Convicts

by Matthew Wright

Documents the controversial banishment of criminals, the harsh system of transportation, and difficult daily lives of the early convicts of Australia.

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2012

About the author

Matthew Wright has qualifications in music, history and anthropology, among other fields, holds postgraduate degrees in history, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London. He published his first short story in 1976 and since the early 1980s has worked extensively as a writer, professional historian, reviewer and journalist. His work includes more than 500 articles, academic papers and reviews, and over 50 books on topics from travel guides to biography, engineering, earthquakes, transport, military and social history. He has a particular interest in the sciences.

Reviews

[Gena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't flow, jumps around all over the place.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book to be very interesting. It is good to see that New Zealand was not completely free from the convict stain so to speak as many escaped convicts ended up in New Zealand and not understanding the different culture of the Maori ended up something like pets or slaves to them where they were worked very hard. There were many rogues amongst the early days of New Zealand like a ship being sent from England with a group of boys known as the Parkhurst Boys who had caused outrage amongst the settlers. Another guy involved with the conflict in Taranaki was the American deserter who escaped from the British regiment to live with the Maori for a number of years known as Kimble Bent. He was known as New Zealand's last outlaw when he died. New Zealand did refuse to settle ex convicts who had earnt their release and the French did send some ticket of leavers to New Zealand as well that caused some outrage as well. I would recommend the book as it would be another view on the pre treaty days of when times were different with convicts, sealer and whalers including mentions of the musket wars between the Maori.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the involvement of convicts in the history of New Zealand during the nineteenth century. It is well written and accessible as well as being a quality piece of historical analysis. In completing its main aim it also provides valuable overviews of the transportation of convicts to Australia, their lives there and the relationships between Australia and New Zealand during the convict period. The author also includes an interesting chapter on European visitors to New Zealand who weren't convicts, but should perhaps have ended up as them. One of the worst of these being Captain Stewart of the Elisabeth, who helped Te Ruaparaha capture and kill one his main enemies a key Ngai Tahu chief.