Presentation

Living conditions for convicts varied considerably, essentially according to the luck of the draw. A convict who was assigned to a good master might have a comfortable life and be well treated. There were some masters, however, who treated their convicts as no better than slaves.

Convict women in Australia  

·         The female segment of British prisoners transported during the 18th and 19th centuries to carry out their sentences in what is now Australia.

·         Transportation to the penal settlement in Australia was an alternative for other harsh punishments such as death by hanging.

·         The poverty stricken female convicts were viewed as prostitutes when compared with the upper class women in Britain.

·         Women were driven to prostitution during the hard convict life in Australia.

·         During the long voyage from Britain to Australia and upon arrival, many women took advantage of their sex as a way of improving their situation.

·         During the 18th and 19th centuries many prisoners were transported to Australia to carry out their sentence, a relatively small percentage of whom were women (between 1788 and 1852, male convicts outnumbered the female convicts six to one).

·         Convict women varied from small children to old women, but the majority were in their twenties or thirties.

·         The British Government called for more women of “marriageable” age to be sent to Australia in order to promote family development for emancipated convicts and free settlers.

·         Despite the belief that convict women during the transportation period were all prostitutes, no women were transported for that offence. The majority of women sent to Australia were convicted for what would now be considered minor offences (such as petty theft)

·         Many women were driven to prostitution upon their arrival in Australia as means of survival because they were often required to house themselves or buy clothing and bedding on their own

·         Female convicts often worked as household servants, cooking, cleaning and sometimes taking care of children

·         Each female convict received:

·         1 jacket, 2 petticoats, 2 shifts (plain dresses), 2 pairs shoes and stockings, 2 caps, 1 handkerchief and 1 hat

·         Marriage between male and female convicts and raising a family was encouraged because of the government’s intentions of developing a free colony.

·         British government to establish a colony in Australia rather than have it remain as a penal settlement.

·         This compelled the government to send more women to Australia as a way of establishing a native population.

Males

·         Officially, male convicts were entitled to a ration of meat (usually about 1 lb per day of salt pork, beef or mutton) and 1 to 2 lb per day of flour or cornmeal to make damper.

·         There were no rations of fresh vegetables or fruit to any convicts, male or female, and it was a matter of luck whether they were supplied with these commodities.

·         Male convicts generally did hard physical labour such as making bricks, constructing buildings, gardening, and building roads.

·         According to regulations, each year every male convict was issued with:

·         2 jackets, 1 waistcoat, 1 pair breeches, 2 shirts, 1 hat, 1 woollen cap and 2 pairs shoes and stockings

Attitudes towards the convicts in the scene in which they are rehearsing the play and n Ross and Campbell come on to the stage during the rehearsal the convicts become scared therefore it says the type of power and the treatment that the convicts had to deal with.

Looked down upon and treated like crap aka during the journey to Australia all cramped up in this small place not allowed to move or breathe or the guard would have them flogged for the lols.

No respect towards them no longer humans but toys for society to play with until their sentence is up.

Even hard for them to get jobs after they leave prison so they end up doing what they know best a vicious cycle.