Convicts and former convicts were not the only ones to be caught up in the scandals, crimes and corruption of the past. The 60 kilometres of NSW State archives include many records about others who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. These include police, court and gaol records from the colony’s earliest days. Many of these records can be searched through the indexes and finding aids on State Records’ website.
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Arthur Selfe, [3-6075 p.207], Reel 5114
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Ellen Dillon or Walsh [3-6048 p.77], Reel 5102
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Florence Elizabeth Bray, [3-6078 p.220], Reel 5158
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, James Murphy, [3-6065 p.143], Reel 5108
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Jane Thomas, [3-6040 p.155], Reel 5098
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Louisa Collins, [3-6074 p.84], Reel 5103
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Thomas Berry, [3-6040 p.93], Reel 5098
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Thomas Williams, [3-6043 p.135], Reel 5100
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- NRS 2138, Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, William Talbot Hoyles, No.298 [3-14030, p.11], Reel 5097
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- NRS 2496, State Reformatory for Women, Long Bay Photographic Description Book, Eugene Falleni, No 741 [3-6004]
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- NRS 2496, State Reformatory for Women, Long Bay Photographic Description Book, Kate Leigh No 188, [3-6007]
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- NRS 2549, Trial Bay Photographic Description Book, Ellis Lewis, [3-6019 p.38]
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- NRS 2549, Trial Bay Photographic Description Book, Thomas Richard Butler, [3-6019 p.10]
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- Trial Bay Photographic Description Book, James Harold Lyall, [3-6019 p.76]
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- NRS 2232 Goulburn Gaol Photographic Description Book, Mary Ann Kent, [3-5971 p.85] Reel 5119
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- NRS 2138 Darlinghurst Gaol Photographic Description Book, Margaret Greenwood [3-6040 p.61a photo 1219] Reel 5098
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- NRS 2549, Trial Bay Photographic Description Book, Thomas George Reid, [3-6019 p.31]
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- Frank Green, also known as the “Little Gunman”, protected Tilly’s brothels. RNICG [17/1507, #27446]
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- Photo description card for Nellie Cameron taken in 1930. NRS 2497 [14/3137 #792]
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- Gaol Photograph of Tilly taken in 1925 after she was found guilty of malicious wounding and sentenced to two years at the State Reformatory. NRS 2496 [3/6007 #659]
Of the 80,000 convicts who were transported to NSW, many settled down to live law abiding lives. Others continued their lives of crime, some coming to a grisly end. Convicts and former convicts were not the only ones to be caught up in the seedier side – the scandals, crime and corruption – of our past.
Of these records, some of the most useful and informative are the gaol photographs. The practice of photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the nineteenth century and continued into the twentieth century. In addition to the image of the prisoner these records generally provide information on the person’s native place; year of birth; details of arrival in the colony; trade or occupation, religion, degree of education and a physical description.
These examples which have been selected from State Records extensive holdings of photograph description books illustrate the richness of this collection.
Related galleries
List of prisoners in the gaol photos above
Darlinghurst Gaol
- BERRY, Thomas
- BRAY, Florence Elizabeth
- COLLINS, Louisa
- DILLON (or WALSH), Ellen
- GREENWOOD, Margaret – also featured in our 50 Years at State Records Gallery
- HOYLES, William Talbot
- MURPHY, James
- SELFE, Arthur
- THOMAS, Jane
- WILLIAMS, Thomas
Goulburn Gaol
- KENT, Mary Ann
Long Bay Gaol
- GREEN, Frank – also featured in our Gallery Tilly Devine and the Razor Gang Wars
State Reformatory for Women
- CAMERON, Nellie – also featured in our Gallery Tilly Devine and the Razor Gang Wars
- DEVINE, Tilly – see the full story in our Gallery Tilly Devine and the Razor Gang Wars
- FALLENI, Eugene – also featured in our Gallery of NSW Women
- LEIGH, Kate – also featured in our Gallery Tilly Devine and the Razor Gang Wars
Trial Bay
- BUTLER, Thomas Richard
- LEWIS, Ellis
- LYALL, James Harold
- REID, Thomas George