A convict in the family?

A convict in the family? is the latest travelling exhibition from Sydney Living Museums showcasing the rich, large-scale photographs of documentary photographer Mine Konakci. Konakci’s works reveal the connections between convict settlers, their direct descendants and the petty crimes that changed the course of their families’ histories.

The sitters – ordinary Australians – are photographed in contemporary settings such as their home, garden or a public space with an item representing the petty crime that saw their ancestor sentenced to transportation to the new colony. Through involvement in the project, many sitters discovered their convict heritage for the first time.

For documentary photographer, Mine Konakci, the project presented the opportunity to delve deeper into her fascination with ancestry. “Many of Australia’s early convicts suffered disproportionately in comparison to their crimes. A petty crime, such as stealing a loaf of bread, resulted in transportation to a new colony and a new path in their family’s history. As a photographer, what interested me was the impact that the theft of objects—most of a relatively small value—could have on people’s lives. By photographing descendants with a representation of the item stolen by their ancestor, I have drawn a link to their family’s untold history,” said Mine Konakci.

About the artist:

Mine Konakci is an Australian with Turkish heritage. She holds a Masters in documentary Photography, from the Sydney College of Arts, The University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Graphic Design from the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Istanbul, Turkey. Her fascination with Australia’s convict past started when she was commissioned by a heritage publication in 2008 to photograph Anna, a convict descendant high-school student. When she embarked on her Master’s degree in documentary photography, documenting direct descendants of convict settlers became the obvious choice for her major project.

Tour history

Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba, NSW
13 May – 25 June 2017

Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, Lilydale, VIC
4 February – 30 April 2017

Albury Library Museum, NSW
26 March – 5 June 2016

Port Arthur Historic Site, TAS
3 November 2015 – 28 February 2016

Liverpool City Library, NSW
20 June – 6 October 2015

Newcastle Museum, NSW
9 February – 27 April 2015

Museum of the Riverina, Wagga Wagga, NSW
10 October 2014 – 26 January 2015

Western Australian Museum Albany, WA
3 August – 21 September 2014

Western Australian Museum Geraldton, WA
2 May – 22 June 2014

Western Australian Museum Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA
7 February – 27 April 2014