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Van Diemen's Women: A History of Transportation to Tasmania
On 2 September 1845 the convict ship Tasmania left Kingstown Harbour for Van Diemen's Land, with 138 female convicts and their 35 children. On 3 December, the ship arrived in Hobart. While the book looks at the lives of all the women, it focuses on two women in particular; Eliza Davis, who was transported, from Wicklow Gaol, for life for infanticide, having had her sentence commuted from death and Margaret Butler sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing potatoes in Carlow. What emerges is a picture of the reality of transportation, together with the legacy left by these women in Tasmania, and asks the question about whether this Draconian punishment was, for some, a life-saving measure.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 26, 2016
‘The story of the Tasmania (2) and its human cargo is one of remarkable resilience and survival.’
On 2 September 1845, the Tasmania left Kingstown Harbour on its second voyage as a convict ship. On board were 138 female convicts and 35 of their children. The journey to Van Diemen’s Land took just over three months. During the voyage, one woman (Ellen Sullivan) died, as did one child. One child was born en route. Note: In the book, the authors refer to the ship as ‘Tasmania (2)’. This is because this book is about its second voyage as a convict transport.
‘The ship arrived in the River Derwent near Hobart Town on 3 December 1845 and on 9 December 1845 it unloaded its human cargo of 137 female convicts and their children.’
The average age of the women on the Tasmania (2) was 29 years. The oldest woman was 64 years old, the youngest just 16 years. This book is about the women who were transported aboard the Tasmania (2), but it focusses on two women in particular: Eliza Davis and Margaret Butler.
Eliza Davis was transported for life (from Wicklow Gaol) for infanticide after her death sentence was commuted. She married twice, with her second marriage taking place just a week before her death. She was aged 68, and had nine children in Tasmania.
Margaret Butler, a widow from Carlow, was transported for seven years, for stealing potatoes. Only two of her six children went with her on the Tasmania (2). Sadly, Margaret was murdered by her second husband in 1855.
The authors, Joan Kavanagh based in Ireland and Dianne Snowden in Tasmania, met at a conference in Melbourne in 1998. Dianne Snowden is Margaret Butler’s great-great-great granddaughter. This book, written using original records, shows that, for at least some of the women, transportation provided the possibility of a better life. Especially given that the Irish Potato Famine began in 1845 and continued until 1849.
This book is not a comprehensive history of transportation. It looks at the Irish women transported on the Tasmania (2), the crimes they were convicted of and what happened to them. The case studies are interesting, as are the illustrations. Reading this book, it’s easy to feel sorry for many of the women transported. So many of the crimes – from this distance – seem trivial. I find it impossible not to see some of these women as both perpetrators and victims.
I found this book very interesting. While the details of the women and their crimes was informative, I was much more interested in their lives once they arrived in Hobart Town. If you are interested in the experience of transportation to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), especially for women from Ireland, then this is a book you may wish to explore.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On 2 September 1845, the Tasmania left Kingstown Harbour on its second voyage as a convict ship. On board were 138 female convicts and 35 of their children. The journey to Van Diemen’s Land took just over three months. During the voyage, one woman (Ellen Sullivan) died, as did one child. One child was born en route. Note: In the book, the authors refer to the ship as ‘Tasmania (2)’. This is because this book is about its second voyage as a convict transport.
‘The ship arrived in the River Derwent near Hobart Town on 3 December 1845 and on 9 December 1845 it unloaded its human cargo of 137 female convicts and their children.’
The average age of the women on the Tasmania (2) was 29 years. The oldest woman was 64 years old, the youngest just 16 years. This book is about the women who were transported aboard the Tasmania (2), but it focusses on two women in particular: Eliza Davis and Margaret Butler.
Eliza Davis was transported for life (from Wicklow Gaol) for infanticide after her death sentence was commuted. She married twice, with her second marriage taking place just a week before her death. She was aged 68, and had nine children in Tasmania.
Margaret Butler, a widow from Carlow, was transported for seven years, for stealing potatoes. Only two of her six children went with her on the Tasmania (2). Sadly, Margaret was murdered by her second husband in 1855.
The authors, Joan Kavanagh based in Ireland and Dianne Snowden in Tasmania, met at a conference in Melbourne in 1998. Dianne Snowden is Margaret Butler’s great-great-great granddaughter. This book, written using original records, shows that, for at least some of the women, transportation provided the possibility of a better life. Especially given that the Irish Potato Famine began in 1845 and continued until 1849.
This book is not a comprehensive history of transportation. It looks at the Irish women transported on the Tasmania (2), the crimes they were convicted of and what happened to them. The case studies are interesting, as are the illustrations. Reading this book, it’s easy to feel sorry for many of the women transported. So many of the crimes – from this distance – seem trivial. I find it impossible not to see some of these women as both perpetrators and victims.
I found this book very interesting. While the details of the women and their crimes was informative, I was much more interested in their lives once they arrived in Hobart Town. If you are interested in the experience of transportation to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), especially for women from Ireland, then this is a book you may wish to explore.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 8, 2025
Probably a 4.5/5, losing the 0.5 for very minor critiques such as repeating a few facts/descriptions too many times. I chose 5 instead of 4 when giving a GR star rating because it was necessary to repeat some things so we knew which of the many convict women on Tasmania 2 was being talked about at the time. That’s where the negatives end.
As for the positives, where do I start? It’s incredibly hard to write non-fiction in a way that doesn’t bore, or isn’t so arduous to get through due to dry, academic, matter-of-fact language. But this was written in a super accessible, light and interesting way.
I loved how it follows a particular convict ship and the women on it in a chronological order of events - from conviction/sentencing, to the voyage here from Ireland, to the Anson, assignment, marriage, more naughtiness, kids, death (not in that order).
I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, where the author explored the (then) future generations of these convict women, with a particular focus on the legacy these women - once considered wretched whores - left behind. They were, in fact, mothers and grandmothers of Australian soldiers everyone respects so much. As well as being tough, unconventional, rebel badarses in their own right.
I also appreciate and am in awe of how much research went into this - I’ve spent hundreds of hours falling into research rabbit holes about ONE of my convict ancestors and the author did this for a whole ship. Amazing work.
As for the positives, where do I start? It’s incredibly hard to write non-fiction in a way that doesn’t bore, or isn’t so arduous to get through due to dry, academic, matter-of-fact language. But this was written in a super accessible, light and interesting way.
I loved how it follows a particular convict ship and the women on it in a chronological order of events - from conviction/sentencing, to the voyage here from Ireland, to the Anson, assignment, marriage, more naughtiness, kids, death (not in that order).
I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, where the author explored the (then) future generations of these convict women, with a particular focus on the legacy these women - once considered wretched whores - left behind. They were, in fact, mothers and grandmothers of Australian soldiers everyone respects so much. As well as being tough, unconventional, rebel badarses in their own right.
I also appreciate and am in awe of how much research went into this - I’ve spent hundreds of hours falling into research rabbit holes about ONE of my convict ancestors and the author did this for a whole ship. Amazing work.
September 20, 2023
Regardless of the number of books I read on this topic, I always find I am unprepared for the next book. The sadness, the severe penalties and of course the incredible bad luck of so many of those transported from the British Isles. Then there is the effect on the following generation.
Van Diemen’s Women tells the story of the ‘collecting’ of the women (two in particular) and of their transportation to Australia. Once there, life does not get much better for many, but in some instances, they apparently went happily, and the ‘new life’ was the making of them. Now, several generations later, their descendants are a valuable part of Australia today.
Most of the book is taken from actual records, and is supported with appropriate figures, dates and names. Sadly, but understandably there is almost nothing about the prisoner’s opinions. This does make for a somewhat bland story. None the less a reader must see this as valuable read to add to the knowledge of early Australia.
Van Diemen’s Women tells the story of the ‘collecting’ of the women (two in particular) and of their transportation to Australia. Once there, life does not get much better for many, but in some instances, they apparently went happily, and the ‘new life’ was the making of them. Now, several generations later, their descendants are a valuable part of Australia today.
Most of the book is taken from actual records, and is supported with appropriate figures, dates and names. Sadly, but understandably there is almost nothing about the prisoner’s opinions. This does make for a somewhat bland story. None the less a reader must see this as valuable read to add to the knowledge of early Australia.
February 20, 2018
This is a well researched account of the convict women who came to Van Diemen's Land on board the ship 'Tasmania' in 1845. Although the writing style is dry, due to an almost sole reliance on the records of the time, the story that builds up is powerful.
November 15, 2018
The research into this book is amazingly detailed and in depth. It can be a bit ‘dry’ but this is mainly because the authors focus on fact and don’t elaborate. I’d love to read an account of their perception of events.
April 12, 2017
If you like history with solid emphasis on fact and referencing than this text is for you. It is more textbook than story telling and so harder to fully engage with these women.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews