Finding resources about convict history
Between 1788 and 1842 about 80,000 convicts were transported to New South Wales. This session presents some essential resources for researching convict history.
Discover the key resources available to you in the collections of the State Library of NSW and the State Archives Collection.
Explore a diverse range of resource types including official State government records, published material and personal manuscript collections.
Learn how you can access and use these resources to enhance your research.
This session, artworks, film and sound clips are protected by copyright and may not be recorded, reproduced or used in any way without the express written consent of the State Library of NSW.
Convicts
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Convict Sydney
Convict Sydney
From a struggling convict encampment to a thriving Pacific seaport, a city takes shape.
Convict transportation to NSW
A history of convict transportation to New South Wales and related records such as trial records and records of the voyage and arrival
Convict Sydney
1801 - Day in the life of a convict
In the young colony, there was no prisoner’s barrack - the bush and sea were the walls of the convicts’ prison