Convict Ships to Australia

Between the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and the last of the convict ships in 1868, approximately 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia on more than 800 convict ships. The majority of the convicts were men, and they were often sent for crimes such as theft, forgery and assault and also sacrilege, arson, bigamy, riot, machine breaking, sedition and rape. Approximately 25,000 female convicts were transported to Australia. These women were often convicted for relatively minor crimes such as theft, prostitution and vagrancy

The conditions on board the convict ships were notoriously harsh, with overcrowding, poor hygiene, and inadequate food and water supplies. Many suffered from illnesses such as scurvy and dysentery. From 1814 onwards qualified naval surgeons were employed on the ships.

Explore voyages between 1788–1868. Use filters or search to find specific ships.