by Rachel Franks | Mar 16, 2021 | Blog
In Governor Arthur Phillip’s great outdoor gaol in Sydney Cove, most eyes were on the convicts. It was logical to assume that those who had already proven themselves as felons were those most likely to offend in a new settlement. Yet, it was a military man, not a...
by Rachel Franks | Sep 30, 2020 | Blog, Entries
On 23 November 1789, Ann Davis became the first woman hanged in New South Wales. Listen to Rachel and Alex on 2SER here Davis was, as we would say today, ‘known to police’. In England, Davis (also known as Judith Jones) had been indicted in April 1786 for feloniously...
by Catie Gilchrist | Jul 29, 2019 | Book Reviews
Jessica North, Esther; The extraordinary true story of the First Fleet girl who became First Lady of the colony Allen & Unwin, 2019, pp 1-277, ISBN 9781760527372, p/bk, AUS$29.99 They could have hanged Esther Abrahams. In 1786, the pretty young Jewish woman had...
by Nicole Cama | Feb 7, 2017 | Blog
The 6 February marked the anniversary of a night of salacious activity which took place at The Rocks in 1788, barely a fortnight after the First Fleet made landfall. Only problem is, this so-called ‘Scene of Debauchery & Riot’ never actually happened. Listen now...
by Nicole Cama | Jan 25, 2017 | Blog
The debate about the name and date of Australia Day has been contested for a very long time, and remains as topical as ever. Many members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community call it Survival Day, while for many others it’s Invasion Day. Let’s take a...
