Convicts research guide
Although convicts were transported to the colonies of New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia, many convicts ended up in other states or colonies, having been taken there by their assigned masters or by moving there after gaining their freedom. Distant settlements such as Moreton Bay and Norfolk Island were also used as places of secondary punishment.

Backhouse, Edward, A chain gang, convicts going to work near Sidney [i.e. Sydney], New South Wales, from A narrative of a visit to the Australian colonies, 1843; nla.obj-138467394
Backhouse, Edward, A chain gang, convicts going to work near Sidney [i.e. Sydney], New South Wales, from A narrative of a visit to the Australian colonies, 1843; nla.obj-138467394
How do I know if my ancestor was a convict?
You will need to trace your family history back to your family's arrival in Australia to discover whether you have convict ancestry.
Pointers to a person being a convict may include:
- the words 'with the permission of the Governor' on a marriage certificate
- the name of your ancestor in a convict muster
- the name of a ship and year after the person’s name, in a document
- noted as a convict in a census or other official document, such as Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence.
What do I need to start convict research?
A good starting point for convict research is the record of the convict's arrival in Australia. It is best to have an idea of:
- the convict’s arrival date; and
- the colony to which he/she was transported.
Each of the three colonies which received convicts have separate records. Information found on the arrival record will enable you to research the convict's crime, trial and sentence and to follow their term of sentence in Australia.
Online guides to research
The First Fleet
The eleven ships which arrived on 26 January 1788 are known as the First Fleet. They carried around 1400 convicts, soldiers and free people.
The journey from England to Australia took 252 days and there were around 48 deaths on the voyage.

John Allcot, The First Fleet in Sydney Cove, January 27, 1788, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135776002
John Allcot, The First Fleet in Sydney Cove, January 27, 1788, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135776002
Books about convict research
- Convict Records in Australia
- Tracing your Criminal Ancestors
- Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Convicts and Convict Administration
- Transcribing Tasmanian Convict Records

Lionel Lindsay, Waiting pirate in the tavern, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-152546450
In this guide

Excerpt from the 1828 trial of Henry Sutton. Records of London trials, such as the one above, are freely available from The Proceedings of the Old Bailey online.

Attributed to G. Cruikshank by Rex Nan Kivell, [Death of a convict on the hulk Justitia], 183?, nla.obj-135886659

Atkins, Samuel, active 1787-1808, [Ships in the Thames], 1790?, nla.obj-135505485

Earle, Augustus (1793-1838), Female penitentiary or factory, Parramata [i.e. Parramatta], N.S. Wales [1826?], nla.obj-134500491

The London convict maid, a cautionary tale of life in the colony, circa 1830, nla.obj-1117449

Convict uprising at Castle Hill, 1804, nla.obj-135226428
Video
Listen to Guy Hansen, Director of Exhibitions, examine one of the oldest cartoons in the Library's collection, 'Convict uprising at Castle Hill (1804)'.