Convict Australia
A podcast about the convicts that were transported to Australia. Each episode offers a glimpse into life as a convict and a broader insight into the convict system. Presented by Jennifer Twemlow, author of 'Convict Sydney: the real-life stories of 32 prisoners'.
Episodes
S4E10 Voices From the Parramatta Female Factory with Gay Hendriksen
In this episode, I talk with historian and author Gay Hendriksen about the women who passed through the Parramatta Female Factory and how we can recover and hear their voices through historical records. Gay shares the fascinating stories of several convict women, including Mary Hindle, Elizabeth Browning Owen, Constance Couronne, Mary Ann Hamilton, and Susannah Watson, revealing their resilience,
S4E9 The Mutiny of the Cyprus
In 1829, convicts aboard the brig Cyprus seized their chance at freedom, launching one of the most audacious escapes in Australian history. Led by experienced mariner William Swallow, the mutineers sailed a stolen ship across the Pacific, abandoning soldiers, women, and children on a remote shore.Chased by hunger, betrayal, and the long reach of British law, the fugitives crossed oceans under stol
S4E8 Norfolk Island with Cathy Dunn - Part 2
In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow continues her conversation with historian Cathy Dunn, this time turning to the second phase of Norfolk Island’s convict history — the notorious Penal Settlement (1825–1855). Often described as “hell on earth,” this period saw the island transformed into one of the harshest and most feared places of punishment in the British Empire. Cathy shares the stories of
S4E7 Norfolk Island with Cathy Dunn - Part 1
In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow speaks with historian Cathy Dunn about the early convict history of Norfolk Island, known as the Colonial Settlement (1788-1814). Cathy shares compelling stories of the island’s early days—of survival, punishment, and resilience in one of the most isolated places in the British Empire. Listeners will hear about the devastating wreck of the Sirius, the harsh r
S4E6 The Fremantle Five - Escape, Survival & Murder
In January 1859, five convicts escaped from a Fremantle work party and vanished into the bush, launching one of the most dramatic manhunts in Western Australian history. Stealing boats and navigating treacherous coastal waters, they fled north in a desperate bid for freedom. But as the weeks wore on and survival became a struggle, tensions within the group turned deadly. What followed was a brutal
S4E5 The Two Stowaways
In February 1821, two convicts, Peter Penney and William White, embark on a daring escape from the Australian colony. Stowing away on the ship Dromedary, they endure a perilous journey across the ocean, hiding in the ship’s hold while struggling with hunger, thirst, and the constant threat of discovery. SOURCESMacquarie, Lachlan. Memoranda & Related Papers. 22December 1808-14 July 1823. Original h
S4E4 Sydney in the Firing Line - the Story of The Three Bees
In May 1814, Sydney’s bustling Port Jackson faced terror as the convict ship The Three Bees went up in flames. Loaded with gunpowder and cannons, the burning vessel drifted perilously toward the town, spreading panic and chaos. Discover the explosive story that nearly devastated early Sydney in this unmissable episode!
SOURCES
1813-1814 Lloyd's list. Westmead, Gt. Brit.: Gregg International. 14
S4E3 Neptune - the Wilful Murder
In this episode, we dive into one of the darkest chapters of convict transportation to Australia: the voyage of the Neptune, the notorious ship of the Second Fleet. This 1790 journey was marked by unprecedented cruelty,
neglect, and tragedy, with the highest death toll in the history of convict transportation. We explore the harsh conditions aboard the Neptune, where over 500 convicts were packed
S4E2 The Capture of Sorell
In the thrilling second episode of Season 4 of the Convict Australia Podcast, we journey back to 1825 to a stormy night in Tasmania as Matthew Brady and his infamous gang of bushrangers lay siege to the small town of Sorell.
As the rain poured and the night deepened, Brady knocked on the door of Robert Bethune’s estate, launching a daring raid that spiralled into a full-scale takeover. Hear the gr
S4E1 Four Convict Castaways
On 21 March 1823, four convict men left Sydney in a 29ft open boat heading for the Five Islands to collect cedar. On the way, they encountered a fierce storm that pushed them out to sea and hundreds of miles north. This is the story of their remarkable fight for survival.
LINKS
Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.
https://w
S3E10 The Skinny Dip that started a Rebellion
Ralph Entwhistle, a convict with a life sentence, stripped off for a quick dip in the Macquarie River in 1829. This innocent act got him into a lot of trouble! Join me as I tell the story of how one little swim on a beautiful spring day led to a high-stakes battle in Bathurst, NSW.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
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S3E9 Ten Convict Pirates Seize the Frederick
In 1834, ten convicts seized the Frederick and made their daring escape from the penal settlement on Sarah Island in Tasmania to the Port of Valdivia in Chile. The journey took about 7 weeks. They travelled 6 thousand nautical miles with a skeletal mostly inexperienced crew using a leaky boat. This is their incredible story.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories o
S3E8 The Sinking of the Guardian
When word reached England that the colony of NSW was in dire need of food King George III immediately dispatched HMS Guardian to come to their rescue. The Guardian was packed with everything the First Fleeters desperately needed, but along the way, the 140ft ship ran into trouble. Join me as I describe its harrowing journey.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life sto
S3E7 Australia's First Bank Robbery
In 1828, 14,000 pounds was stolen from the Bank of Australia – that’s about 20 million dollars by today’s standards AND most of the money has never been found! Join me as I retell this incredible story of a group of convicts who tunnelled their way into the bank and pulled off such a huge heist.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
S
S3E6 John Matthew Richardson with Solomon Staunton
Historian Solomon Stanton shares his research on his ancestor John Matthew Richardson. John was a convict who was sentenced to 7 years transportation and had an incredible life as a gardener and botanical collector for the colony. Solomon describes some of the highlights of John’s life which include his time working in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, his stint on Melville Island, various expeditions b
S3E5 Neva - One of the Worst Shipwrecks in Australian History
The Neva was a three-masted barque carrying hundreds of female convicts and their children from Ireland to Port Jackson. In 1835 it stuck the Harbinger Reefs near King Island in the treacherous waters of the Bass Strait. Join me as I recount this tragic story.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia
S3E4 The Cooking Pot Riot
What happened when the convicts on Norfolk Island were stripped of their cooking pots? A bloodthirsty riot! Join me as I retell this gruesome true story about Alexander Maconochie’s ‘Mark System’, William Westwood better known as ‘Jackey Jackey the gentleman bushranger’ and his fight to be treated humanely.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-tw
S3E3 The Extraordinary Story of Mary Bryant – First Fleeter, Wife and Mother
This is the true story of convict First Fleeter, Mary Bryant. In March 1791 Mary, her husband, their two infant children and 6 other convicts made a daring escape from the fledgling colony of NSW. In a tiny boat, they managed to make it all the way to Timor.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia a
S3E2 Fremantle Prison with Matthew Bateman-Graham
Join me as I talk to Matthew Bateman-Graham, a tour guide at Fremantle Prison – a UNESCO World Heritage site for convicts in Western Australia. Matthew talks about how Fremantle Prison came to be, the types of convicts that were sent over, their skills and routine. Plus, he discusses some of the extraordinary escapees such as Moondyne Joe and much more.
LINKS
Fremantle Prison
https://
S3E1 The Isle of the Dead with Tammy Reardon
Join me as I talk to Tammy Reardon about the Isle of the Dead – the final resting place for convicts who died at Port Arthur. Tammy has been conducting tours at the Isle of the Dead and Port Arthur Historic Site for over 15 years. She shares with us stories about the Island, convicts and free settlers associated with the site such as Henry Savery, the Staveley family and the last gravedigger, Mark
S2E10 The First Fleeters and their Struggle for Food
In 1787 the First Fleet began the epic journey to Australia with about 1500 hungry mouths to feed but only two years supply of food. This episode talks about the First Fleeters struggle to survive with depleting food stores, poor soil to grow crops and limited availability to wild foods.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
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S2E9 The Tea Sweeteners
In 1832, en route to Norfolk Island, Knatchbull and his convict mates plot their cunning escape.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia
Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
https://www
S2E8 Reverend Samuel Marsden with Michel Wilson
Reverend Samuel Marsden arrived in NSW in 1794 as the new chaplain but was quickly appointed as a magistrate. Marsden detested sin and sought to rid the colony of it. He became known as the 'Flogging Parson' for handing out severe punishments, but he also did a lot of good in the colony. For example, he actively tried to improve conditions for female convicts at the Parramatta Female Factory
S2E7 The Disastrous Voyage of George III
George III left Woolwich, England in December 1834 transporting 220 male convicts. The voyage was an eventful one - a fire broke loose, scurvy was rife and one day out from reaching Tasmania, the ship was wrecked when it ran into an unchartered rock.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies s
S2E6 James Ruse with Janice Ruse Huntington
Join me as I chat with Janice Ruse Huntington about her ancestor, James Ruse. James was a Cornish convict who was transported to Australia with the First Fleet. He claimed to be the first European from the First Fleet to set foot on Australian soil. He also became the first ex-convict to receive a land grant from Governor Phillip and quickly turned his Experiment Farm into a success, p
S2E5 Our African Roots with Santilla Chingaipe
Join me as I chat to Santilla Chingaipe about her documentary Our African Roots which will premier on SBS, Sunday, October 17 at 8:30 pm. The documentary reveals how Australian’s of African descent have helped shape Australia’s history for more than 200 years - from the First Fleet to the Eureka Rebellion, and from the Anzacs to Don Bradman’s Invincible’s. I chat to her about three convicts
S2E4 The Audacious Plot to Rescue 6 Irish Convicts from Prison
This is the story of six Fenian prisoners who had been transported to Australia as convicts arriving in 1868. While they toiled away, their mates in America devised a cunning plan to rescue them. In 1876 they executed one of the most daring prison breaks in Australian history.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
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S2E3 A Daring Escape from the Road Gangs of Western Australia
The last ship to transport convicts to Australia was the Hougoumont which arrived in 1868. Onboard were 279 male convicts - 62 of whom were political prisoners from Ireland known as Fenians. This is the story of one of those men - John Boyle O'Reilly, a poet, journalist, author and activist. Join me as I retell the story of his epic escape from New Holland to New York.
Trigger wa
S2E2 Francis & Eliza - Captured by the Warrior
On 4 January 1815 the convict ship, Francis & Eliza, was captured by the Americans on their way to Australia.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia
Join the conversation on our Facebook & Inst
S2E1 Australia's First Cold Case and the Man They Couldn't Hang
This is the extraordinary story of Constable Joseph Luker who was murdered on 26 August 1803, and of Joseph Samuels who was sentenced to be hanged but escaped the noose three times. Listen to how the lives of Luker and Samuels collided one fateful night and why both men will be remembered in Australian history.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.
Convict Pirates of Moreton Bay
In 1831, eleven convicts captured the Caledonia and kidnapped its Captain, and sailed to the South Pacific.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia
Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
Thomas Drewery, An Innocent Man
This is the story of Thomas Drewery, a man who was accused of theft, found guilty and sentenced to 7 years transportation for a crime he did not commit. This is about his fight to clear his name.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
https://w
Life Onboard the Convict Ships with Dr Heather Clarke
Life onboard the early convict transportation ships could be brutal. The mortality rate was often high. Dr Heather Clarke describes the conditions of these early voyages and the turning point that brought about better conditions for convicts. She also discusses a much-loved form of exercise on the ships - dancing and music.
LINKS
www.colonialdance.com.au
https://www.facebook.com
Three Naked Convicts, a Kangaroo Suit and the Dog-Line
Vicious, savage dogs and shark-infested waters could not stop convicts from making their escape from Port Arthur. Martin Cash and George 'Billy' Hunt are just two convicts who attempted the pass at Eaglehawk Neck in Tasmania.
LINKS
Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners:
www.jennifer-twemlow.com
Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict
Parramatta Female Factory with Gay Hendriksen
Historian Gay Hendriksen joins us to talk about the Parramatta Female Factory. The Parramatta Female Factory was one of thirteen factories around Australia that housed convict women. Between 1821 and 1848 it was a penitentiary, a hospital for women, a workplace, a marriage bureau and a refuge for women, children, and the sick and elderly women of the colony. It was designed by Francis Greenway and
The Surry
This is the story of the Surry - a ship that transported convicts to Port Jackson in 1814. During the voyage, there was an outbreak of Typhus that devastated the people on board.
SOURCES
The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868, by Charles Bateson
Netweather Community, 1814: A cold year with a severe winter.
https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/33631-1814-a-cold-year-with-a-severe-winter/
The Free D
Convict Documentation
Convict Indents, Surgeon Journals, Tickets of Leave, Certificates of Freedom and Pardons are some of the primary sources available when researching convicts. In this episode, we explore these documents - what they are, what they can tell us and where we can find them. We explore the different types of Indents and Pardons and the abbreviations used.
SOURCES
Convicts and Convict Adminis
William Gow - Convict Schoolmaster
Stephen Gow, author of 'From Distress to Deliverance, the life and times of William Gow; convict, schoolmaster, farmer', talks about his research and shines a light on the education system for the children of convicts and free settlers. We learn about the remarkable story of William Gow who was convicted of burglary and sentenced to hang at the Old Bailey in 1816 and somehow escaped the noos
Secondary Punishments
In this episode, we explore common types of punishments that convict men could receive if they stepped out of line - flogging, the treadmill, leg irons, solitary confinement and banishment to penal settlements.
SOURCES
· ‘Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners’ by Jennifer Twemlow
· ‘Convicts & The Colonies, A study of Penal Transportation from Great Britain & Ireland to Au
Amphitrite
This episode is about a convict transportation ship named the Amphitrite that was shipwrecked on its journey out to Australia. We delve into what life was like on the voyage and how it all went horribly wrong.
SOURCES
The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868, by Charles Bateson
Most Perfectly Safe: the convict shipwreck disasters of 1833-42 by G.A. Mawer
Music by Ahjay Stelino
LINKS
Support Convict
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