Hulks’, Digital Panopticon, by Samuel Hadfield, https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Hulks, viewed 2 April 2022 THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed and Robert Twemlow. Music by Ahjay Stelino

Join me as I talk to Matthew Bateman-Graham, a tour guide at Fremantle Prison – a UNESCO World Heritage site for convicts in Western Australia.  Matthew talks about how Fremantle Prison came to be, the types of convicts that were sent over, their skills and routine.  Plus, he discusses some of the extraordinary escapees such as Moondyne Joe and much more. LINKS Fremantle Prison https://fremantleprison.com.au/ Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 THANK YOU Special thanks to Matthew Bateman-Graham, Amberlee Hong & Julie Hemen. Music by Ahjay Stelino

Join me as I talk to Tammy Reardon about the Isle of the Dead – the final resting place for convicts who died at Port Arthur. Tammy has been conducting tours at the Isle of the Dead and Port Arthur Historic Site for over 15 years. She shares with us stories about the Island, convicts and free settlers associated with the site such as Henry Savery, the Staveley family and the last gravedigger, Mark Jeffery. LINKS The Isle of the Dead Cemetery Tour: https://portarthur.org.au/tour/isle-of-the-dead/ Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 FURTHER READING 1967 ‘SAVERY, HENRY (1791-1842)’ Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, viewed 7 April 2022, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/savery-henry-2632 1985 ‘THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, PORT ARTHUR’, Richard Lord & Partners, R. Lord 1995 'DEATH AND BURIAL AT PORT ARTHUR', L Ross, Honours thesis, UT. 2017-2020 ‘JEFFERY, MARK, 1825-1903’, Digital Panopticon, B. Godfrey, viewed 7 April 2022, https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Jeffrey,_Mark,_1825-1903 2021 ‘ONE WOMAN IS REVEALING THE STORIES OF CONVICTS, SETTLERS BURIED ON THE ISLE OF THE DEAD’, ABC News, L. Gwynn, viewed 7 April 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-11/discovering-the-stories-of-those-buried-on-the-isle-of-the-dead/100527502 THANK YOU Special thanks to Tammy Reardon. Music by Ahjay Stelino

In 1787 the First Fleet began the epic journey to Australia with about 1500 hungry mouths to feed but only two years supply of food.  This episode talks about the First Fleeters struggle to survive with depleting food stores, poor soil to grow crops and limited availability to wild foods. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1959 The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868, by Charles Bateson.,Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd., Glasgow 2015 ‘First Fleet Surgeon: the voyage of Arthur Bowes Smyth.’, David Hill, Canberra, ACT, National Library of Australia 2000 ‘Two Classic Tales of Australian exploration: 1788, by Watkin Tench; Life and Adventures, by John Nicol’, edited & introduced by Tim Flannery, Text Publishing Company, Melbourne 2010 ‘1788: The brutal truth of the First Fleet.’, by David Hill, Random House Australia, North Sydney. 2021, Discover SLM Talk: First Fleet fare, with Dr Jacqui Newling, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu9mipK2VrQ, viewed 10 December 2021 ‘Barrett, Thomas (c. 1758-1788)’, People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/barrett-thomas-30158/text37432, viewed 1 December 2021 THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed and Dane Sharpe. Music by Ahjay Stelino

In 1832, en route to Norfolk Island, Knatchbull and his convict mates plot their cunning escape. LINKS Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 SOURCES 1832 'ARMY INTELLIGENCE.', The Currency Lad (Sydney, NSW : 1832-1833), 8 December, p. 3. , viewed 25 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252636815 1832 'DIABOLICAL CONSPIRACY TO MURDER THE CREW AND GUARD OF THE GOVERNOR PHILIP TRANSPORT, ON HER PASSAGE TO NORFOLK ISLAND.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 4 December, p. 2. , viewed 25 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2209731 1832 'DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. ABSTRACT OF SALES BY AUCTION.', The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), 6 December, p. 2. , viewed 25 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12845867 1833 'INDIA.', Launceston Advertiser (Tas. : 1829 - 1846), 3 January, p. 424. , viewed 25 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84776276 1898 'THE STORY OF KNATCHBULL.', The Australian Star (Sydney, NSW : 1887 - 1909), 2 April, p. 8. , viewed 25 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article228431278 CONVICT CASE STUDY- JOHN KNATCHBULL, NSW State Archives & Records, viewed 25 Jul 2021, https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/stories/convict-case-study-john-knatchbull# THANK YOU Special thanks to Sue Reed. Music by Ahjay Stelino