About
The Australian Convict Sites are a World Heritage Site that consists of eleven penal sites associated with convict transportation to Australia. The sites were constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries, a period during which around 166,000 people were transported to Australia. Convicts were sent to Australia for a range of offences, including committing petty crimes and supporting particular political causes. Convicts were subjected to forced labour, which was used as a means of deterrence and rehabilitation, and as a way of developing the Australian colonies. Several thousand sites, including prisons and labour facilities, were established across Australia to support the convict system. The eleven designated sites served varied functions, including development of the colony's land and exploitation of its natural resources, deterrence of crime through secondary punishment, and rehabilitation of convicts.
