Around Australia in 11 convict sites

Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area, Norfolk Island

Of all the convict sites, Norfolk Island’s collection of Georgian buildings and ruins in the Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) is the most breathtaking on first approach. Uniquely, its use as a convict settlement bookended the period of transportation to the Australian colonies from 1788 to 1855.

Norfolk Island was settled by a small party of convicts led by Philip King just six weeks after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney. This settlement later grew to thousands, but was abandoned in 1814 and its buildings destroyed.

In 1825, however, convict settlement was re-established, this time as a place of secondary punishment for re-offenders. Norfolk gained infamy as allegedly the cruelest of penal settlements. Much of the intact structures and picturesque ruins alike of the KAVHA area date from this period, including the remains of the Prisoners’ Barracks, the earliest human-powered crank mill built in Australia, the New Gaol and more.

Gradually, this second penal settlement was also closed and the island was handed over to the descendants of the Bounty mutineers who resettled here from Pitcairn Island in 1856. Today, KAVHA remains in active daily use as a pier, administrative centre, recreational area and more — another reason the island’s convict heritage is so special.

Tips: Get a Museum Pass for discounted entry on all four fascinating museums plus two guided ‘tag-a-long tours’.

Take a tour of the scenic cemetery, which contains remains dating from the earliest period of European settlement (and is still used today). The immersive Aata Orn History in the Making tour, led by local guide Arthur Evans, is a must. More: norfolkisland.com.au

Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, NSW

Designed by convict architect , the simple yet striking Hyde