Education resources

Day in the life
of a convict

Between 1819 and 1848 over 50,000 male convicts passed through the Hyde Park Barracks.

Some men were assigned to work for free settlers and they left soon after arriving. Others stayed at the Barracks for months or even years and worked for the government. They were called 'government men'.

Day in the Life of a Convict will help you investigate what life was like for the ‘government men’ who lived at the Hyde Park Barracks.

Subject: History
Year: Stage 3 (Yr 5-6)
Topic: The Australian Colonies
See also: Education programs at Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Related content

Explore the daily lives of convicts at Hyde Park Barracks in more detail below. See how their situations changed over the years, and meet some convicts who lived at the Barracks, reading and listening to what they thought, felt, and experienced.