The Letters Patent (or Charter of Justice) provided that the Court should be a Court of Record presided over by the Judge Advocate of the Colony, together with six naval or military officers appointed by the Governor, with the authority to try all criminal causes which were offences under the...
The Quarter Sessions court was an intermediate court with greater powers than the local court or bench but not as great as the Supreme Court. It could hear all crimes and misdemeanours where the crime was not punishable by death. It met three times a year at various locations...
As a result of the criticisms of the existing judicial arrangements in NSW by Commissioner Bigge, the existing Court of Criminal Jurisdiction and the Supreme Court of Civil Jurisdiction were abolished. The Supreme Court was established under the Third Charter of Justice (1823), operating with a...
The Gaol Photographic Description Books contain a photograph of each prisoner and personal and criminal history.
...These photos of prisoners were accompanied by the following details: name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, arrived in colony - ship and year, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of...
Sarah Clifford, born in Jamaica c.1833, was a former convict and known pickpocket in both Tasmania and NSW. She was photographed numerous times at Darlinghurst and Biloela gaols between 1872 and 1910. Clifford was convicted and gaoled for scores of stealing and petty offences over a four decade...
William Plummer, a 66 year old whitesmith (metal worker) originally from England, was photographed at Parramatta Gaol on 26 March 1884 while serving a sentence of four years hard labour for burglary.
The half blind, elderly man with flagellation scars and arms tattooed with...
Featuring extracts from the Registry of Flash Men narrated by 'William Augustus Miles' (aka Fabian LoSchiavo)
This is a unique insight into the criminal underworld in Sydney during the 1840s. The volume was kept as an official surveillance record by William Augustus Miles who was...
