News

 
View fullsize Cockatoo Island’s convict penal establishment may have closed in 1869, but the prison buildings weren’t vacant for long. In 1871, they were repurposed for an industrial training school for girls and a separate reformatory for young women.
View fullsize During Cockatoo Island’s convict era (1839–60), inmates atoned for their crimes through hard labour. For a brief time, the God-fearing could also confide in – and seek spiritual absolution from – Reverend George Francis Dillon
View fullsize Darlington Probation Station in Tasmania’s Maria Island National Park is a popular destination for visitors but they are not always of the humankind! Wombats and Cape Barren geese call the island home and are often seen wandering in the Darlin
View fullsize World Heritage listed Old Government House is the oldest surviving public building in Australia, built by convicts in 1815. Based at @parrapark Old Government House served the colony as the decision-making centre, as well as a 'country residence' fo
View fullsize Did you know that The Dairy Cottage in the World Heritage listed @parrapark is one of Australia's oldest and most unaltered 18th-century buildings? Originally home to convict smuggler turned cattleman, George Salter, the land became part of Governo
 

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  • BRICKENDON AND WOOLMERS

    Reassign: True tales from the grassy woodlands

Brickendon and Woolmers Estates have joined forces with three other midlands properties (Clarendon Estate, the Clarendon Arms Hotel, and Patterdale House) to offer visitors everywhere the chance to delve into the stories that lie behind these unique locations. The Reassign web app includes captivating podcasts, videos, music, and augmented reality that breathe life into these stories, presenting them in dynamic and unexpected ways. Visitors to the Estates can scan QR codes provided at each location to access the app and take their time exploring but anyone can simply visit the Reassign website to access this content from home or in the car.

  • DARLINGTON PROBATION STATION

    Revealing Maria Island’s convict past with LiDAR technology

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service is collaborating with archaeologists Professor Martin Gibbs and Dr Richard Tuffin from the University of New England on a new archaeology research project (funded by an Australian Heritage Grant) that uses remote sensing technology (LiDAR – Light Detection and Ranging) to survey Maria Island’s labour hinterland. ‘The LiDAR should show up places where the convicts worked timber-getting, digging out clay, quarrying limestone, charcoal burning, as well as map the roads and paths which linked them all together and to the main settlement. In this way we will show how a convict station is very much more than the buildings you see today,’ said Dr Tuffin. For more info see this the University of New England website.

  • PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE

    Recovering Convict Lives eBook

    Dr Richard Tuffin, David Roe, Sylvana Szydzik, E. Jeanne Harris, and Ashley Matic

    In one of the largest ever excavations of an Australian convict site, archaeologists began excavating Port Arthur Penitentiary in 2013. Recovering Convict Lives: A Historical Archaeology of the Port Arthur Penitentiary makes their findings available to general readers for the first time. Extensively illustrated, it is a fascinating journey into the inner workings of the penal system and the day-to-day lives of Port Arthur convicts. Available as an eBook from Sydney University Press.

  • WOOLMERS ESTATE

Music at Woolmers – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra will be performing at Woolmers Estate each month from July–November 2023. Check out the Woolmers Estate website to book tickets including lunch or afternoon tea.

  • FREMANTLE PRISON

ESCAPE TOURS (3–14 July 2023)

Escape with the kids on our special school holiday 'Escape!' Tour. You're guaranteed to have fun while learning about this amazing site. Designed for children aged 5 to 12 years old, these special tours will visit the sites of numerous dramatic escapes through the Prison’s history. Along the way your Tour Guide will tell a number of tales of daring, desperate and dangerous escapes from Fremantle Prison.

Tours

Take a tour of Fremantle Prison to discover the history of its building, from its construction in the 1850s until the end of the convict era in 1886. Find out why almost 10,000 men were transported from Great Britain and Ireland, how they built their own prison and helped shape the future of Western Australia. Tours run daily on the hour, from 10am to 5pm. For more information visit the Fremantle Prison website.

  • COCKATOO ISLAND

Convict Sounds (10 July 2023)

These school holidays, escape to the heart of Sydney Harbour for a fun-filled day at Cockatoo Island! Between 1 and 16 July, there will be a range of exciting activities that vividly bring the island’s history to life. Available for one day only, Convict Sounds, is a popular sensory experience that will transport kids and kids at heart to the island’s turbulent convict era (1839–69).

Convict Precinct Tours

Want to spend the day out in the middle of Sydney Harbour? Interested in finding out about the history of a former island penal establishment? Take a tour of the Convict Precinct at Cockatoo Island! Book your tickets online through the Cockatoo Island website.

  • OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE

    New Exhibition: The River: Burramatta to Cockatoo (until 26 November 2023)

    Just near Old Government House, the confluence of Darling Mills Creek and Toongabbie Creek form the headwaters of the Parramatta River. This area was used by the local Burramattagal people as a gathering place before the arrival of the British, and it was chosen for the settlement of Parramatta as the land was fed by the freshwater of the river. This exhibition tells the stories of centuries of use of the river, including by the Burramattagal, and explores the impacts of colonisation and industrialisation on the River, its use for recreation and the current campaign to clean up the River to allowing swimming. The will feature objects from the National Trust collection and on loan from the Maritime Museum, Powerhouse Museum and Parramatta Council.

  • PARRAMATTA PARK

    Self-Guided Walking Tours

    Explore Parramatta Park at your leisure by taking a self-guided tour. Learn about the colonial landscape of Rose Hill, the second settlement site (after Port Jackson) to be established in Australia by the English, or discover the many historic sites and monuments located in the Park. Download a pamphlet and enjoy!

    ·    Rose Hill self-guided walking tour pamphlet

    ·    Monuments and sites self-guided walking tour pamphlet

    Virtual Tours

    Can’t get out to enjoy Parramatta Park in person? Take a virtual tour from wherever you may be by visiting the Parramatta Park Google Arts & Culture page.

  • DIGITAL AUSTRALIAN CONVICT SITES BOOKLET NOW AVAILABLE!

The Australian Convict Sites Steering Committee is pleased to announce the release of the Australian Convict Sites booklet in digital format. Featuring stories and images from all 11 sites that make up the World Heritage listed property, the booklet will take you on a journey through the convict system and illustrate the experiences of those that lived through the convict era. You will gain an understanding of the role of each site and how they are linked to one another to form a larger story depicting the convict experience. The booklet can be viewed from our Research page.

  • 11 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTRALIAN CONVICT SITES WORLD HERITAGE LISTING

    31st July 2021 marks 11 years since the inscription of the collective listing of the 11 Australian Convict Sites on the World Heritage List. Collectively the Australian Convict Sites are of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) to the world, which means the Australian Convict Sites are so exceptional, as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity. More information on the World Heritage listing can be found on the UNESCO website.

    The Australian Convict Sites continue to signify global recognition of the institutions that are central to the formation of modern Australia. The sites included in the serial listing are:

    ·       Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, Norfolk Island (1788–1814 and 1824–1855)

    ·       Old Government House and Domain, Parramatta Park, New South Wales (1788–1856)

    ·       Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, New South Wales (1819–1848)

    ·       Brickendon-Woolmers Estates, Longford, Tasmania (1820–1850s)

    ·       Darlington Probation Station, Maria Island National Park, Tasmania (1825–1832 and 1842–1850)

    ·       Old Great North Road, Wiseman’s Ferry, New South Wales (1828–1835)

    ·       Cascades Female Factory, South Hobart, Tasmania (1828–1856)

    ·       Port Arthur Historic Site, Port Arthur, Tasmania (1830–1877)

    ·       Coal Mines Historic Site, Norfolk Bay, Tasmania (1833–1848)

    ·       Cockatoo Island Convict Site, Sydney, New South Wales (1839–1869)

    ·       Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia (1852–1886)

    Each of the sites represents key elements of the story of forced migration of convicts and is associated with global ideas and practices relating to punishment and reform of criminal elements of society during the modern era. The 11 sites that form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property are outstanding examples of this story in Australia’s rich convict history, however, more than 3,000 other convict sites still remain around Australia.

    All of the 11 sites included in this World Heritage inscription are also listed on the Australian National Heritage List and are protected by Commonwealth, state and territory legislation and site management plans. For more information about the unique World Heritage Property in addition to a series of short videos on these incredible sites visit our homepage.

  • FUNDING TO ASSIST SITES IMPACTED BY COVID-19

    In response to the downturn in tourism which has impacted the Australian Convict Sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment have announced funding to be provided to assist with projects aimed at enhancing visitor experiences at a number of our sites. The stimulus package will provide around $33.5 million to enhance tourism infrastructure at World and National Heritage properties around Australia, including several Australian Convict Sites. Congratulations to all!

  • 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTRALIAN CONVICT SITES WORLD HERITAGE LISTING!: The 31 July 2010 was a day of great excitement for site managers of the Australian Convict Sites when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizaitons (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee, inscribed the 11 Australian Convict Sites on the World Heritage list. This unique serial listing continues to signify global recognition of the lives and the institutions that are central to the formation of modern Australia. Ten years on, the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property provide an opportunity to each person to reflect on their own heritage, on the lives of those who were condemned to transportation far from their homes and the impact that settlement had on our First Nations People. To help mark this important milestone, the Australian Convict Sites Steering Committee (ACSSC) has launched a series of short films including a video on the combined World Heritage Proprety as well as individual site videos.

  • CASCADES FEMALE FACTORY - The Tasmanian Premier, Peter Gutwein, announced $3 million funding towards the construction of the History and Interpretation Centre at Cascades Female Factory. The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority is looking forward to moving forward with the construction of this very important project.

  • AUSTRALIA ELECTED TO THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE by the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention. Australia will serve a four year term, concluding in November 2021.