Convicts: Life in the colony

A direct north general view of Sydney Cove ... 1794

Find out more about a convict's working life, family life and freedom.

To uncover details about your convict’s life you will need to check many resources. You will find the government kept detailed records about convicts, most of which have survived, so you're likely to find more records about a convict's life than a free settler.

There is a little bit of luck involved with family history research but a lot of it is working methodically through the resources. 

Remember:

• Note down the resources you’ve checked even when you don’t find anything.
• Check the original record as it might have additional information not listed in the index.
• More information was documented in later years than earlier years.

Not sure how to begin your research? Check out the links below.