I saw this morning Frans posting of this beautiful picture & just for a moment wonder why this photo was being officially presented to the Australian Ambassador, then realised that the first shipload of Irish convicts, left for N.S.W. in April 1791. Between 1791 & 1853 approximately 26,500 Irish people were transported to N.S.W., many for trivial offences. The last ship to carry convicts direct from Ireland to Australia, was the Phoebe Dunbar, which sailed from Kingstown (now known as Dun Laoghaire) near Dublin, & arrived in Western Australia on August 30, 1853. However, in 1868, sixty three Irish Fenians, who had been convicted in Ireland, but incarcerated in England, were transported from England. They arrived in Western Australia, on 9 January, 1868 on the Hougoumont, the last convict ship to sail from England to Australia. To mark the Australian Bi-Centenary in 1988,the Taoiseach presented micro-films of the most important National Archives of Irelands records, relating to the transportation of Irish people, to the Australian Government & the people of Australia, from the Government & people of Ireland. A computerised index to the records was prepared, & is available for use at various locations in Australia.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 07:10:57 +0000
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