What Was Life Like for Convicts in New South Wales?

Far from home, the sun beats down unmercifully as you and your fellow labourers toil at midday. You were no stranger to hard work back in Europe, but the weather is so much hotter here in Australia! As you swat two flies and wipe the sweat from your brow, looking up at the clear sky while trying to ignore the blisters on your muddy hands, you only wish that one cloud would tip over and give you a cold drink of rain!

You grip your shovel again, not wanting to be yelled at by the guards, but also because you’re inspired by the endurance of one of your fellow convicts. He’s an ox of a man, his red muscles bulging through his torn shirt as he’s unrelentingly piling dirt to the side, clearing the way for the new road to be built. How much longer until you can walk on this road as freed men?

What Crimes Did They Commit?

Between 1788 and 1868, over 162,000 convicts arrived in Australia. Their sentences ranged from seven years to life transportation. One of the most common crimes for which someone could be transported was stealing. Generally this was divided into two charges: petty larceny (theft of a value below one shilling) and grand larceny (theft of a value above one shilling). One could also be transported for receiving or buying stolen goods, or for assault with the intention of robbery.

Other crimes included: counterfeiting coins, setting fire to underwood, destroying trees, stealing fish from a pond or river, stealing a shroud from a grave, bigamy, clandestine marriage, and impersonating an Egyptian (Gypsy). If a waterman was found to be carrying too many passengers on the Thames and a drowning resulted, he could be transported as well.

A convict who escaped from an ordinary prison might also be transported. In some cases a prisoner was first sentenced to death, such as for killing a sheep, but their sentence was afterwards commuted to transportation.

Convict Assignments

Between 1819 and 1848, more than 50,000 convicts stayed at the Hyde Park Barracks in New South Wales. This article will focus on their circumstances, while much of the same details also apply to convicts who landed in other states, such as Van Diemen’ Land (Tasmania) and Western Australia.

After arriving at the Hyde Park Barracks, many convicts were assigned to work for landowners. Some only waited a few hours before being assigned, whilst others had to wait days or even weeks. By 1836, almost 70% of the convicts in New South Wales were assigned to landowners.

Once they were assigned, convicts would be sent to work on their master’s property, which was usually far away from Sydney. Masters were required to provide their convicts with food, clothing and shelter, but they did not have to pay them wages.

Common tasks for male convicts included outdoor work such as clearing land, harvesting crops, caring for vegetable gardens and feeding and caring for animals. Female convicts often worked indoors as domestic servants. Common tasks included cooking, cleaning and washing clothes.

Although a landowner was referred to as the “master” of his convicts, this did not mean that he owned them. Some landowners treated their convicts well, and convicts could chose to continue working for their masters as paid employees after their sentence had expired.

On the other hand, other masters treated their convicts harshly, causing some to complain to the government. A few convicts even ran away and became bushrangers.

The Hyde Park Barracks and Female Factories

Other convicts were not assigned to landowners but instead stayed at the Hyde Park Barracks to work on government projects. The Hyde Park Barracks was built to accomodate up to 600 men, but it was almost always overcrowded, sometimes with as many as 1,700 men at one time.

Women were sent to Female Factories to work at tasks such as making clothes and washing in washtubs. Eventually they would be assigned to work elsewhere. But any who misbehaved or became pregnant could be sent back to a Female Factory. Other punishments included having their hair shaved off and having an iron collar fastened around their neck.

The Hyde Park Barracks had ten solitary confinement cells, which were small and cramped. There were no windows, so the cells were very dark. At different times of the year, these cells could be either very hot or very cold. Convicts in solitary confinement were only given bread and water. They could be left in solitary confinement for up to three weeks. How lonely!

Leg Irons

Another punishment given to convicts was having to wear leg irons around their ankles. The leg irons were locked in place by a blacksmith. They weighed up to 18 kilograms and were uncomfortable, rubbing against the convict’s bare ankles while he tried to walk.

Some convicts would tie a piece of rope to the leg irons and then around their waist to prevent the chain from dragging on the ground. Others wore small leather cuffs under the leg-irons to protect their skin. A few convicts even managed to ‘oval’ the leg-irons so that it was possible to take them off when the guards weren’t watching.

Sometimes a convict would have to wear leg irons for months. When it was time to take the leg irons off, the convict would be taken to a blacksmith, who would then hammer out the rivet while the convict was still wearing the irons.

Another punishment was flogging with the feared “cat-o’-nine-tails.” A convict could receive this punishment for committing crimes such as refusing to work, disobeying orders or pretending to be sick. The superintendent did not have the authority on his own to administer the cat-o’-nine-tails. He needed approval from a magistrate or from the governor himself. While a convict was being whipped, a doctor would watch to ensure that his life was not endangered. Some convicts would pay the scourger a few coins to whip them less harshly.

Ticket of Leave

After a convict had served some of his sentence, he could be granted a ticket of leave, which would allow him to work for himself in a specific location. He no longer had to work for the government as a convict. However, he was required to remain in the location stated on the ticket of leave, obey government orders, attend church each week and report to the Hyde Park Barracks four times a month (or otherwise to a police station if they lived more than 7 miles (11 kilometres) away from the Barracks). If a convict did not keep all of these requirements, or if he committed another crime, his ticket of leave could be cancelled.

After a convict had completed his sentence, he would be given a Certificate of Freedom, as he was no longer a convict. He was now allowed to leave the colony and return to his homeland if he wanted to. Convicts who had been sentenced to life transportation were not eligible for a Certificate of Freedom, but they could receive a ticket of leave and later a pardon if they were well-behaved.

Unlike a conditional pardon, an absolute pardon or a royal pardon allowed a convict to leave Australia if they chose to. A royal pardon was very rare and was granted only by the monarch of Great Britain. An individual had to carry their document at all times as proof that they were now free.