Researching Convicts Transported to Australia

If you've discovered a convict ancestor in your family tree and feel overwhelmed about how to research their life story, this session is for you. Starting with a concise overview of the transportation era and the various penal colonies to give clues as to where to look, this session will help you navigate through the complex layers of historical records. Participants will be guided through a systematic examination of the various documents that shed light on a convict's journey from trial to freedom with an extensive take-away resource list of where to locate these records. The primary aim of this session is to equip you with the tools to construct a comprehensive profile of your convict ancestor's life, piecing together the various elements of the convict system that they would have passed through. Using a structured research methodology, we will explore case studies that demonstrate the availability and location of key records, both within Australia and abroad.