Convict Life In Australia's Early Days Quiz

Answer: Cascade Female Factory

The Cascade Female Factory was built with the express purpose of housing females away from Hobart so that they would not corrupt ordinary citizens. The factory was built on swamp land and this, coupled with the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, meant that it had a high rate of deaths. Today it is open to the public and gives visitors an insight into the cruel treatment of the convicts.

Answer: Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island had a large supply of sandstone so the creation of a penal colony was done to harvest the stone for building projects in Sydney, such as the retaining wall at Circular Quay. The penal colony was mainly manned by re-offending prisoners and they were worked hard in quarrying, reaping and storage of grain and ship building. You can still see the extensive dockyard, large workshops, slipways, wharves, residences and other buildings as well as the records of the ship building industry.

Answer: Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison in Western Australia comprises the main cellblock, chapel, a two-storey limestone gatehouse, workshops, cottages, guardhouses, a hospital, an underground reservoir, a kilometre-long tunnel network, limestone perimeter walls, a refractory block and gallows.

The prison was built by convicts from 1851 to 1859 and the cell blocks were used to isolate the prisoners from one another and they had to live in complete silence.

Answer: Hyde Park Barracks

The Hyde Park Barracks site was instigated by Governor Macquarie for the housing of male and boy convicts, and was built by them. The architect of the project was Francis Greenway. It closed in 1848 and turned into a family reunion centre until 1886 after which it became a female asylum centre from 1862 to 1886.

Answer: Coal mine

The Coal Mines Historic Site is situated on Little Norfolk Bay in Tasmania and was the first coal mine in Tasmania. The convicts that were sent there were considered the "worst type" and worked extremely hard underground. Unfortunately, today the site is mainly ruins but it is still haunting.

Answer: Norfolk Island

Kingston and Arthurs Vale convict site is located on Norfolk Island. This site was where the English sent the worse convicts to serve their time. The convicts had to work from sunrise to sunset with poor farming implements. Their accommodation was cramped and unsanitary causing a high mortality rate.

Answer: Brickendon Estate

William Archer named his estate Brickendon after a village near his birthplace in England. Archer ran a very successful estate combining sheep farming and crop production. The use of convicts and ticket-of-leave convicts was an essential part of being able to properly and efficiently farm the harsh land in Tasmania.

Answer: True

Port Arthur has a rich history starting off as a penal settlement. It was a harsh place and because of its remoteness and seaside location it was almost impossible to escape. It is recognised as one of Australia's major convict sites.

In April 1996 Martin Bryant starting shooting at the tourists at the site. Starting at the Broad Arrow Cafe, then the Gift Shop and the car park, he managed to kill 31 people and wound a further 19. A further 4 people were murdered outside of Port Arthur and a further 4 people injured.

Answer: Yes

Old Government House was set up for the Governor to handle the administration of the convicts being sent to Australia from Britain. Here they determined the punishment of the convicts, what penal settlement they were sent to and what their punishment was. Most convicts at the House were used to clear land, make and maintain roads, buildings, farming, gardening, and work in the lumberyard.

Answer: Darlington

The thinking behind a probation station was to reform prisoners before setting them free. The prisoners were segregated and classified first into groups; afterwards systems were put into place including punishment for misdoings, and the use of education in types of work and religious instruction.