Wattle and daub
Early huts in Sydney were often made from materials found in the local environment. Sturdy wooden posts, with thinner branches woven in-between created a wall, and then this was covered with clay or mud to make it solid. However, the walls were easily damaged by Sydney’s severe weather, especially heavy rain.
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Convict Sydney
Leg Iron Guard
A stunning example of an improvised handicraft, this leather ankle guard or ‘gaiter’ was made to protect a convict’s ankle from leg irons
Convict Sydney
Objects
These convict-era objects and archaeological artefacts found at Hyde Park Barracks and The Mint (Rum Hospital) are among the rarest and most personal artefacts to have survived from Australia’s early convict period
Convict Sydney
Convict Shoe
Known as crab shells or hopper dockers in the convict ‘flash’ slang language, two or three pairs of shoes were issued to each convict annually
Convict Sydney
Convict hat sennets & leaf shredder
This shredding tool and ‘sennets’ or fragments of plaited cabbage tree palm leaves (Livistona australis) were found beneath the floors of Hyde Park Barracks, and used by convicts for making hats