Australia’s floating jails

There is a classic narrative in Australia that convicts spent their days in penal colonies like Port Arthur and Norfolk Island, which struck fear into the hearts of convicts and settlers alike. But what many people don’t know is that many convicts weren’t even lucky enough to end up there. With prisons overflowing and convicts continuing to be transported to the colonies, former seagoing vessels were quickly modified to accommodate inmates.

To understand why these vessels were used in