AGY-2111 | Newcastle Penal Establishment

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Newcastle was the site of the first secondary penal establishment in the colony (1). In 1801 Governor King authorised the establishment of a small settlement of soldiers and convicts to be employed in coal mining at Newcastle, but due to unfavourable factors they were recalled in 1802 (2). The settlement was again established in March 1804. Initially it was intended to accommodate the Irish convicts who had staged the uprising at Castle Hill (3). Governor King appointed Lieutenant Menzies as commandant of the new settlement. On the 30 March 1804 Lieutenant Menzies, a surgeon, 11 non-commissioned officers and privates from the NSW Corps, a superintendent, an overseer, and 34 Irish convicts landed at Newcastle to form the settlement (4). Convicts sent to the Newcastle Penal Establishment were put to work in the coal mines, cutting cedar, and as lime burners (5). In 1814 when Lieutenant Thompson took command there were 704 convicts at Newcastle, 121 of whom were women (6). In 1816 Thompson was replaced by Captain Wallis. It was during Wallis' command that Newcastle attained the appearance and character of a well regulated place (7). James Morrisset succeeded Wallis in 1818. Morrissett imposed extremely rigid discipline on the settlement. At this time there were over 1000 convicts at the Newcastle Penal Settlement. In 1820 Governor Macquarie proposed to England that the convicts should be removed from Newcastle and the district opened up to free settlement (8). The Governor felt that Newcastle’s suitability as a penal settlement was diminishing as is was no longer isolated enough from Sydney, timber supplies were dwindling, and increasing numbers of free settlers wanted to farm the rich soil. (9). It was not until 1823 that Governor Brisbane abandoned the penal settlement at Newcastle and removed the convicts to Port Macquarie. In the same year Newcastle was proclaimed a free settlement (10). Although Newcastle was no longer officially a penal settlement, convicts did continue to be employed in the mines for some years (11). Footnotes and References: (1) www.convictcentral.com (2) The Australian Encyclopaedia, p.122 (3) www.convictcentral.com (4) HRA 1.4.597 (5) The Australian Encyclopaedia, p.122 (6) Windross, John & j p Ralston, Historical Records of Newcastle 1797-1897, p.9 (7) HRA 1.10.43 (8) op. cit (9) Hughes, Robert, The Fatal Shore, p.437 (10) The Australian Encyclopaedia, p.122 (11) op. cit.