Published by Friends of Battye Library Inc.
Australia's Last Convicts
reprobates, rogues and recidivist.
Are these prison photographs the final images of Australia's last convicts?
Western Australia was the last of the Australian colonies to receive transported convicts, with the last cohort arriving in Fremantle on the Hougoumont on 9 January 1868. In recent times there has been considerable research into the lives and fate of many of the Convicts transported to West Australia.
Swan Genealogy has identified 74 photographs of West Australian Convicts found in the 19th Century Convict Register (Cons 1156/R23), Fremantle Prison Registers (Cons 4173), and surviving Fremantle Prisoner photographs (Cons 4286) held at the State Records Office of Western Australia.
This publication contains these photographs and information contained within these volumes.
Convict Records of Western Australia
The Friends of Battye Library are pleased to announce that our publication The Convict Records of Western Australia has been updated and is now available for anyone to view and download from our website. This comprehensive guide builds on our popular earlier 1990 publication compiled by Gillian O’Mara.
The guide has been updated and expanded by Lorraine Clarke and Cherie Strickland of Swan Geology. It is now an unparalleled reference guide for family historians and researchers interested in Western Australian convicts.
It is on the State Library catalogue as well as our own website and already some societies have printed out hard copies to keep in their headquarters. It is proving a boon to researchers and family historians.
Lorraine and Cherie have traveled the road of convict research themselves so they know all the pitfalls and twists and turns in researching convict history and their experience can now help you. Follow the steps they outline to research your convict.
East Perth Cemeteries
Friends of Battye Library (Inc.), have completed the most comprehensive biographical database on the inhabitants of the East Perth cemeteries.
This is being completed in partnership with the National Trust of WA with the aim to make this research available freely online. This database will be fully sourced and will acknowledge all previous researchers who have contributed to the end result.
