Closing Hell's Gates: The death of a convict stationBased on an elaborate reconstruction of day-to-day life at Macquarie Harbour, one of Australia's most notorious sites of convict punishment, this is the true story of how, in 1827, nine convicts opted for 'state-assisted' escape (the death sentence) rather than endure the hardships and privations of the penal settlement on Sarah Island. In October 1827, nine convicts who had endured years of unimaginable cruelty at the hands of the system opted for 'state-assisted' escape. Five terrified witnesses - their hands and feet bound - were forced to watch as the chained convicts seized Constable George Rex and drowned him in the tannin-stained waters of the harbour. When the sentence of death was pronounced upon them, the condemned prisoners uttered just one word in reply: Amen. For twelve long years between 1822 and 1834, Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour was the most feared place in Australia. Clinging to the shores of the wild west coast of Tasmania and hemmed in on all sides by rugged uncharted wilderness, the environment itself formed the prison walls that confined the unfortunate convict re-offenders who were sent there. But the conditions were so brutal that many went mad, or chose death or a very uncertain escape into the bush rather than spend their time in this notorious place. Based on detailed accounts from the time, Closing Hell's Gates contains dozens of personal stories of the harsh and unforgiving life that people were forced to lead, both as convict and overseer, and in so doing reveals some startling insights about human nature when it is pushed to extremes. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
3 The crimes of the damned | 43 |
4 The law of the sea as applied on land | 61 |
5 The law of the lash | 77 |
6 Fifteen acres | 113 |
7 The mills of empire | 139 |
8 Mr Douglass list | 165 |
10 And in my duty bound will ever pray | 221 |
11 Under the rose | 245 |
Acknowledgements | 273 |
Conversion table | 275 |
Notes | 276 |
Bibliography | 292 |
Index | 305 |
9 Come O my guilty brethren come | 203 |
Other editions - View all
Closing Hell's Gates: The Death of a Convict Station Hamish Maxwell-Stewart No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
absconders Alexander Pearce apprehended arrived attempt Australian Colonies back to Macquarie beach boat crew brig British bush bushrangers Butler chain gang charged Clark clerk Colonial Secretary Commandant to Colonial commandant’s constable Convict Davis convict population court Crockett Cuthbertson death Despite Diemen's Land escape flogged gaol George Gordon River Governor Sorell Henry Crockett Hobart Town Gazette irons James Cock John Douglas Joseph Hume Lacey lashes Launceston Lieutenant Governor London Macquarie Harbour magistrates master McKinney Memoranda by Convict murder named offence Penal Settlements penal station penitentiary petition punishment quarters raft received record Regiment returned runaways Sarah Island sent to Macquarie sentenced September settled districts Settlement Island shipped Small Island soldiers South Wales stealing superintendent Sydney Tasmanian Thomas Bock Thomas Lempriere timber transported to Macquarie trial turned University Press Van Diemen's Land vessel Warton weather William Schofield Wright wrote
Popular passages
Page 16 - Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death, A universe of death ; which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good ; Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, Abominable, inutterable, and worse Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived, Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire.
Page 217 - Outcasts of men, to you I call, Harlots, and publicans, and thieves ! He spreads his arms to embrace you all ; Sinners alone his grace receives ; No need of him the righteous have ; He came the lost to seek and save.
Page 217 - Come, O my guilty brethren, come, Groaning beneath your load of sin; His bleeding heart shall make you room; His open side shall take you in : He calls you now, invites you home ; Come, O my guilty brethren, come...
Page 272 - Acknowledgements This book could not have been written without the help of...
Page 132 - For this reason mankind have been forced to invent a kind of artificial humanity, which is what we express by the word good-breeding.
Page 280 - Overland Journey of Sir John and Lady Franklin and Party from Hobart Town to Macquarie Harbour 1842.
Page 83 - ... souls must not come near there; like lost sheep they must range. With the choicest of strong dainties your tables overspread, With good ale and strong brandy, to make your faces red; You call'da set of visitors— it is your whole delight— And you lay your heads together to make our faces white. You say that Bonyparty he's been the spoil of all, And that we have got reason to pray for his downfall; Now Bonyparty's dead and gone, and it is plainly shown That we have bigger tyrants in Boneys...
Page 68 - Felony, and suffer death as a Felon without benefit of Clergy ; and every person who shall take any such oath or engagement, not being compelled thereto, shall, on conviction thereof by due course of Law, be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall be transported as a Felon for the term of his natural life...
Page 136 - USC § 1983, states that Cruz is a Buddhist, who is in a Texas prison. While prisoners who are members of other religious sects are allowed to use the prison chapel, Cruz is not. He shared his Buddhist religious material with other prisoners and, according to the allegations, in retaliation was placed in solitary confinement on a diet of bread and water for two weeks, without access to newspapers, magazines, or other sources of news.