30 episodes

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'.

Convict Australia Jennifer Twemlow

    • History
    • 4.8 • 35 Ratings

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'.

    S3E10 The Skinny Dip that started a Rebellion

    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

    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.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych

    https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424



    SOURCES

    1830 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 12 October, p. 4. , viewed 24 May 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196245

    1830 'THE BUSHRANGERS AT BATHURST.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 21 October, p. 3. , viewed 03 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196308

    BATHURST. (1830, October 21). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 2. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196311

    1830 'Supreme Court.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 11 November, p. 3. , viewed 01 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2196480

    1830 'The Courier.', The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), 27 November, p. 2. , viewed 07 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4206106

    1830 'The Bathurst Insurgents.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 3 December, p. 4. , viewed 08 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36866853

    1930 'The RIBBON BOYS', The World's News (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 1955), 13 August, p. 9. , viewed 08 Oct 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136306522

    1998, “Bushrangers at Abercrombie caves” Abercrombie Caves, by Barry Cubitt, viewed 3 October 2022, http://www.abercrombiecaves.com/bushrangers/

    2019, “The Bathurst Rebellion: Inside Australia’s strangest convict uprising”, M. Adams, NewsComAu, viewed 30 May 2022, https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/the-bathurst-rebellion-inside-australias-biggest-convict-uprising/news-story/eaa006a6530a1b66ae128af86ddf7753



    THANK YOU

    Special thanks to Sue Reed.

    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 16 min
    S3E9 Ten Convict Pirates Seize the Frederick

    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 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.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych

    https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424



    SOURCES

    1834 'ANOTHER GOVERNMENT VESSEL TAKEN BY HER GOVERNMENT CREW! ANOTHER SPECIMEN OF COLONEL ARTHUR'S PRISON DISCIPLINE.', The Colonist and Van Diemen's Land Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Hobart Town, Tas. : 1832 - 1834), 11 February, p. 2. , viewed 11 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201158097

    1834 'THE CONVICT SYSTEM. DARING ACT OF PIRACY.', The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), 6 March, p. 2. , viewed 10 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12848817

    1837 'SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL SITTINGS.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 2 May, p. 5. , viewed 16 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8650013

    2018, ‘The Ship That Never Was.’, by A. Courtenay, Harper Collins Publishers Australia Pty Limited



    THANK YOU

    Special thanks to Sue Reed.

    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 28 min
    S3E8 The Sinking of the Guardian

    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 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.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych

    https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424



    SOURCES

    1790, ‘Fortunate Escape of the Guardian Man of War, In her Voyage to Botany-Bay’, The Derby Mercury, Thursday, 29 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/394415900

    1790, ‘The Guardian’, The Public Advertiser, London, Friday, 30 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415081

    1790, ‘Guardian’, The Public Advertiser, London, Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415103

    1790, Jacksons Oxford Journal, Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/396531048

    1790, Ipswich Journal (Ipswich, Suffolk, England), Saturday, 1 May 1790, viewed 3 January 2022 www.newspapers.com/image/396394146 & www.newspapers.com/image/396394185

    1790, ‘The Guardian’, The Public Advertiser (London, Greater London, England), Friday, 30 April 1790, viewed 3 January 2022, www.newspapers.com/image/34415081

    1808, ‘Melancholy Disaster of His Majesty's Ship The Guardian, Bound to Botany Bay with Stores and Convicts’, by Lieut. Riou, Commander, London.

    2010 ‘1788: The brutal truth of the First Fleet.’, by David Hill, Random House Australia, North Sydney.



    THANK YOU

    Special thanks to Sue Reed.

    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 20 min
    S3E7 Australia's First Bank Robbery

    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

    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.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych



    SOURCES

    1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 17 September, p. 1. , viewed 15 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191066

    1828 'EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT THE BANK OF AUSTRALIA.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 17 September, p. 2. , viewed 15 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191067

    1828 '(Domestic Intelligence continued.)', The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), 20 September, p. 4. (AFTERNOON), viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31760702

    1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 22 September, p. 1. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191083

    1828 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 24 September, p. 3. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2191099

    1828 'Advertising', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 24 September, p. 2. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36865088

    1828 'No title', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 26 September, p. 2. , viewed 16 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36867843

    1831 'Supreme Court.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 14 June, p. 3. , viewed 25 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201024

    1833 'Government Gazette Notices', New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), 7 August, p. 302. , viewed 27 Jul 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230390571

    2017 ‘Robbing the Bank: Australia’s First Bank Robbery’, Radford, Neil, Dictionary of Sydney, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/robbing_the_bank_australias_first_bank_robbery, viewed 09 Aug 2022

    2008, ‘Breaking the Bank, an extraordinary colonial robbery’, Baxter, Carol, Allen & Unwin



    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 26 min
    S3E6 John Matthew Richardson with Solomon Staunton

    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 both in and out of Australia, and the discovery of new plants. Two plants were named after John - the Hibiscus Richardsonii and Alyxia Richardsonii.



    FURTHER READING

    'Richardson, John Matthew (1797–1882)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/richardson-john-matthew-2588/text3549, published first in hardcopy 1967.

    'Richardson, John Matthew (c.1797–1882)', Global Plants, JSTOR, https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.person.bm000391636

    ‘Newsletter, No. 112 September 2002’, Australian Systematic Botany Society, https://asbs.org.au/newsletter/pdf/02-sept-112.pdf, page 3.

    ‘Flora of Australia, Volume 1, Introduction 2ndEdition’, Australian Biological Resources Study, CSIRO Publishing, https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/5822457a-1744-4aaa-a5e0-74dc485f825d/files/flora-australia-01-introduction-second-edition-2.pdf, page 66.

    ‘The British in North Australia 1824-29 : Fort Dundas’ by Derek Pugh, Published by Derek Pugh 2017, https://www.booktopia.com.au/fort-dundas-derek-pugh/book/9780992355869.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8uOWBhDXARIsAOxKJ2EAYmo5lKChSbwJWPm5XWxCCcElEoclB0ltLE9rGnpsVidZ6ZjpkCQaAoL1EALw_wcB

    ‘Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia; with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix and the present colony of New South Wales’, by Major T.L. Mitchell, F.G.S and M.R.G.S. Surveyor General, Second Edition, Volume 2, London, T. and W.Boone, New Bond Street, https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00036.html



    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.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych

    https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424



    THANK YOU

    Special thanks to Solomon Staunton.

    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 33 min
    S3E5 Neva - One of the Worst Shipwrecks in Australian History

    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 and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:

    https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia

    Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866

    https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en

    Start your search for your convict ancestors:

    https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych

    https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424



    SOURCES

    1835 'MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.', Launceston Advertiser (Tas. : 1829 - 1846), 2 July, p. 4. , viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84777543

    1835 'PARTICULARS OF THE WRECK OF THE Prison Ship "NEVA."', The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), 18 July, p. 2. (MORNING), viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32149374

    1835 'Van Dieman's Land News.', The Colonist (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840), 23 July, p. 5. , viewed 23 Jan 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31716763

    1959, ‘The Convict Ships, 1787 – 1868’, by Charles Bateson.,Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd., Glasgow

    1997, ‘Most Perfectly Safe: the convict shipwreck disasters of 1833-42’ by G.A. Mawer, Allen & Unwin

    ‘View Shipwreck – Neva’, Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database, viewed 18 June 2022, http://www.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=7542

    2013, ‘The Wreck of the Neva’, by K. Todd, Mercier Press



    THANK YOU

    Special thanks to Sue Reed, Mark Blakey & Cameron Stops.

    Music by Ahjay Stelino

    • 13 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
35 Ratings

35 Ratings

The Wild Colonial Boy ,

AWESOME

Great Stuff, REAL Aussie hsitory. Intelligent and riveting.

Thank You

cdlhstar ,

Awesome

Love it. Smart, interesting, informative a f so well presented. - beautiful speaking voice too. Thank you.

Lady shuki1fan ,

Awesome

I loved these episodes there are such a good way to past time

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