The Brand on His Coat

The Brand on His Coat - Rica Erickson

$35.00

The Brand on His Coat relates to the histories of a few of the 9,500 convicts who were transported to Western Australia between 1850 to 1868.  Some remained incorrigible, others achieved respect as worthy citizens, but the stigma of the convict brand was to remain with them for the rest of their origins. However, in recent years with the changes in social attitudes the topic has ceased to be a source of embarrassment, and the way is open to study this important period in Western Australian history.

The introduction of so many convicts into the sparsely populated colony brought social problems as well as material gain.  The essays in this work suggest that a rich field awaits those historians who extend their researchers into the second and third generation of expiree families.  The oft repeated claim that the convict population died out without leaving their mark except in buildings and roads is palpably incorrect, as many thousands of expiree descendants would attest.

The history of Western Australia from the time of the convict era to the gold rushes of the 1890’s may well be rewritten as a result of an awakening recognition of this neglected strata of society, and the changes the convicts brought about.