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Jan 1, 1572
The Vagrency Act
The Vagrency Act was passed to legalise transportation of prisoners. -
Period: to
Austrailan Penal History
The history of the Australian Penal system , is quite a gruesome one. All the settlements and facillities that were created to help handle the prisoners, all quickly gained a reputation as, harsh, scary and all round brutal. You definatly did not want to end up in one of the Australian Prisons. -
The Transportation Act
The Transportation Act was passed, and this allowed the United KIngdom to start exporting their prisoners to the American colonies. -
Transportation Starts
New South Wales was the chosen place, to use as a landing base, and was to be used as a British colony. -
The First Fleet Arrives in Australia
The First Fleet arrived in Australia on the 18th of January 1788, and it was largly made up of war ships, supply ships and convict transport ships. In total 759 convicts were transorted to Australia, with the First Fleet. -
Foundation of Hobart and settlement of Port Dalrymple
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Lachlan Macquarie is Governor of New South Wales
Lachlan Macquarie was chosed to be Governor of the colony New South Wales. -
Commissioner Bigge is sent to review treatment of convits
Commissioner John Bigge was appointed by the Colonial Office in London, to report on the treatment of convicts in New South Wales. After finishing his report, he reccomended more serverity needed to be shown by Governer Maquarie. -
Sarah Island
Sarah Island was a penal settlement set up sometime 1822 as a last resort for difficult convicts. It was and still is located in the remote wilderness of Macqurie Harbour and was known for its cruel punishments and twisted history. -
Port Arthur Opened
Port Arthur had been used as a timber mill before the Governer of Van Dieman's Land wanted to start using it as a prison for the repeat offennders and hardened criminals. -
Molesworth Report on Transportation
Sir William Molesworth was appointed by the British House of Commons, to investigate further into whether transportation was a successful detterent or too a harsh as a penalty. In the end, he concluded that "Transportation should be discontinued." -
Charlse Fitzroy Govenor General
Charles Fitzroy was appointed the Governor General of Australia after there was much uproar in England, due to the lack of imformation that was trickling in from Australia -
Tansportation to Sydney Banned
Transportation of British convicts to Sydney was abolished. However, it continued in Hobart, Tasmania, and in Western Australia for many years, enabling the colonies to grow quickly. -
Last arrival of convict ship
The last Ship carrying prisoners to Australia. -
Last hanging in Australia
Last legal hanging in Australia.
