fcrc banner 2

The Female Convicts Research Centre promotes interest in the female convicts of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), by encouraging and facilitating research.

From 1803 to 1853, 13,500 female convicts were transported to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), as punishment for crimes, mainly theft. After serving their sentences they were released into the community. Their transportation left a lasting legacy. The Female Convicts Research Centre encourages research into these female convicts, mainly through its database, website and  seminars.

When you register with the FCRC, you gain access to our database where you will find information entered by our volunteers as we attempt to reconstruct the life course of each female convict.

 

Search the Female Convicts in Van Diemen's Land Database

Research Seminars

Convict System Administration

Convict Institutions

Convict Ships

forum larger

Registration

Convict Lives

 

Latest News:

 

FCRC Seminar 2023

Presented in partnership with the School of Humanities, University of Tasmania

Date: Sunday, 7th May 2023

Transported for Life: a lottery?

Just over 780 female convicts sent to Van Diemen’s Land were sentenced to transportation for life. Our next Female Convicts Research Centre seminar will focus on these women. 

Registration will open early February 2023.

Venue to be confirmed.

Program is now available.

 

Save The Date:

FCRC Seminar  Sunday 7th  May, 2023.  Topic: Transported for Life: a lottery?

More information here:

 

Whats new?

Recent Updates

 

View all Blog Posts

 

View all Convict Stories

 

Other Updates:

Convict Image Gallery - Mary Walsh (Earl Grey, 1850); Agnes Turley (Townsend) per Cadet 1848.  (17/08/2022)

Petitions.

Books, Theses & ReportsTasmania v British Empire by Alison Alexander (updated 15/07/2022)

Justice System - An updated web page, replacing the 'Magistrates' page, expanding on the justice system in Van Dieman's Land as it operated during the convict era.  (2/06/2022).

Probation System - Overview and Timeline (contributed by Helen Menard, 20/05/2022).

Seminar Papers - 2021: The Early Years, 1803-1828 most papers are now available along with audio recordings (please contact us for access to audio).

 

Latest News:

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook

FCRC Seminar: Sunday 5 May 2024:  Call for papers

Topic: Freedom: Time served, moving on

This seminar will focus on the pathways to freedom for convict women and will explore the lives they led once emancipated.

Possible topics may include:

  • Pathways to freedom.
  • Emancipation – prosperity or poverty? How the emancipated women lived out the rest of their lives. Individual stories.
  • Exploring subsets – return to their home country, moving to another colony or country; marriage; non-marriage; business women; relying on the State to survive.

If you would like to present a 20-minute paper at the seminar, please forward an abstract for consideration to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 20 October 2023. The abstract should outline your intended topic, the points you will highlight and the sources you will be using to inform your paper.

 

Call for submissions for the next Convict Women's Press book: Convict Motherhood

Cut-off date for submissions extended to 14 October.

You are invited to submit a chapter for the next CWP book, provisionally titled Convict Motherhood. It will cover all aspects of this fascinating topic:

  • women with children in Britain prior to conviction
  • those who brought children with them
  • childbirth on board ship
  • the loss of children and mothers
  • children born under sentence at convict institutions
  • children born elsewhere
  • children born once women free again

How did women cope with the stresses of the convict system? How did they experience childbirth and child rearing? How many did/could not have children? How did these experiences affect children?

We are looking for papers under 2000 words, about individual convict women, groups of women or more abstract discussions of the topic.

If you are interested, please submit a 100-word abstract by 14 October to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

  

CONVICTS & CONVICTISM IN NORTHERN VAN DIEMEN’S LAND/TASMANIA”

The 13th BIENNIAL CONFERENCE of the George Town & District Historical Society Inc.

SUNDAY, 12 NOVEMBER

This conference will be held in the Performing Arts Centre at the Port Dalrymple School with registrations from 8.45 am ready for a 9.15 am start and finishing around 4 pm. Registration required.

Website: www.gtdhs.com

 

The Marita Bardenhagen Memorial Award

The Marita Bardenhagen Memorial Award for Local History is a biennial prize acknowledging outstanding original research in the field of local history with significant Tasmanian content.  Applications are now open for the 2023 Award and will close on 30 September.

To obtain an entry form, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 0409 140 657.

Recent Updates

Whats new?

Latest Convict Stories

View all Convict Stories

 

Latest Blogs

View all Blog Posts

 

Other Updates:

Voyages: The Voyage of the Tasmania 1844, including a map of the voyage, by Dee Hoole (14/09/2023)

Convict Ships  Martin Luther 1852, Surgeon's Journal, transcription courtesy of Colleen Arulappu (10/07/2023)

Books, Theses & Reports - Convict Orphans by Lucy Frost. (14/06/2023)

Books, Theses & Reports - Convict Lives:  Young girls transported to Van Diemen's Land edited by Alison Alexander (4/05/2023)

Freedoms - The Path to Freedom. Page updated and edited by Helen Menard 1/05/2023, to include  'Freedom v emancipation'.

Featured in Publications - A list of VDL convict women featured in publications (compiled and updated by Ros Escott April 2023).

Pre-Transportation: The British Justice System in the 18th & 19th Centuries -  A new page for the website, contributed by Helen Menard 18/03/2023.

Terms of Access - Additional Policy for accessing and using our website (6/02/2023)


 

GTDHS 13th Conference   

jf hob hl