Convict Sydney

Convict Sydney is a collection of biographies of the men, women and child convicts that weretransported to Port Jackson between 1788 and 1840. It’s not a compilation of the mostsuccessful or the worst offenders, but a medley of the everyday citizens that lived andbreathed in Sydney town. Each character has been brought to life with glimpses into theirpersonalities and their social lives, their hopes and aspirations. Their individual experiencesoffer a broader insight into the daily happenings of Sydney and the convict system. FromElizabeth Sullivan, who was known about town as the ’Fighting Hen of Cooks River’ withher flamboyant dress and tough countenance, to Robert Sidaway who entertained localresidents by hosting dramatic performances in his theater.We step into early Sydney as it was taking shape and learn about the types of work, routines,punishments, rewards, uniforms, marriage restrictions and so much more by walking in aconvict’s shoes. Convict Sydney also explores what life was like after the prisoners hadcompleted their sentences. How they eked out a living and created their new identities intheir tight-knit but ever growing community. Their stories flesh out the living reality.Thought provoking, sometimes shocking, poignant and often uplifting, Convict Sydney offersboth insight and entertainment as we become privy to the humanity of each convict, the highsand the lows of their lives