2025 marks 15 years since UNESCO inscribed the Australian Convict Sites on the World Heritage List.
The 11 sites across New South Wales, Tasmania, Norfolk Island and Western Australia each represent a different aspect of the convict story.
They convey a tumultuous history, from the harsh punishment at Port Arthur and Tasmania's nearby Coal Mines, to the monumental convict-built Old Great North Road northwest of Sydney.
Together, the sites tell of the conditions convicts faced and the contributions they made to the colony. They also remind us of colonisation's profound impact on First Nations communities, whose lives and lands were forever changed.
The 11 sites include:
- Hyde Park Barracks, NSW
- Old Government House and Domain, NSW
- Old Great North Road, NSW
- Cockatoo Island Convict Site, NSW
- Kingston and Arthur's Vale, Norfolk Island
- Port Arthur Convict Site, Tas
- Coal Mines Historic Site, Tas
- Darlington Probation Station, Tas
- Cascades Female Factory, Tas
- Woolmers and Brickendon Estates, Tas
- Fremantle Prison, WA.
15 years after their listing, these sites continue to inspire important conversations about identity, justice, and reconciliation.
Watch a video with stunning imagery of the sites, prepared by Australian Convict Sites Steering Committee with grant funding from the Australian Government. Produced by Sarah Abad.
