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When did convicts come to Australia and what basic records exist on them?

April 26, 2017Australia BASIC convicts exist records

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When did convicts come to Australia and what basic records exist on them?

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Convicts were transported to New South Wales from 1788. Transportation to the East Coast of Australia officially ceased in 1840, but the demand for labour led to male convicts (termed “exiles”) being shipped to Moreton Bay in 1849 and 1850. Convicts were sent to Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) 1803-1812 via NSW, then directly 1812-1853, when convict transportation to Tasmania ceased. Convicts were extensively documented from their trials, transportation records and steps towards freedom such as tickets of leave, conditional pardons and certificates of freedom. Censuses and musters also tracked them. For information about the Library’s holdings of such records, see also Convict research: finding out even more. Records are located in the microform collection or the family history reference collection on Level 3.