NRS-1989 | Photographic Description Books [Armidale Gaol]

Full description

The series was created in accordance with the 'Gaol Regulation' proclaimed in the NSW Government Gazette of 19 February, 1867. Amongst the records required to be created and maintained by the Gaoler of each prison was the 'Description Book' - Containing personal description, religion, and all other prescribed information of all prisoners received, in the same order as the Entrance Book. An index to the Description book was also required to be maintained. (1) Some prisons maintained description books prior to this regulation.

Photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the Nineteenth Century although it was not regulated until the mid Twentieth Century.

The role of description books was embedded into legislation with the passage of the Prisons Act, 1952 (Act No. 9, 1952) which stated "Every prisoner shall be liable to be photographed, to have the impression of his fingers and palms taken, and to have such details of his personal description as may be prescribed recorded" (2)

This series contains a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony - ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).

There is an index in the front of the volume for NRS 1989/2/1.

Endnotes
1. Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette No.32, 19 February 1867, pp.486-487, Regulation 5.
2. Prisons Act, 1952 s.19.