Bibliograph

Great convict stories, dramatic and moving tales from Australia's brutal early years, Graham Seal

Type

Label

Great convict stories, dramatic and moving tales from Australia's brutal early years, Graham Seal

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references

Illustrations

portraitsillustrationsmaps

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Great convict stories

Responsibility statement

Graham Seal

Sub title

dramatic and moving tales from Australia's brutal early years

Summary

Graham Seal takes us back to Australia's ignominious beginnings, when a hungry child could be transported to the other side of the globe for the theft of a handkerchief. It was a time when men were flogged till they bled for a minor misdemeanour, or forced to walk the treadmill for hours. Teams in iron chains carved roads through sandstone cliffs with hand picks, and men could select wives from a line up at the Female Factory. From the notorious prison regimes at Norfolk Island, Port Arthur and Macquarie Harbour, came chilling accounts of cruelty, murder and even cannibalism. Despite the often harsh conditions, many convicts served their prison terms and built successful lives for themselves and their families. With a cast of colourful characters from around the country: the real Artful Dodger, intrepid bushrangers like Martin Cash and Moondyne Joe, and the legendary nurse Margaret Catchpole, Great convict stories offers a fascinating insight into life in Australia's first decades

Classification