Australian Convict Sites, Penal colonies in New South Wales, Australia
The Australian Convict Sites comprise eleven preserved penal settlements scattered across New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Tasmania, and Western Australia. Each location contains cell blocks, barracks, residential quarters, workshops, and administrative buildings from the colonial period.
Convict transportation to Australia began in 1788 when Britain established penal settlements to house the imprisoned. The practice continued for eight decades, during which different security approaches and prison designs evolved across the sites.
These sites reveal how the imprisoned shaped early colonial society and contributed to building the continent's infrastructure. You can see where people lived and worked, and understand their role in the development of Australian communities.
The sites are spread across four different states, so plan ahead to decide which locations suit your route. Most are accessible by car, and parking is available at each historic settlement for visitor convenience.
Some settlements featured underground isolation cells where the most troublesome prisoners were kept apart from the general population. You can still walk into these subterranean spaces and feel the harsh conditions that were imposed as punishment.
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