Convict Australia

In 1829, convicts aboard the brig Cyprus seized their chance at freedom, launching one of the most audacious escapes in Australian history. Led by experienced mariner William Swallow, the mutineers sailed a stolen ship across the Pacific, abandoning soldiers, women, and children on a remote shore.
Chased by hunger, betrayal, and the long reach of British law, the fugitives crossed oceans under stolen names - dodging cannon fire off the coast of Japan before their flight ended not in freedom, but in courtrooms, confessions, and the shadow of the gallows.

SOURCES

1829 'PIRATICAL SEIZURE OF The Government Brig Cyprus,', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. :1828 - 1857), 4 September, p. 3. , viewed 08 Jan 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8644472

1829 'THE MAKING OF THE CORACLE,', The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), 12 September, p. 3. , viewed 05 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4213841

1830 'ENGLISH INTELIGENCE.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 24 September, p. 4. , viewed 19 Jan 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8645373

1830 ‘UNION HALL. INTERESTING STORY’, Essex, Herts and Kent Mercury, 18 May, p.3., viewed 12 May 2024.

1830 ‘THE MUTINY AND SEIZURE OF THE BRIG CYPRUS, CONFESSIONS OF THE RINGLEADER’, The Times, 18 October, p3., viewed 28 October 2025.

1830 ‘ADMIRALTY SESSIONS, Thursday, Nov 4. Piracy on Board the Brig Cyrus’, The Times, 5 November, p4., viewed 26 November 2025.

Hirst, W. (2008) The Man who Stole the Cyprus, a truestory of escape. NSW: Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd.

LINKS

Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more. 
https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819

Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners.https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ

Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
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In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow continues her conversation with historian Cathy Dunn, this time turning to the second phase of Norfolk Island’s convict history — the notorious Penal Settlement (1825–1855). Often described as “hell on earth,” this period saw the island transformed into one of the harshest and most feared places of punishment in the British Empire. Cathy shares the stories of brutality, survival, and resistance that defined life on the island.
LINKS

Want to learn more about Norfolk Island? Then click on the link:
https://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/

Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819

Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800

Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
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In this episode, host Jennifer Twemlow speaks with historian Cathy Dunn about the early convict history of Norfolk Island, known as the Colonial Settlement (1788-1814). Cathy shares compelling stories of the island’s early days—of survival, punishment, and resilience in one of the most isolated places in the British Empire. Listeners will hear about the devastating wreck of the Sirius, the harsh realities faced by male and female convicts, surprising opportunities for them, and the unique role Norfolk Island played in Australia’s convict era.

LINKS

Want to learn more about Norfolk Island? Then click on the link:
https://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/

Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819

Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800

Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Convict Australia on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia

In January 1859, five convicts escaped from a Fremantle work party and vanished into the bush, launching one of the most dramatic manhunts in Western Australian history. Stealing boats and navigating treacherous coastal waters, they fled north in a desperate bid for freedom. But as the weeks wore on and survival became a struggle, tensions within the group turned deadly. What followed was a brutal journey marked by pursuit, hardship, and murder — and by the time authorities caught up, only four men remained to tell the tale.

SOURCES

1859 'Domestic Sayings and Doings.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 28 January, p. 2. , viewed 19 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931302

1859 'THE INDEPENDENT JOURNAL,', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 4 February, p. 2. , viewed 25 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931313

1859 'Local and Domestic Intelligence.', The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 - 1901), 23 February, p. 2. , viewed 02 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66008214

1859 'Recapture of the Escaped Convicts.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 4 March, p. 2. , viewed 08 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931371

1859 'Quarter Sessions.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 8 July, p. 2. , viewed 26 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931657

1859 'Thursday, July 7.', The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News (WA : 1848 - 1864), 8 July, p. 3. , viewed 02 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2931659

Convicts in Western Australia 1850 – 1887, Dictionary of Western Australians, Volumes IX, viewed 13 March 2025 https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/convictsinwesternaustralia

 LINKS

Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819

Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800

Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In February 1821, two convicts, Peter Penney and William White, embark on a daring escape from the Australian colony. Stowing away on the ship Dromedary, they endure a perilous journey across the ocean, hiding in the ship’s hold while struggling with hunger, thirst, and the constant threat of discovery.

SOURCES
Macquarie, Lachlan. Memoranda & Related Papers. 22December 1808-14 July 1823. Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. ML Ref: A772 75-77 ff. [Microfilm Reel CY301 Frames #81-83]. Viewed 1 Nov 2024, https://www.mq.edu.au/macquarie-archive/lema/1821/1821feb.html#feb8

1821, The Morning Post, Tues, Jul 10, 1821 Page 3, viewed14/11/2024, hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/396900044/?match=1&terms=dromedary%20convict

1821 The Bristol Mirror, Bristol, Avon, England, Saturday,14 July 1821, viewed 14 NOV 2024 hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/970365575/?match=1&terms=dromedary%20convict

1821 The Exeter Flying Post or, Trewman's Plymouth andCornish Adverfiser. Thu, Nov 01, 1821 ·Page 4 , Viewed 14/11/2024, hftps://www.newspapers.com/image/393165112/?match=1&terms=william%20white%20peter%20penny

1822 'BRITISH EXTRACTS DOWN TO OCTOBER.', Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser (Tas. : 1821 - 1825), 2 March, p. 2. , viewed 11 Feb 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1089651

1824 'MAGISTRATE FOR THE ENSUING WEEK, JAMES BOWMAN, ESQUIRE.', The Sydney Gazette andNew South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 7 October, p. 2. , viewed 13 February 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2183276

1824 'THE ISABELLA.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 14 October, p. 4. , viewed 13 February 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37074005

1824 ‘Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825’, Ship: Per"Tottenham" 4/1815], pp.441-3 | Reel No: 6068 | Start Date:29/09/1824, viewed 13 February 2025, https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX2478835
 
 LINKS

Get your copy of Convict Australia, Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819

Get your copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners/dp/0648946800

Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:
⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠

Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages:
⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠

Find Convict Australia on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia