Iron Gang chain
Nineteenth century
Convicts who re-offended after arriving in the colony could be assigned to do hard labour in an iron gang, building and repairing roads and bridges at the frontiers such as on the western road over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst and the Great North Road to the Hunter Valley. Each man in the gang wore a set of leg irons, hot-riveted on by a blacksmith. When being mustered and marched to work, each man’s irons were attached to a gang chain like this one, to keep the men together, and to prevent any from escaping into the bush. Six men could be fitted to this gang chain, by extra lockable basils (rings) attached to one side of their leg irons, three men by the left ankle and three men by the right.
Despite all these measures, some iron gang convicts did manage to escape into the bush to become bushrangers – a risky move, as the penalty for bushranging was death.
... a gang in chains were marching to their work in file, guarded by escorts with fixed bayonets. The clanking of the fetters had a dismal sound ; but the men seemed to walk lightly along… all fettered by the ankles, so that they could not take a full step…
John Banks, Australia and the East, 1840, 127.
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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Convict Sydney
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
Convict shoe
Known as crab shells or hopper dockers in the convict ‘flash’ slang language, two or three pairs of shoes were issued to each convict annually
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
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
Convict Sydney
Branding iron
Branding irons like this one were used to brand government-owned property livestock as well as items made from timber