On a brief stopover of three days before NYE 2020, I visited the Convict Sites around Sydney. The day I arrived, I was off to a splendid start, as the Hyde Park Barracks were undergoing renovations (should be completed by now / Summer 2020), so I only got some outside glimpses. Then, two days later on NYE, we took the boat to Cockatoo Island which ... was closed the whole day in preparation for the NYE party. My last chance was the Old Governor's House in Parramatta.

When I arrived it was awfully quiet and signs on the lawn were announcing that the Parramatta NYE party later that day was cancelled. The place looked desolate and I was acutely worried to find yet another closed site. And indeed, the museum was about to close due to low attendance. Luckily, they hadn't yet, so I got a mostly private tour. Later a few more tourists dropped in.

The tour guide painted a clear picture of the site. It's a simple home, nothing that would go for an estate in Europe at the time. The interiors are simple and certainly not luxurious. Australia was a poor, remote colony. Being governor of Australia was either a stepping stone for a young ambitious official or a retirement option for officials past their prime. And of the settlers, as the site name tells you, most came involuntarily as convicts. 

Initially, the estate served agricultural purposes. There wasn't much food to go around, even for the governor, as the seeds brought from the Northern hemisphere wouldn't grow in Australia due to the different seasons. Food was rationed and locked away. And they tried to make ends meet somehow.

I had a few misconceptions who the convicts were that the guide managed to clear up. There were women as many prostitutes from the UK were send to Australia. And many convicts were political convicts, e.g. Irish agitators, not murderers. As a whole, the sites tell an interesting story of Australia as a different type of immigration country.

Getting There

Looking at the site, you can group the sites into four clusters:

• Tasmania
• Remote island in the Pacific
• Perth
• Sydney

Of the four, the easiest to tick off (and the only parts I visited) are in and around Sydney in New South Wales.

The Hyde Park Barracks are downtown and in walking distance of the major tourist sites. From Circular Quay you can take a ferry to Cockatoo Island with the added benefit of getting a cheap harbour cruise. The same boat continues up the river to Parramatta for the Old Governor's mansion. The boat is rather slow, so I would take the train back. Interestingly, there are periods where the water is too low to reach Parramatta proper and you have to take bus for the last leg. Trains between Parramatta and Sydney run frequently and you can walk from the station to the mansion.

While You Are There

Sydney, obviously. Parramatta has some colonial buildings and comes recommended by guide books. Personally, I found it rather underwhelming, but it helps making the point that Australia was not a rich colony. Parramatta is also a stop on your way to the Blue Mountains.