Convicts wore pieces of cloth,rags and different materials. The arrows showed that convicts were the property of the British government. For cloths, they wore ,two jackets,one pair of breeches,one waistcoat,two pairs of shoes, one hat and two shirts.

Besides, Who were the convicts on the First Fleet?

The convicts of the First Fleet included both men and women. Most were British, but a few were American, French, and even African. Their crimes ranged from theft to assault. Most convicts were sentenced to seven years’ “transportation” (the term for the sending of prisoners to a usually far-off penal colony).

Keeping this in mind, What did female child convicts wear? The women wore clothes such as ‘slops’ in blue or brown serge, or a stuff gown, white apron and straw bonnet for Sunday with a jacket and a coarse apron for weekdays. Children remained with their mothers at the Factory until the age of four, at which time they were placed in Orphan Schools.

What clothes did the convicts wear?


This included:

  • a cotton shirt.
  • white canvas trousers.
  • a thick blue woollen jacket.
  • a yellow and grey waistcoat.
  • stockings (long socks)
  • shoes.
  • a neckerchief.
  • a woollen or. leather cap. .

Who was the youngest convict on the First Fleet?

John Hudson, described as ‘sometimes a chimney sweeper’, was the youngest known convict to sail with the First Fleet. Voyaging on board the Friendship to NSW, the boy thief was 13 years old on arrival at Sydney Cove. He was only nine when first sentenced.

Who were the first convicts?

The First Fleet is the name given to the group of eleven ships carrying convicts, the first to do so, that left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788.




The six ships that transported the First Fleet convicts were:

  • Alexander.
  • Charlotte.
  • Friendship.
  • Lady Penrhyn.
  • Prince of Wales.
  • Scarborough.

Who came on the first fleet?

The First Fleet of 11 ships, each one no larger than a Manly ferry, left Portsmouth in 1787 with more than 1480 men, women and children onboard. Although most were British, there were also African, American and French convicts. After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788.

Who was the most famous convict?


Top Five Famous Convicts transported to Australia

  1. Francis Greenway. Francis Greenway arrived in Sydney in 1814. …
  2. Mary Wade. The youngest ever convict to be transported to Australia at the age of 11. …
  3. John ‘Red’ Kelly. …
  4. Mary Bryant. …
  5. Frank the Poet.

What was it like being a female convict?

These women faced extreme difficulty in achieving freedom, solvency and respectability. They would be employed in ‘factories’ (equivalent of the English workhouse) but often had to find their own accommodation, and would be under great pressure to pay for it with sexual services.

What happened to female convicts when they arrived in Australia?

Half the women landed in mainland Australia and half in Tasmania. Less than 2 per cent were violent felons. For crimes of poverty, they were typically sentenced to six months inside Newgate Prison, a six-month sea journey, seven to 10 years hard labour and exile for life.

What jobs did female convicts do in Australia?

Convict women were employed in domestic service, washing and on government farms, and were expected to find their own food and lodging. Punishment for those who transgressed was humiliating and public.

What is a convict uniform called?

The convicts had their own slang, which was almost like a secret language. They had different names for their clothes. They referred to the Australian convict clothing as slops, describing the sloppy, slouchy outfits that were often too big for them.

What did child convicts eat?

It was usually 450 grams of salted meat (either mutton or beef), cooked again into a stew, and some bread.

What did people wear 1788?

The usual fashion at the beginning of the period was a low-necked gown (usually called in French a robe), worn over a petticoat. Most gowns had skirts that opened in front to show the petticoat worn beneath.

Who was the youngest girl convict on the First Fleet?

Elizabeth Hayward. was the youngest female convict, at 13, on the First Fleet. She received seven years transportation at the Old Bailey in January 1787, for being accused of stealing clothes from the clog maker she was working for.

Who is the oldest convict?


Dorothy Handland

(born Dorothy Coolley; c. 1705/26 -) was perhaps the oldest convict transported on the First Fleet.



Dorothy Handland
Criminal charge(s) Perjury
Criminal penalty 7 years transportation
Spouse(s) Robert Grey John Hanland

When did the first convicts arrive?

The eleven ships which arrived on 26 January 1788 are known as the First Fleet. They carried around 1400 convicts, soldiers and free people.

Who were the first settlers in Australia?

The first settlement, at Sydney, consisted of about 850 convicts and their Marine guards and officers, led by Governor Arthur Phillip. They arrived at Botany Bay in the “First Fleet” of 9 transport ships accompanied by 2 small warships, in January, 1788.

Who was the oldest on the First Fleet?


Dorothy Handland

(born Dorothy Coolley; c. 1705/26 -) was perhaps the oldest convict transported on the First Fleet.



Dorothy Handland
Criminal charge(s) Perjury
Criminal penalty 7 years transportation
Spouse(s) Robert Grey John Hanland

Who brought the First Fleet to Australia?

On 26 January 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip sailed into Port Jackson on HMS Supply and raised the British flag to proclaim the colony of New South Wales. With him were the 11 ships that made up the First Fleet.

Who came to Australia in 1788?

On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.

Who was the oldest convict?


Dorothy Handland

(born Dorothy Coolley; c. 1705/26 -) was perhaps the oldest convict transported on the First Fleet.



Dorothy Handland
Criminal charge(s) Perjury
Criminal penalty 7 years transportation
Spouse(s) Robert Grey John Hanland

Who was the youngest convict?

John Hudson, described as ‘sometimes a chimney sweeper’, was the youngest known convict to sail with the First Fleet. Voyaging on board the Friendship to NSW, the boy thief was 13 years old on arrival at Sydney Cove. He was only nine when first sentenced.

Why is John Red Kelly famous?

John Kelly, who had been transported from Ireland to Australia for stealing two pigs, had to stand trial in Avenel Courthouse for cattle stealing, though he was later acquitted for the theft but charged with ‘unlawful possession of a hide’, for which he served four months.