Between the years 1803 and 1853, Britain exiled 76,784 convicts to Tasmania.
64,284, men and 12,500 women.
1,520 prisoners a year.
The Males were housed predominately at Port Arthur, Maria Island and the most brutal of them all, Sarah Island.
Reserved for the worst of the criminals
For the Term of his Natural Life, written by Marcus Clark in 1874, centred on Sarah Island in Maquarie Harbour, and Port Arthur on Eaglehawk Neck.
It is a rollicking good yarn which, at times, will have you gasping at the cruelty and depravity inflicted on these Human Beings.
Females were housed separately in 5 prisons throughout Tasmania, one place being, Cascades Female Factory in Hobart. (Slave Labour Camp)
The Factory was located in an area of damp swamp land, and with overcrowding, poor sanitation and inadequate food and clothes, there was a high rate of disease and mortality among its inmates.
13,554 convicts died whilst incarcerated and 63,230 convicts received a Ticket of Leave, gaining their freedom.
The Convict Transportation System was overly harsh but it did allow the British Empire to expand their reaches with many new settlements spread across the East Coast of Australia, including Tasmania.
Without this transportation System, Bretrick may have had the ill fortuneš¤ to be born in County Roscommon, Ireland.
