79-489: The Singleton Argus , also published as The Singleton Argus and Upper Hunter General Advocate , is a semiweekly English language newspaper published in Singleton , New South Wales , Australia since 1874. The Singleton Argus and Upper Hunter General Advocate began as a weekly newspaper and was first published on 15 July 1874 by John Willis. In September 1874 it was purchased by Thomas Boyce and Henry Pinchin. The title
158-726: A TAFE campus , Singleton Community College and a number of pre-schools. St Catherine's Catholic College provides classes from kindergarten to year 12, while Australian Christian College has classes from pre-kindergarten to year 12. Schools operated by NSW Department of Education include: Hunter Institute of TAFE operates a campus in Singleton. It provides training and further education as well as collaborating with secondary schools for students completing Senior years. [REDACTED] Japan - Takahata, Yamagata , Japan Convicts in Australia Between 1788 and 1868
237-637: A $ 100 million dollar lottery winner, the highest in the town’s history. The traditional landowners of the land around what is now Singleton are the Wonnarua / Wanaruah people. The Wonnarua / Wanaruah people have occupied the land in the Upper Hunter Valley for over 30,000 years. Singleton was established in the 1820s. In its early years, it was also called Patrick's Plains. The Main Northern railway line reached Singleton in 1863 and
316-497: A convict-supported settlement was established in Western Australia from 1826 to 1831, direct transportation of convicts did not begin until 1850. It continued until 1868. During that period, 9,668 convicts were transported on 43 convict ships . The first convicts to arrive were transported to New South Wales , and sent by that colony to King George Sound (Albany) in 1826 to help establish a settlement there. At that time
395-489: A haystack - in order to escape homelessness. He was conditionally released in 1869 and was granted his certificate of freedom two years later. He worked in construction and was not convicted of any further crimes, dying in Perth in 1938. In 2010, UNESCO inscribed 11 Australian Convict Sites on its World Heritage List . The listing recognises the sites as "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and
474-544: A moderately low precipitation amount of 652.7 millimetres (25.71 in). Precipitation is more abundant during the summer, as the town is affected by foehn winds during winter and spring. The highest temperature recorded at Singleton was 43.6 °C (110.5 °F) on 15 January 2001; the lowest recorded was –4.2 °C (24.4 °F) on 16 August 1994. The town is located at the junction of the New England Highway and Putty Road . The Golden Highway branches northwest from
553-609: A penal colony. At Moreton Bay, he found the Brisbane River , which Cook had guessed would exist, and explored the lower part of it. In September 1824, he returned with soldiers and established a temporary settlement at Redcliffe . On 2 December 1824, the settlement was transferred to where the Central Business District (CBD) of Brisbane now stands. The settlement was at first called Edenglassie . In 1839 transportation of convicts to Moreton Bay ceased and
632-721: A punishment for both major and petty crimes since the 17th century. About 60,000 convicts were transported to the British colonies in North America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, under the terms of the Transportation Act 1717 . Transportation to the Americas ceased following Britain's defeat in the American Revolutionary War . (The number of convicts transported to North America
711-410: A social stigma and, for some later Australians, being of convict descent instilled a sense of shame and cultural cringe . Attitudes became more accepting in the 20th century, and it is now considered by many Australians to be a cause for celebration to discover a convict in one's lineage. In 2007, it was estimated that approximately four million Australians are related to convicts that were deported from
790-405: A visit to England in 1835. While there he was called upon by the government to give evidence before a Parliamentary Commission on the evils of transportation, and at their request wrote and submitted a tract on the subject. His views in conjunction with others in the end prevailed. The anti-transportation movement was seldom concerned with the inhumanity of the system, but rather the "hated stain" it
869-506: Is a 1.26 ha property located at 48 Maitland Road. In 1981 it was listed in the National Trust . It has three bedrooms , two bathrooms , plus study and an attic of two large rooms. Completed in 1865, the land was given on a free grant to brothers Edward, Henry and William Nowland in 1824. Located on 535 Hambledon Hill Road, the land is 50 acres and is currently owned by artist Dale Frank. It has 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. It
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#1732787166847948-481: Is a two-storey sandstock brick home on stone foundations with hipped slate roof, a deep stone paved verandah, with cast-iron balustrade and French Doors. Last sold in September 2007 for $ 720,000. According to the 2021 census , there were 17,018 people in the Singleton urban area. Singleton experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa , Trewartha : Cfal ), with hot summers and mild winters, and with
1027-470: Is not verified, although it has been estimated to be 50,000 by John Dunmore Lang and 120,000 by Thomas Keneally .) The British American colony of Maryland received a larger felon quota than any other province. Alternatives to the American colonies were investigated and the newly discovered and mapped East Coast of New Holland was proposed. The details provided by James Cook during his expedition to
1106-473: Is served by 5 television networks, three commercial and two national services (which include new sub-channels that started in 2009 for the commercial networks and in recent years from the national services). Singleton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Singleton is home to a number of educational facilities. These include schools operated by NSW Department of Education and two non-government schools at both Primary and Secondary levels; as well as
1185-659: The Australasian Anti-Transportation League was formed to lobby for the permanent cessation of transportation, its aims being furthered by the commencement of the Australian gold rushes the following year. The last convict ship to be sent from England, the St. Vincent , arrived in 1853, and on 10 August Jubilee festivals in Hobart and Launceston celebrated 50 years of European settlement with
1264-508: The Convict Establishment , the colony's convict prison, and misbehaviour was punished by stints there. The majority, however, were stationed in other parts of the colony. Although there was no convict assignment in Western Australia, there was a great demand for public infrastructure throughout the colony, so that many convicts were stationed in remote areas. Initially, most offenders were set to work creating infrastructure for
1343-645: The Founders and Survivors project. In 1803, two ships arrived in Port Phillip , which Lt. John Murray in the Lady Nelson had discovered and named the previous year. The Calcutta under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Collins transported 300 convicts, accompanied by the supply ship Ocean . Collins had previously been Judge Advocate with the First Fleet in 1788. He chose Sullivan Bay near
1422-605: The Merthyr Tydfil rising of 1831 ; the Tolpuddle Martyrs (1834); Swing Rioters and Luddites (1828–1833); American and French-Canadian prisoners from the Upper Canada rebellion and Lower Canada Rebellion (1839), and Chartists (1842). With increasing numbers of free settlers entering New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) by the mid-1830s, opposition to the transportation of felons into
1501-544: The Seven Years' War were used as makeshift floating prisons . Four out of five prisoners were in jail for theft. In the 1800s the Bloody Code was gradually rescinded because judges and juries considered its punishments too harsh. Since lawmakers still wanted punishments to deter potential criminals, they increasingly used transportation as a more humane sentence to execution . Transportation had been employed as
1580-466: The Swan River Colony in 1829 – initially was intended solely for free settlers, but commenced receiving convicts in 1850. South Australia and Victoria , established in 1836 and 1850 respectively, officially remained free colonies. However, a population that included thousands of convicts already resided in the area that became known as Victoria. Penal transportation to Australia peaked in
1659-427: The 1600ha house on land owned by his father-in-law James Mudie . Larnach and Mudie worked together on property with the help of convict labour to create a prominent agricultural establishment producing wool , meat and wheat . He was assigned 64 convicts which comprised 67% English , 25% Irish and a few from Scotland with a median age of 28 years old. A servant set fire to the estate in 1832. In 1893 Baroona
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#17327871668471738-488: The 1830s and dropped off significantly in the following decade, as protests against the convict system intensified throughout the colonies. In 1868, almost two decades after transportation to the eastern colonies had ceased, the last convict ship arrived in Western Australia. The majority of convicts were transported for petty crimes , particularly theft: thieves comprised 80% of all transportees. More serious crimes, such as rape and murder, became transportable offences in
1817-553: The 1830s, but since they were also punishable by death, comparatively few convicts were transported for such crimes. Approximately 1 in 7 convicts were women, while political prisoners , another minority group, comprised many of the best-known convicts . Once emancipated , most ex-convicts stayed in Australia and joined the free settlers, with some rising to prominent positions in Australian society. However, convictism carried
1896-727: The Brisbane penal settlement was closed. In 1842 free settlement was permitted and people began to colonize the area voluntarily. On 6 June 1859 Queensland became a colony separate from New South Wales . In 2009 the Convict Records of Queensland, held by the Queensland State Archives and the State Library of Queensland was added to UNESCO's Australian Memory of the World Register. Although
1975-640: The British Empire. In 1830, the Port Arthur penal settlement was established to replace Macquarie Harbour, as it was easier to maintain regular communications by sea. Although known in popular history as a particularly harsh prison, in reality, its management was far more humane than Macquarie Harbour or the outlying stations of New South Wales. Experimentation with the so-called model prison system took place in Port Arthur. Solitary confinement
2054-550: The British Isles to Australia. The convict era has inspired famous novels, films, and other cultural works, and the extent to which it has shaped Australia's national character has been studied by many writers and historians. According to Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore , the population of England and Wales, which had remained steady at 6 million from 1700 to 1740, began rising considerably after 1740. By
2133-591: The British penal system transported about 162,000 convicts from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia . The British Government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century. After trans-Atlantic transportation ended with the start of the American Revolution , authorities sought an alternative destination to relieve further overcrowding of British prisons and hulks . Earlier in 1770, James Cook had charted and claimed possession of
2212-483: The Hunter River in 1955 , causing extensive damage to the town. When the area was being settled, the government originally attempted to create a town at Whittingham in a flood-free area, but the town grew by the river nonetheless. An embankment was constructed following the 1955 floods to help protect the town against any future flooding. It was built in 1829 with property being on 33 hectares. John Larnach built
2291-626: The Hunter Valley is The Hunter Valley News , which, along with the Newcastle Herald newspaper (daily, except Sundays), is published by Australian Community Media. The Hunter River Times was established in 2020 and provides news for the surrounding Singleton area. Radio stations serving both Newcastle and the Hunter Valley can be received in Singleton. Singleton is part of the Newcastle – Hunter Region television market, which
2370-722: The New England Highway ten kilometres south of Singleton. Construction of a bypass of the New England Highway commenced in July 2024. Singleton is served by local and long-distance NSW TrainLink rail services. Singleton railway station on the Main Northern railway line is located at the southern end of the town centre. There are also local CDC NSW bus services. Major industries near Singleton include coal mining , electricity generation , light industry, vineyards , horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying
2449-534: The Probation System was employed, where convicts spent an initial period, usually two years, in public works gangs on stations outside of the main settlements. They were then freed to work for wages within a set district. Transportation to Tasmania ended in 1853 (see section below on Cessation of Transportation ). Records on the individual convicts transported to Van Diemen’s Land or born there between 1803 and 1900 were being digitised as of 2019 as part of
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2528-573: The Risdon Cove site inadequate, and in 1804 he established an alternative settlement on the western side of the river at Sullivan's Cove, Tasmania . This later became known as Hobart , and the original settlement at Risdon Cove was abandoned. Collins was appointed as the first Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land. When the convict station on Norfolk Island was abandoned in 1807–1808, the remaining convicts and free settlers were transported to Hobart and allocated land for resettlement. However, as
2607-532: The South Pacific in 1770 made it the most suitable. On 18 August 1786, the decision was made to send a colonisation party of convicts, military, and civilian personnel to Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip , who was appointed as Governor of the new colony. There were 775 convicts on board six transport ships. They were accompanied by officials, members of the crew, marines,
2686-543: The arrival of the Second Fleet . The "Memorandoms" by James Martin provide a contemporary account of the events as seen by a convict from the first fleet. The second fleet was a disaster and provided little in the way of help. In June 1790 it delivered additional sick and dying convicts, affected by the rigors of the lengthy journey. The situation worsened in Port Jackson. Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Bourke
2765-434: The arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, a group of convicts and free settlers were sent to take control of Norfolk Island , a small island 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) east of the coast of New South Wales. More convicts were sent, and many of them proved to be unruly. In early 1789 they made a failed attempt to overthrow Lieutenant Philip Gidley King , the island's commandant. There were other hazards: HMS Sirius
2844-492: The bay would not be suitable for the establishment of a colony due to "the openness of this bay, and the dampness of the soil, by which the people would probably be rendered unhealthy". Phillip decided to examine Port Jackson , a bay mentioned by Captain Cook, about three leagues to the north. On 22 January 1788 a small expedition led by Phillips sailed to Port Jackson, arriving in the early afternoon: Here all regret arising from
2923-432: The city of Sydney . This date is celebrated as Australia Day . Initially the members of the first fleet suffered a high mortality rate , due mainly to starvation from shortages of food. The ships carried only enough food to provide for the settlers until they could establish agriculture in the region. There were an insufficient number of skilled farmers and domesticated livestock to achieve this. The colony had to await
3002-462: The colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts." Convict George Barrington is (perhaps apocryphally) recorded as having written the prologue for the first theatrical play performed by convicts in Australia, one year after the First Fleet's arrival. It is known as "Our Country's Good", based on the now-famous closing stanza: The poems of Frank the Poet are among
3081-713: The colonies grew. The most influential spokesmen were newspaper proprietors who were also members of the Independent Congregational Church such as John Fairfax in Sydney and the Reverend John West in Launceston, who argued against convicts both as competition to honest free labourers and as the source of crime and vice within the colony. Bishop Bernard Ullathorne , a Catholic prelate who had been in Australia since 1832 returned for
3160-536: The convict system, including the construction of the Convict Establishment itself. In 1852 a Convict Depot was built at Albany, but closed 3 years later. When shipping increased the Depot was re-opened. Most of the convicts had their Ticket-of-Leave and were hired to work by the free settlers. Convicts also crewed the pilot boat, rebuilt York Street and Stirling Terrace; and the track from Albany to Perth
3239-576: The crown against this interference with their legal rights, fearing that a reduction in punishments would cease to provide enough deterrence to the convicts. Bourke, however, was not dissuaded from his reforms. He continued to combat the inhumane treatment of convicts, and limited the number of convicts assigned to each employer to seventy. There was limited oversight of treatment of assigned convicts. Bourke granted rights to convicts who were freed after serving their sentences, such as allowing them to acquire property and serve on juries. It has been argued that
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3318-697: The east coast of Australia for Britain . Seeking to pre-empt the French colonial empire from expanding into the region, Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony, and in 1787, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay , arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney , New South Wales , the first European settlement on the continent. Other penal colonies were later established in Van Diemen's Land ( Tasmania ) in 1803 and Queensland in 1824. Western Australia – established as
3397-406: The end of a convict's sentence, seven years in most cases, the convict was issued with a Certificate of Freedom . He was free to become a settler or to return to England. Convicts who misbehaved, however, were often sent to a place of secondary punishment, such as Port Arthur, Tasmania , or Norfolk Island , where they would suffer additional punishment and solitary confinement . Within a month of
3476-464: The existing small population was already having difficulties producing enough food, the sudden doubling of the population was almost catastrophic. Starting in 1816, more free settlers began arriving from Great Britain. On 3 December 1825 Tasmania was declared a colony separate from New South Wales , with a separate administration. The Macquarie Harbour penal colony on the West Coast of Tasmania
3555-472: The families thereof, and their own children who together totaled 645. In all, eleven ships were sent in what became known as the First Fleet . Other than the convict transports, there were two naval escorts and three storeships. The fleet assembled in Portsmouth and set sail on 13 May 1787. The eleven ships arrived at Botany Bay over the three-day period of 18 - 20 January 1788. It soon became clear that
3634-422: The few surviving literary works done by a convict while still incarcerated. His best-known work is "A Convict's Tour of Hell". A version of the convict ballad " Moreton Bay ", detailing the brutal punishments meted out by commandant Patrick Logan and his death at the hands of Aborigines, is also attributed to Frank. Other convict ballads include " Jim Jones at Botany Bay ". The ballad " Botany Bay ", which describes
3713-529: The first general laws against child labour (the Factory Acts ) passed in the United Kingdom. Crime had become a major problem. In 1784, a French observer noted that "from sunset to dawn the environs of London became the patrimony of brigands for twenty miles around." Each parish had a watchman, but British cities did not have police forces in the modern sense. Jeremy Bentham strongly promoted
3792-407: The former disappointments was at once obliterated; and Governor Phillip had the satisfaction to find one of the finest harbours in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line might ride in perfect security. The different coves of this harbour were examined with all possible expedition, and the preference was given to one which had the finest spring of water, and in which ships can anchor so close to
3871-469: The government or on hire from penal depots, the Exiles were free to work for pay, but could not leave the district to which they were assigned. The Port Phillip District was still part of New South Wales at this stage. Victoria separated from New South Wales and became an independent colony in 1851. In 1823 John Oxley sailed north from Sydney to inspect Port Curtis and Moreton Bay as possible sites for
3950-471: The idea of a circular prison , but the penitentiary was seen by many government officials as a peculiar American concept. Virtually all malefactors were caught by informers or denounced to the local court by their victims. Pursuant to the so-called " Bloody Code ", by the 1770s some 222 crimes in Britain carried the death penalty . Almost all of these were crimes against property, including such offences as
4029-412: The official end of transportation. Transportation continued in small numbers to Western Australia. The last convict ship, Hougoumont , left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868. In all, about 164,000 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies between 1788 and 1868 onboard 806 ships. Convicts were made up of English and Welsh (70%), Irish (24%), Scottish (5%), and
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#17327871668474108-433: The present-day Sorrento, Victoria for the first settlement - some 90 km south of present-day Melbourne . About two months later the settlement was abandoned due to poor soil and water shortages and Collins moved the convicts to Hobart. Several convicts had escaped into the bush and were left behind to unknown fates with the local aboriginal people. One such convict, the subsequently celebrated William Buckley , lived in
4187-582: The remaining 1% from the British outposts in India and Canada, Maoris from New Zealand, Chinese from Hong Kong, and slaves from the Caribbean. Samuel Speed, who died 150 years after the arrival of the First Fleet, is believed to have been the last surviving transported convict. Born in Birmingham in 1841, he was transported to Western Australia in 1866 after deliberately committing a crime - setting fire to
4266-587: The riots were sentenced to death. During the months preceding the revolt nearly two thirds of the convicts had been flogged with one third of them being flogged multiple times. The subsequent trial in December 1833 led to the convicts being charged with stealing from two dwelling houses, shooting with intent to kill, aiding and abetting and an attempted murder . The inquiry produced little evidence of illegal work practice or servants and convicts being overworked. Located on 30 Edinburgh Avenue on 3370 sqm, Pelerin
4345-480: The rise of a well-coordinated anti-transportation movement, especially following a severe economic depression in the early 1840s. Transportation was temporarily suspended in 1846 but soon revived with overcrowding of British gaols and clamour for the availability of transportation as a deterrent. By the late 1840s most convicts being sent to Van Diemen's Land (plus those to Victoria ) were designated as "exiles" and were free to work for pay while under sentence. In 1850
4424-563: The settlement was transferred to the Swan River Colony, and the troops and convicts were withdrawn. In April 1848, Charles Fitzgerald , Governor of Western Australia , petitioned Britain to send convicts to his state because of labour shortages. Britain rejected sending fixed-term convicts, but offered to send first offenders in the final years of their terms. Most convicts in Western Australia spent very little time in prison. Those who were stationed at Fremantle were housed in
4503-566: The shore, that at a very small expence quays may be constructed at which the largest vessels may unload. This cove is about half a mile in length and a quarter of a mile across at the entrance. In honour of Lord Sydney, the Governor distinguished it by the name of Sydney Cove. There they established the first permanent European colony on the Australian continent, within New South Wales , on 26 January 1788. The area has since developed as
4582-489: The stealing of goods worth over 5 shillings, the cutting down of a tree, the theft of an animal, even the theft of a rabbit from a warren . Because the Industrial Revolution economically displaced much of the working class, there was an increase in petty crime. The government was under pressure to find an alternative to confinement in overcrowded gaols . The situation was so dire that hulks left over from
4661-436: The suspension of convict transportation to New South Wales in 1840 can be attributed to the actions of Bourke and other like-minded men, such as Australian-born lawyer William Charles Wentworth . It took another 10 years, but transportation to the colony of New South Wales was finally officially abolished on 1 October 1850. If a convict was well behaved, the convict could be given a ticket of leave , granting some freedom. At
4740-402: The time of the American Revolution , London was overcrowded, filled with the unemployed, and flooded with cheap gin . Poverty , social injustice , child labour , harsh and dirty living conditions and long working hours were prevalent in 19th-century Britain . Dickens 's novels perhaps best illustrate this; many government officials were horrified by what they saw. Only in 1833 and 1844 were
4819-513: The town centre, Singleton Heights, Dunolly, Darlington, The Retreat, Wattle Ponds and Hunterview. Surrounding rural villages include Broke , Camberwell , Jerrys Plains , Goorangoola/Greenlands, Belford and Lower Belford. Singleton is located on the north-eastern part of the geological structure known as the Sydney basin , which borders the New England region . Singleton is now home to
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#17327871668474898-597: The western side of Port Phillip for the next 32 years before approaching the new settlers and assisting as an interpreter for the indigenous peoples. A second settlement was established at Westernport Bay , on the site of present-day Corinella , in November 1826. It comprised an initial 20 soldiers and 22 convicts, with another 12 convicts arriving subsequently. This settlement was abandoned in February 1828, and all convicts returned to Sydney. The Port Phillip District
4977-492: The western third of Australia was unclaimed land known as New Holland . Fears that France would lay claim to the land prompted the Governor of New South Wales , Ralph Darling , to send Major Edmund Lockyer , with troops and 23 convicts, to establish a settlement at King George Sound. Lockyer's party arrived on Christmas Day, 1826. A convict presence was maintained at the settlement for over four years. On 7 March 1831 control of
5056-551: The years 1865, 1866, and 1867, after which transportation would cease. In accordance with this, the last convict ship to Western Australia, Hougoumont , left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868. Between 1788 and 1852, about 24,000 transportees were women, one in seven. 80% of women had been convicted of theft, usually petty. For protection, many quickly attached themselves to male officers or convicts. Although they were routinely referred to as courtesans , no women were transported for prostitution, as it
5135-516: Was believed to inflict on the free (non- emancipist ) middle classes. Transportation to New South Wales temporarily ended 1840 under the Order-in-Council of 22 May 1840, by which time some 150,000 convicts had been sent to the colonies. The sending of convicts to Brisbane in its Moreton Bay district had ceased the previous year, and administration of Norfolk Island was later transferred to Van Diemen's Land. Opposition to transportation
5214-540: Was built in the 1830s and is a stone-faced two storey building. In 1899 it sustained major storm damage. The home was rebuilt for D H Dight who decided to retain its original name. It has 27 rooms including 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, study, and a timber kitchen. It has cedar joinery with 15-inch skirting board with 11-foot ceilings. The house was built in 1871 by Singleton's first mayor Alexander Munro. He named his property Ardersier after his birthplace in Scotland. It
5293-723: Was established in 1820 to exploit the valuable timber Huon Pine growing there for furniture making and shipbuilding. Macquarie Harbour had the added advantage of being almost impossible to escape from. Most attempts ended with fugitive convicts either drowning, dying of starvation in the bush, or (on at least three occasions) turning cannibal. Convicts sent to this settlement had usually re-offended during their sentence of transportation. They were treated very harshly, labouring in cold and wet weather, and subjected to severe corporal punishment for minor infractions. Several hundred non-indigenous black convicts were transported to Van Diemen's Land, most as punishment for speaking or acting against
5372-531: Was given an addition of a spiral staircase, a card room and a viewing terrace. In November 1833 six convicts decided to revolt because of their poor treatment, meagre provisions and floggings . Larnach and Mudie were away from the property at the time washing sheep. The rebels stole clothes, guns, food and horses. They held Emily Larnach hostage with several servants locking them in an outhouse . They also attempted to kill John Larnach but he managed to escape to Henry Dangar 's house. Five of six men involved
5451-400: Was made into a good road. An Albany newspaper noted their commendable behaviour and wrote, "There were instances in which our free settlers might take an example". Western Australia's convict era came to an end with the cessation of penal transportation by Britain. In May 1865, the colony was advised of the change in British policy, and told that Britain would send one convict ship in each of
5530-613: Was not a transportable offence. Approximately 3,600 political prisoners were transported to the Australian colonies, many of whom arrived in waves corresponding to political unrest in Britain and Ireland. They included the First Scottish Martyrs in 1794; British Naval Mutineers (from the Nore Mutiny) in 1797 and 1801; Irish rebels in 1798 , 1803 , 1848 and 1868 ; Cato Street Conspirators (1820); Scots Rebels (1820); Yorkshire Rebels (1820 and 1822); leaders of
5609-568: Was not unanimous; wealthy landowner, Benjamin Boyd , for reasons of economic self-interest, wanted to use transported convicts from Van Diemen's Land as a source of free or low-cost labour in New South Wales, particularly as shepherds. The final transport of convicts to New South Wales occurred in 1850, with some 1,400 convicts transported between the Order-in-Council and that date. The continuation of transportation to Van Diemen's Land saw
5688-528: Was officially sanctioned in 1837 following the landing of the Henty brothers in Portland Bay in 1834, and John Batman settled on the site of Melbourne . Between 1844 and 1849 about 1,750 convicts arrived there from England. They were referred to either as "Exiles" or the "Pentonvillians" because most of them came from Pentonville Probationary Prison. Unlike earlier convicts who were required to work for
5767-510: Was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined. The largest employment industry is coal mining, which employs 24 percent of the town's workforce. Defence is the second largest employer with almost 4 percent of the workforce. Lone Pine Barracks is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Singleton. The Singleton Argus is a bi-weekly newspaper which was established in 1874. It is currently owned and published by Australian Community Media . The weekly newspaper that serves Singleton and
5846-531: Was opened in Singleton on 25 February 1861 during the construction of the first telegraph line to Queensland. That Office combined with the Post Office on 1 January 1870. In May 1942, the community celebrated the appointment of the town's first female Telegram Messenger – Miss Daphne Lambkins. She was one of the first female Messengers in the Commonwealth. Singleton was subject to the major flooding of
5925-770: Was shortened to The Singleton Argus on 14 July 1880. The paper has been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program project of the National Library of Australia . Singleton, New South Wales Singleton is a town on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales , Australia . Singleton is 202km (126 mi) north-north-west of Sydney , and 70 km (43 mi) north-west of Newcastle . At June 2018, Singleton had an urban population of 16,346. Singleton's main urban area includes
6004-493: Was the end of the line until 1869. The town retains many historic buildings, including the original courthouse built in 1841, various large churches and many traditional Australian pubs . The countryside surrounding Singleton contains an unusual number of fine old mansions, reflecting the aristocratic nature of land grants when the area was settled. They include 'Neotsfield' (1828), the elaborate 'Baroona' (1829), 'Abbey Green' (1865) and stunning 'Minimbah' (1877). A Telegraph Office
6083-480: Was the ninth Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, serving between 1831 and 1837. Appalled by the excessive punishments doled out to convicts during their imprisonment and work assignments, Bourke passed 'The Magistrates Act', which limited the sentence a magistrate could pass to fifty lashes (previously there was no such limit). Bourke's administration was controversial. Furious magistrates and employers petitioned
6162-458: Was the preferred method of punishment. Many changes were made to the manner in which convicts were handled in the general population, largely responsive to British public opinion on the harshness of their treatment. Until the late 1830s, most convicts were either retained by the Government for public works or assigned to private individuals as a form of indentured labour. From the early 1840s
6241-563: Was wrecked on one of the island's reefs while attempting to land stores. In 1803, a British expedition was sent from Sydney to Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land ) to establish a new penal colony there. The small party, led by Lt. John Bowen, established a settlement at Risdon Cove, on the eastern side of the Derwent River. Originally sent to Port Philip, but abandoned within weeks, another expedition led by Lieutenant-Colonel David Collins arrived soon after. Collins considered
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