Too fragile to show
A Western Australian convict's uniform
Just five pieces of clothing survive from the convict period in Western Australia. The jacket and trousers in this photo are so fragile and irreplaceable they are not on permanent display. The other three surviving items are held by the Fremantle Prison Museum.
Convict uniforms were made in the tailor shops of the big London prisons in three standard sizes and sent out in annual despatches. Ordinary prisoners, ticket of leave men and men on special punishment on the chain gang wore different issues of clothing, which they received twice a year for summer and winter.
The bizarre parti-coloured uniform was worn as extra punishment by prisoners sentenced to work in iron leg chains. It is made of coarse wool tabby in black and bright mustard yellow halves. The right hand front half of each piece was black and the left half yellow; this was reversed on the back and the collar. Because the punishing iron chains remained on the prisoner’s legs 24 hours a day, the sides of the trousers buttoned up (and could be unbuttoned) like a fly. The pieces are stamped with the infamous broad arrow that signified British Government property.
It appears that this uniform was never issued for use, which undoubtedly accounts for its survival.
A convict uniform worn in Western Australia, one of the few surviving examples in the Museum's collection.
Credit: WA Museum