Quiz - The Life and Crimes of Sydney's Convict History

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Sydney was established in 1788 as a penal colony, but the settlement was not initially known as "Sydney". What was the original name of the town/settlement?* This field is required.

Port Jackson

New Albion

Botany Bay

Sydney Cove

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New Ablion; Governor Philip initially gave the settlement the name of "New Albion" (after Albion, a then poetic name for Great Britain that has since fallen from use).

For reasons unknown, Governor Philip proclaimed the colony's name as Sydney on the 7th Feb 1788.

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The Second Fleet to arrive on Sydney's shores was known as the Neptune Fleet, and was famous for it's unique mortality rate. What was the approximate mortality rate?* This field is required.

5.4%

23.9%

40%

100%

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40%; of 928 male convicts on the Neptune, Scarborough and Surprize, 26 per cent died on the voyage and nearly 40 per cent were dead within months of their arrival in the colony.

Famous Maitlander Molly Morgan survived her trip on the Death Fleet and went on to be a revered personality in Australian history.

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The first man to be sentenced to death and hung in Sydney was Thomas Barrett in 1788. He was many things including Colonial Artist, Thief, Forger and Mutineer. What was the crime that resulted in his execution?* This field is required.

Forgery

Murder

Stealing

Mutiny

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Thomas Barrett was sentenced to death for plotting to steal beef and peas. He had twice already been sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted on both occasions. This was his final death sentence and he is buried somewhere in The Rocks precinct.

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When sentenced to transportation, how many years were convicts actually sentenced to?* This field is required.

7 Years

10 Years

14 Years

Life

All of the above

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All of the Above

Convicts were normally sentenced to seven or 14 year terms but others had sentences ranging from 10 years to life. About half the convicts were transported for seven years, and a quarter were sentenced for 14 years.

Well behaved, convicts were not usually required to serve out their full term and could apply for a Ticket of Leave, a Certificate of Freedom, a Conditional Pardon or an Absolute Pardon depending on circumstances.

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Bushrangers were escaped convicts in the early years of the penal colony. Who is credited as being Sydney's first bushranger?* This field is required.

Ned Kelly

John Cesar

Captain Thunderbolt

Ben Hall

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A First Fleet convict, John Cesar(aka Black Cesar) was probably Australia's first bushranger. An ex-slave from the West Indies, who was forced to become a petty thief, was captured and transported for 7 years.

Cesar was a big man who needed more food to survive than the meager daily rations being issued to the convicts because of the shortage of food. Therefore it was probably more in hunger and desperation that led to his repeated escapes into the wilderness.

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Australia's only successful coup d'etat, the Rum Rebellion, took place in 1808. Who was holding the office as Governor at the time of the overthrow?* This field is required.

Governor Arthur Philip

Governor Captain Cook

Governor William Bligh

Governor John Macarthur

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Governor William Bligh lost control of the colony and was reportedly found hiding under his bed.

He was generally an unpopular governor and attempted to curb the rum trade which was considered the primary reason for the coup.

He was already notably infamous for having been the cause of a mutiny on his ship The Bounty in 1789.

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What dreaded illness struck for the first time in The Rocks in Sydney in the year 1900?* This field is required.

Spanish Flu

Bubonic Plague

Covid 19

Scarlett Fever

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Bubonic Plague struck Sydney several times between the years 1900 to 1910 and lead to the demolition of several slum sites that existed at the time.

15

Which island in the Sydney Harbor served as a prison for convicts considered the worst of the worst in the colony's earliest times?* This field is required.

Goat Island

Fraser Island

Norfolk Island

Temptation Island

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Goat Island was to fulfill many functions over the years, but convicts feared it's use as a prison for the worst of the worst.

One 18 year old man was sentenced to be chained to a rock for 2 years on Goat Island, and was forced to sleep in a cavity in the sandstone.

He would also go on to serve time in the prison on Norfolk Island, another feared destination.

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1843; Sydney(and Australia's) first parliamentary elections were conducted for the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1843, with voting rights tied to property ownership or financial capacity.

Men who possessed property worth at least £1000 were able to stand for election and wealthy landowners were permitted up to four votes each in election.

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This 19th century Sydney resident, Robert "Nosey Bob" Howard, was most famous for which occupation?* This field is required.

Gardener

Hansom Cab Driver

Executioner

Police Commissioner

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Execution; Nosey Bob was a handsome six foot, blue eyed young man who worked for many years as Hansom Cab Driver for the rich and famous.

Disaster struck when one of his horses kicked Howard in the face, completely smashing
his nose and disfiguring him for life. This is how he acquired his nickname of “Nosey
Bob”. His clientele fell away drastically, and forced him to look for new employment.

With his mangled face, the only job he could get was as hangman at the Darlinghurst Gaol. He went on to carry out 66 executions at Darlinghurst Gaol, even acting as ‘guest’ hangman in other states and in New Zealand.

He became known as "The Gentleman Hangman", despite horribly botching many executions.

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1840; On 22 May 1840 an Order-in-Council(signed by Queen Victoria's representative) was issued, removing Sydney and all New South Wales, from the list of places to which convicts could be sent.

Despite an attempt in 1848 to reintroduce transportation, the plan was abandoned owing to instense local opposition.

The Order-in-Council represents the turning point when, 50 years after its foundation, Sydney(NSW) upgraded from a penal colony to be defined as a free colony.

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