Ann Carruthers
Thief, mother, inmate, unlucky
Arrived 1834 on Numa
About 13 per cent of convicts were women. They either lived at the Parramatta Female Factory or worked for private masters. Many found a prosperous future in the colony, but Ann Carruthers was not one of the lucky ones.
Given a 14-year sentence for stealing a shawl, Scottish convict Ann Carruthers arrived in Sydney in 1834 with her three-year-old daughter, Mary, who was taken away to the Female Orphan School because her mother was unable to care for her. During the mid-1840s, Carruthers was a regular visitor to the Hyde Park Barracks court, appearing at least 14 times for drunkenness, theft, being illegally at large, picking pockets and disorderly conduct. Among her punishments were several stints in the third-class wards of the Parramatta Female Factory. Tragically, in December 1846, and while serving yet another month in detention, she was struck by lightning and died.
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Fiona claims her love of history is hereditary – passed on by her mother and grandmother, each interested in Australian history, genealogy and world history, with a passion for visiting and learning about heritage sites around the world. Her interest took root with degrees in historical archaeology and museum studies, and through internships at the Museum of London and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris. Work on archaeological digs, with museum collections and on numerous exhibition and site interpretation projects inspired her PhD research into encouraging the private sector to help conserve cultural heritage sites. As curator of the Hyde Park Barracks Museum and The Mint (Macquarie Street Portfolio), Fiona combines her curiosity for colonial and convict history with expertise in managing and interpreting archaeology to help bring the fascinating stories of these sites to life for visitors.
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