Branding iron
Early to mid nineteenth century
Branding irons like this one with the ‘broad arrow’ mark were used to brand government-owned property livestock such as cattle and sheep as well as items made from timber. Every item made or used by government convicts had to be marked or stamped with a broad arrow, the mark of government property, to prevent theft and the selling-on of government goods and tools. The broad arrow was so widely used to mark objects used by convicts, that it became associated with the convict system itself, rather than just a symbol of government property. Some even said that the convicts themselves were marked with the arrow, since they were effectively government property too.
The Police have been so much on the alert for some time past, and have succeeded in stamping the broad arrow on so many notorious characters, that the streets are tolerably quiet just now.
Sydney Gazette, 25 March 1830, 2.
More artefacts
Convict Sydney
Objects
These convict-era objects and archaeological artefacts found at Hyde Park Barracks and The Mint (Rum Hospital) are among the rarest and most personal artefacts to have survived from Australia’s early convict period
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Leg Irons, bar link
Known as darbies or slangs in the convict ‘flash’ slang language, leg irons came in various shapes and sizes
Convict Sydney
Leg irons, standard
Standard leg irons, like those pictured here, weighed seven pounds (3.2 kilograms)
Convict Sydney
Leg irons, heavy
Known as darbies or slangs in the convict ‘flash’ slang language, leg irons came in various shapes and sizes
Convict Sydney
Ball and chain
1820s–1840s: Known as darbies or slangs in the convict ‘flash’ language, leg irons came in various shapes and sizes
Convict Sydney
Molesworth report
The findings of the 1837 Molesworth inquiry brought about the end of convict transportation to New South Wales
Convict Sydney
Cat-o’-nine-tails
One of the most common forms of convict punishment was flogging (whipping) with a ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’
Convict Sydney
Iron Gang chain
Convicts who re-offended after arriving in the colony could be assigned to do hard labour in an iron gang
Convict Sydney
Leg iron guard
A stunning example of an improvised handicraft, this leather ankle guard or ‘gaiter’ was made to protect a convict’s ankle from leg irons
Convict Sydney
Leg irons, ovalled
Leg irons chafed the ankles, made loud clinking noises with every movement, and made working difficult and tiring
Execution and dissection
Convicts sentenced to death in the colony for murder, acts of bushranging and other serious crimes were hanged and their bodies were carted back to the Rum Hospital, where the surgeons dissected and studied their corpses