To date, all the data pertaining to convicts who arrived on roughly fifty ships has been completed. Targeting those convicts who are known to have served at Port Arthur at some point, the data not only provides valuable insights into the nature life and labour on the penal settlement, and also reveals the broader punishment histories of individuals before and after their time there.

A major element of the Landscapes of Production and Punishment project is the compilation of life course data for the estimated 12,000 male convicts who passed through Port Arthur between 1830-1877, including the extraction of punishment and sentencing histories from the Tasmanian Conduct Registers of Male Convicts, held by the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office

Orchestrated by the Port Arthur Resource Centre manager, Susan Hood, and Kelsey Priestman from Western University, Ontario, the data collection is advancing rapidly with the assistance of volunteers, including students from the University of Tasmania’s Diploma of Family History and the University of New England’s Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice programs.

To date, all the data pertaining to convicts who arrived on roughly fifty ships has been completed. Targeting those convicts who are known to have served at Port Arthur at some point, the data not only provides valuable insights into the nature life and labour on the penal settlement, and also reveals the broader punishment histories of individuals before and after their time there.

The project team takes this opportunity to thank Kelsey Priestman who returns home soon, having completed her internship at the University of Tasmania. We thank Kelsey for her efforts in coordinating our team of volunteers, and especially for the valuable training and mentoring she has provided them.

We’ll talk more of our volunteers soon, but here a quick word from two of them:

Ann Williams-Fitzgerald

I am a 65-year-old Tasmanian who has been living in Mackay Qld for the past 34years. I am currently working fulltime with James Cook University and look forward to retiring in 2019 and moving back to Tasmania to enjoy my home state. I received my Masters in Contemporary Art from UTAS in 2008 and currently struggle to find time for my visual arts which I am hoping will change next year after my big move. Recently I completed the UTAS Diploma of Family History which sparked my interest in convict history after finding six convict ancestors in my family tree. I found my way to this project and knew instantly that I wanted to be part of it.

Margaret Strike

I'm Margaret and I live in Brisbane. I'm a student at the University of New England and I'm in the final trimester of my Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice. Next year, I'll be undertaking my Honours Degree and that involves a study of a specific cohort of Van Diemonian convict men who were transported to the penal settlement at Newcastle (NSW) in the early 1820s. Volunteering with this project not only enables me to assist with a unique project but also gain insights and training in the creation and use of digital data. My hobbies and interests range from gardening, music, poking around antique shops and watching Star Trek fan, but these days it is convict history that is piquing my interest!

[Image: Kelsey Priestman from Western University, Ontario (Canada) joins the Landscapes of Production and Punishment project team at the Port Arthur Resource Centre. ]

Contact: