Convict uniform buttons
1819–1848
Archaeologists found over 250 bone buttons beneath the floorboards of Hyde Park Barracks, which were once attached to convict shirts, jackets and trousers, and then lost beneath the floors. Mainly one, three, four and five hole sew-through buttons, convict ‘slop’ clothing jackets, waistcoats and breeches (trousers) usually had medium-sized four-hole and five-hole bone buttons. Convict shirts had smaller three-hole or ‘3-way’ buttons (as seen intact on the collar of the convict shirt also found at the Barracks). It is likely that some convicts collected buttons, for trading with others who needed to replace missing buttons on their clothing, or to use as gaming tokens.
Published on
Related
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
Convict Sydney
Convict Sydney
From a struggling convict encampment to a thriving Pacific seaport, a city takes shape.
Learning resources
Explore our range of online resources designed by teachers to support student learning in the classroom or at home